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2025-12-31-accounts

Charity number: 1178599

The Lute Society

Report and accounts

for the year ended 31 December 2025

Contents The Lute Society

Charity No. 1178599

Report of the trustees 1-4
Report of the independent examiner 5
Statement of fnancial activities 6
Balance sheet 7
Notes forming part of the accounts 8-13

Report of the trustees The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

The trustees present their report and accounts of the Lute Society (the “Society”) for the year ended 31 December 2025. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of SORP (FRS 102) (“the Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102”), FRS 102 itself, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

In following SORP (FRS 102), the accounts have departed from the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 which require an earlier Charities SORP, since withdrawn. This departure is as advised by the Charity Commission and is only to the extent required to provide a ‘true and fair view’.

Objectives and activities

The objects of the Society are to advance the study of, and to educate the public in, the history, playing technique, music, construction and other aspects of the lute and related instruments.

To further these objectives the Society produces a quarterly magazine for members and an annual scholarly journal; publishes editions of sheet music for the lute; maintains a collection of lutes and related instruments available for hire; and holds regular public meetings, mostly in London, with presentations of research papers and performances of lute music

In setting our objectives and planning our activities the trustees have given careful consideration to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance.

Achievements and performance

Further details of our activities, publications and lutes available for hire can be found on our website at www.lutesociety.org.

Membership

Anyone interested in the lute, whether as a maker, player, student, musicologist, or for whatever reason, is welcome to become a member for a modest subscription. Concessionary subscriptions are available. There were 1,037 (2024: 1,081) subscribing members at the end of December, including 518 electronic-only members (2024: 503) who in return for a lower subscription receive the magazine and journal in electronic format.

UK
Europe
USA and Canada
Japan
Australia and New Zealand
Other countries		 2025
2024
457
480
312
309
190
210
34
38
36
39
8
5
1,037
1,081

Magazine and journal

The quarterly magazines for members, Lute News , distributed to members by post or online, and the Lutezine, available only online , include articles on subjects related to the lute and a music supplement with sheet music not generally accessible otherwise. New members are sent an introductory New members’ pack with a selection of sheet music for the lute.

1

Report of the trustees (continued) The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

Magazine and journal (continued)

The annual scholarly journal, The Lute , is produced in arrears, and is sent to those who were members of the Society for the relevant year. The Society published the 2020 journal in 2025, and plans to issue the journal for 2021 and 2022 in 2026. From the 2025 edition onward, the journal is principally distributed in electronic format, though libraries and other paper subscribers can request a hard copy.

Publications

We publish sheet music editions, working plans, and other publications relating to the lute and related instruments. Popular titles are pre-printed externally in bulk and held in stock, while others are printed to order in-house. During the year, new editions published by the society included The Ayres that were sung and played at Brougham Castle edited by Matthew Spring and Brian Wright’s new composition Elegy for . Geoffrey Burgon

We also reprinted The Art of the Lute in Renaissance Italy, vol. 3: Intabulations formerly published by Lyre Editions. Works in progress include a new Dowland issue edited by Jan Burgers drawing on research by John Robinson, Dowland’s dramatic works edited by Matthew Spring, intabulations of songs about animals by Betsy Small, Mudarra’s songs edited by Mathew Spring, and a collection of music by Turlough O’Carolan edited by Ronn McFarlane and Ron Andrico for baroque lute.

We also sell publications from other publishers who are no longer active including the Brian Jordan/Scolar Press editions of English Ayres and early guitar music from Chanterelle, and sell publications of sister organisations. We continue to promote modern lute music, and make compositions by members available for downloading from our webpage.

Hire of instruments

Our collection of lutes and similar instruments enables potential players to experiment before buying their own instrument. The more unusual instruments in the collection, including lutes of different sizes and tunings, enable groups to perform the particular works requiring these instruments, and the smaller lutes encourage children to take up the lute.

We received four donated instruments in 2025 valued at £6,300 in total, including a renaissance guitar by Peter Forrester donated by the maker, a bandora donated by Mary Cousen, a gittern donated by Steve Graham, and a 1930 wandervogel donated by Gay Jacklin and the Nightingale family.

Education and outreach

We hold regular public meetings, normally at the Dutch Church in London, which include the presentation of papers, and live performances of music for the lute and similar instruments either in a formal concert setting to illustrate papers. Attendance at the meetings is free for members of the public but there is an admission fee for the main recital at the end of the day. Parts of the meetings are recorded so that members unable to attend can view them later on-line.

Benslow Music Trust held a four day educational course, the Lutefest , at Hitchin in Hertfordshire, in association with the Society. It was led by Lynda Sayce, Jacob Heringman, Matthew Spring and Sara Stowe, with guest tutors Andrea Damiani and Paula Chateauneuf , and included individual tuition and workshops for participants, and opportunities to perform with singers, other instrumentalists and in lute consorts. Seven students were awarded full bursaries from our student bursary fund. The Lutefest will be repeated in 2026.

2

Report of the trustees (continued) The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

Education and outreach (continued)

We encourage members to participate in a variety of lute related activities. A playing day to encourage players of all levels were held in Newcastle, and an informal 'Flow my beers' evening was held in a London pub with opportunities for lutenists to play. The European Lute Orchestra didn’t perform in 2025, but members look forward to participating in their concert at Belluno in Italy in May 2026. We also maintain links with related societies worldwide, sending a representative to meetings of the French Lute Society in Paris and the German Lute Society in Weimar. As reported in LuteNews , individual members have organised lute activities in Italy, Austria, Australia and Japan.

Dowland 400 commemorations

2026 marks the four hundredth anniversary of the death of John Dowland, the most famous lutenist from these isles, in 1626.

To commemorate him, the Society will contribute £5,000 from the Gillian Brown fund towards a major . Dowland 400 Festival in Norwich in July including talks and performances by leading players over four days

Other commemorative projects organised by the society include a Lute Society Dowland edition and website and lessons on Youtube on playing pieces by Dowland, taught by Lynda Sayce and others. In addition, the Society has helped fund the John Dowland 400th Anniversary Video Project , a series of 26 videos shot in historic locations in the UK and Europe with a lute and four singers, directed by Liz Pallett, and released fortnightly on Youtube during 2026.

Volunteers

We are indebted to the considerable work done voluntarily by its members and others which include editing publications and getting them ready for publication, contributions to the magazine and journal, helping at public meetings, particularly with the catering, and serving on the committee.

Financial review

Funds at the end of the year were £193,972 (2024: £187,733) including £10,542 (2024: £8,118) in the general fund, £176,170 (2024: £170,020) in the instrument fund, £7,240 (2024, 9,240) in the Gillian Brown fund, and £20 (2024: £355) in the student bursary fund.

Reserves policy

The reserves policy is to set the instrument fund equal to the value of instruments held in fixed assets, to keep the Gillian Brown fund (see note 14) for special projects, and to maintain the remaining reserves in a general fund at a level where income covers expenditure (excluding one-off costs) year on year. The financial risks of rising and falling demand are managed by matching expenditure on activities to the related income where possible. Our cash surplus results in part from membership subscriptions received up to three years in advance and the backlog of annual journals for previous years not yet produced. We consider this policy is adequate to cover future contingencies: additional cash needs can be met by the sale of instruments.

3

Report of the trustees (continued) The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

Structure, governance and management

The Lute Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), charity no. 1178599, formed under a constitution dated 5 May 2018. It is the successor to the unincorporated Lute Society, which was formed in 1956, became a registered charity on 24 January 2001, and transferred its operations and assets to the CIO on 31 December 2018.

As trustees, the elected members of the committee examine the major risks which the Society faces when preparing and updating plans for future activities.

Principal office

3 Dolcey Way, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LE

Charity trustees during the year David van Edwards, President Sarah Shepley, Chair and website editor David Protheroe, Treasurer Jo Bowen (appointed 3 May, 2025, resigned 16 March) Nancy Carlin Sam Chapman Theodore Diehl (appointed 3 May, 2025) Adam Dzwonnik James Hall (appointed 3 May, 2025) Tom Llewellyn Ciska Mertens Ron Andrico (appointed 3 May, 2025, resigned 14 January 2026) Richard Corran (retired 3 May, 2025) Luke Emmet (retired 3 May, 2025) Peter Jones (retired 3 May, 2025) Alain Verberkmoes (retired 3 May, 2025)

Independent examiner Michael Gray

Officers and co-opted members of the committee Christopher Goodwin, Secretary Luke Emmet, Website editor John Reeve, New listings & reviews editor Melody Packard, Internet correspondent

Other roles Lute hire administrators: Bridgewood & Neitzert Plans administrator: Bruce Brook Microfilm librarian: John Reeve Magazine editor: Christopher Goodwin Journal editor: Christopher Goodwin

Editorial sub-committee Michael Lowe, Tim Crawford, John Robinson, Peter Forrester, Matthew Spring, David van Edwards, Christopher Page, and Peter Holman

Honorary members Anthony Bailes, John Robinson, Peter Lay, Dame Emma Kirkby CBE

Approved by the trustees on 4 April 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

Sarah Shepley, Chair

4

Charity No. 1178599

Report of the Independent Examiner to the trustees of The Lute Society on the accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025

Responsibilities and basis of report

I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025 on pages 6 to 13.

As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination, I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Michael Gray

15 Chesterfield Road, Cambridge, CB4 1LN

4 April 2026

5

Statement of financial activities The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

Unrestricted
Note
funds
£
Income
Donations and legacies
Donations of instruments
6,300
Other donations
1,551
7,851
From charitable activities
Membership subscriptions
3
39,853
Magazine and journal
4
280
Publications
5
18,448
Hire of instruments
6
16,133
Education and outreach
7
4,408
79,122
Other income
Bank interest
1,378
Total income
88,351
Expenditure
On charitable activities
Magazine and journal
4
44,113
Publications
5
13,133
Hire of instruments
6
9,342
Education and outreach
7
15,189
Total expenditure
81,777
Net income/(defcit) for the year
6,574
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds at 1 January
187,378
Total funds at 31 December
193,952		 Restricted
funds
£
-
1,009
1,009
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1,009
-
-
-
1,344
1,344
(335)
355
20		 Total
2025
£
6,300
2,560
8,860
39,853
280
18,448
16,133
4,408
79,122
1,378
89,360
44,113
13,133
9,342
16,533
83,121
6,239
187,733
193,972		 Total
2024
£
11,417
2,156
13,573
40,723
130
19,774
15,585
3,388
79,600
1,560
94,733
47,796
12,750
8,656
11,160
80,362
14,371
173,362
187,733

6

Balance sheet The Lute Society at 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

Note
Tangible fxed assets
9
Current assets
Stock
10
Debtors
Short term deposits
Cash and cash equivalents
Liabilities: amounts falling due within one year
11
Net current assets
Total assets less current liabilities
Liabilities: amounts falling due after more than one year
12
Provisions for liabilities
13
Net assets
Funds
Unrestricted funds
Instrument fund
14
Gillian Brown Fund
14
General fund
14
Restricted income funds
Student bursary fund
15
Total funds		 31 December
2025
£
177,590
5,181
3,095
40,573
24,035
72,884
(25,798)
47,086
224,676
(6,842)
(23,862)
193,972
176,170
7,240
10,542
193,952
20
193,972		 31 December
2024
£
171,829
4,637
2,539
40,954
20,487
68,617
(26,777)
41,840
213,669
(4,031)
(21,905)
187,733
170,020
9,240
8,118
187,378
355
187,733

The accounts on pages 6 to 13 were approved by the trustees on 4 April 2026 and signed on their behalf by:

Sarah Shepley, Chair

7

Notes forming part of the accounts The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

1. General

The Lute Society is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered with the Charity Commission in England and Wales under number 1178599. Its principal office is at 3 Dolcey Way, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire, MK44 1LE.

2. Accounting policies

Basis of preparation

The accounts have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) second edition, FRS 102, the Charities Act 2011 and UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

Accounting convention

The accounts have been prepared under the historical cost convention as modified by the inclusion of donated assets at fair value in 1997 or at the date of acquisition if later. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis.

Going concern

The trustees consider the Society is a going concern as there are no material uncertainties affecting its ability to continue and it is able to manage its costs in line with income.

Support costs

Support costs are apportioned to activities to present the costs of those activities fairly, in proportion to the related income, the purpose of the expenditure, or the secretary’s time on each activity.

Fixed assets

Fixed assets are recorded at cost or, if donated to the Society, at their fair value on the date of the gift. Depreciation is provided at 20% a year on cost for office equipment in order to write it off over its estimated useful life. No depreciation is provided on instruments for hire because of their high residual value. Fixed assets are regularly assessed for impairment, and written down if impaired.

Stock

Stock is recorded at the lower of cost of net realisable value. Because of the long periods over which stock for resale is held, ten years or more, and the uncertainty over future sales, net realisable value is generally taken as zero once a title reaches its break-even point. The effect of this is that stock for resale is written down by cumulative sales until the value of the stock reaches nil. Any further sales are credited directly to income.

Slow moving stock is assessed for impairment at the end of each year, and impairment losses are recognised or reversed accordingly.

Deferred income

Subscriptions paid in advance are carried forward in the balance sheet as deferred income. Deferred income is discounted by the time value of money, if material, over the period until it is expected to be settled.

Provisions

The costs of printing and distributing the annual journal and quarterly magazines are provided in the year to which the journal or magazine relates because members are entitled to receive a copy for each year that they belong. The provision is discounted by the time value of money over the period until it is expected to be settled, if material.

8

Notes forming part of the accounts The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

2. Accounting policies (continued)

Funds

Funds are moneys set aside for specific purposes. A fund may be restricted if it represents donations received for the specific purpose and cannot legally be spent otherwise, or unrestricted if the trustees have simply earmarked the moneys for particular projects. Income and expenditure of funds may be attributed directly to the funds or be accounted for as a transfer from or to the General fund.

Donated goods and services

Donated goods are recognised at fair value at the date of the donation. Donated services are measured at the value of the gift to the Society. No accounting value however is placed on the time contributed by volunteers because it is impractical to calculate reliably.

Cash flow statement

No cash flow statement has been presented as FRS102 exempts small entities from disclosing cash flows.

3. Membership subscriptions
Magazine and journal in paper format
Magazine and journal in electronic format only
4. Magazine and journal
Income from advertising in magazine
Expenditure
Quarterly magazine production
Annual journal production
Distribution
Design software
Share of support costs (note 8)
Net expenditure on magazine and journal
5. Publications
Income from sales of publications
Expenditure
Printing to order
Stock items sold (note 10)
Postage and packing
Share of support costs (note 8)
Net income on publications		 2025
24,990
14,863
39,853
280
10,989
2,695
13,036
438
16,955
44,113
43,833
18,448
3,112
2,273
4,664
3,084
13,133
5,315		 2024
26,195
14,528
40,723
130
10,512
3,097
16,079
415
17,693
47,796
47,666
19,774
2,980
1,814
5,152
2,804
12,750
7,024

9

Charity No. 1178599

Notes forming part of the accounts The Lute Society

for the year ended 31 December 2025

6. Hire of instruments
Income from hire of instruments
Expenditure
Repairs and maintenance
Impairment of instruments
Instrument administration
Share of support costs (note 8)
Net income from hire of instruments
7. Education and outreach
Income from concert tickets and refreshments
Expenditure
Public meetings: performers and lecturers
Venue hire
Dowland 400 commemoration - video project
Bursaries awarded from Student Bursary Fund
Other bursaries awarded
Residential course administration
Travel to meetings and events
Exhibition stall
Subsidy for playing days
Public liability insurance
Share of support costs (note 8)
Net expenditure on education and outreach		 2025
16,133
4,512
150
3,018
1,662
9,342
6,791
4,408
5,895
2,666
2,000
1,344
244
819
725
330
300
168
2,042
16,533
12,125		 2024
15,585
3,149
-
3,428
2,079
8,656
6,929
3,388
4,343
2,691
-
844
-
554
571
107
166
132
1,752
11,160
7,772

Prior year adjustment

Costs totalling £925 for residential course administration, exhibition costs and certain travel which were previously classified as support costs in 2024 have been reclassified under education and outreach. Comparative figures including the apportionment of support costs (note 8) have been restated.

10

Charity No. 1178599

Notes forming part of the accounts The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

8. Support costs
Secretary's fee
Bank charges
Ofce costs
General travel
Apportionment of support costs to charitable activities
Magazine and journal (note 4)
Publications (note 5)
Hire of instruments (note 6)
Education and outreach (note 7)		 2025
20,447
1,922
1,071
303
23,743
16,955
3,084
1,662
2,042
23,743		 2024
20,904
1,783
1,341
300
24,328
17,693
2,804
2,079
1,752
24,328

Support costs are apportioned to charitable activities in proportion to the secretary’s time on the activity or, for bank charges, to the relevant income.

The independent examiner received no remuneration (2024: £nil).

Prior year adjustment

Costs totalling £925 for residential course administration, exhibition costs and certain travel which were previously classified as support costs in 2024 have been reclassified under education and outreach (note 7). Comparative figures including the apportionment of support costs have been restated.

9. Tangible fxed assets
Cost or valuation
At 1 January 2025
Acquisitions - donated
Acquisitions - purchased
At 31 December 2025
Accumulated depreciation and impairments
At 1 January 2025
Charge for the year
At 31 December 2025
Net book value
At 31 December 2025
At 31 December 2024		 Instruments
for hire
171,870
6,300
-
178,170
1,850
150
2,000
176,170
170,020		 Ofce
equipment
3,176
-
55
3,231
1,367
444
1,811
1,420
1,809		 Total
175,046
6,300
55		 Total
181,401
3,217
594
3,811
177,590
171,829

Capital commitments

The society has no capital commitments (2024: £800 for repairs to a recently donated lute).

11

Notes forming part of the accounts The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

10. Stock
Held for resale
Consumables
Movement of stock
At 1 January
Acquired
Stock items sold (note 5)
Postage
At 31 December		 Held for resale
3,404
1,069
(2,273)
-
2,200		 Held for resale
3,404
1,069
(2,273)
-
2,200		 Consumables
1,233
4,262
-
(2,514)
2,981
2,200

Stock held for resale includes facsimiles, modern editions of lute music, working drawings and CDs. Other publications printed to order are not included in stock. The stock of consumables comprises postage stamps for future mailings.

11. Current liabilities
Trade creditors
Due to secretary
Deferred income:
Subscriptions and hire income received in advance for the following year
12. Liabilities: amounts falling due after more than one year
Deferred income
Subscriptions received in advance for more than one year ahead
13. Provisions for liabilities
Magazine expected to be produced in the following year
Journal expected to be produced in the following year
Journal expected to be produced more than one year ahead
Movement in provisions
At 1 January
Utilised in the year
Increase in provision
At 31 December		 2025
4,962
2,447
18,389
25,798
6,842
6,912
7,800
9,150
23,862
21,905
(8,774)
10,731
23,862		 2024
8,231
5,904
12,642
26,777
4,031
4,905
7,200
9,800
21,905
19,359
(8,213)
10,759
21,905

12

Notes forming part of the accounts The Lute Society for the year ended 31 December 2025

Charity No. 1178599

14. Unrestricted funds
Movement in year
At 1 January
Net income/(expenditure)
At 31 December		 Instrument
170,020
6,150
176,170		 Gillian Brown
9,240
(2,000)
7,240		 General
8,118
2,424
10,542		 2025
Total
187,378
6,574
193,952		 2024
Total
172,608
14,770
187,378

Instrument fund

The instrument fund is an unrestricted fund designated by the trustees to establish a collection of lute and related instruments which the trustees intend to hold permanently for the benefit of the Society.

Gillian Brown fund

Former member Gillian Brown bequeathed £9,648 to the Society in 2022, which the trustees designated as an unrestricted fund to be spent over five years on strategic initiatives to extend the Society’s impact. In 2025, £2,000 was spent to support Liz Pallett's project of making video recordings of all Dowland’s works for release fortnightly during 2026.

15. Restricted funds

15. Restricted funds
Student bursary fund
At 1 January
Donations received
Bursaries awarded
At 31 December		 2025
355
1,009
(1,344)
20		 2024
754
445
(844)
355

To encourage greater uptake of the instrument among music students, the society has set up a bursary fund to fund places on short courses such as the Society’s annual residential weekend at Benslow, for students who want to try the lute. It is classed as a restricted income fund, in that any money raised for the fund can only be used for this purpose.

16. Related party transactions

Trustees received £42 (2024: £615) in total for specialist services provided to the Society. These were reasonable amounts for the services provided and were pre-agreed by the Society having regard to Charity Commission guidance in respect of the remuneration of trustees. One trustee claimed expenses of £125 (2024: two trustees £326).

Specialist services provided by trustees
Service provided
Royalties on working drawings/ book sales
Repairs to lutes for hire		 Trustee
David van Edwards
Luke Emmet		 2025
42
-
42		 2024
30
585
615

No other trustee or person connected with a trustee has been paid remuneration or received other benefits from the Society.

13