## **Trustees’ Annual Report for the period**
## **From 17/10/2022 Period start date To 16/10/2023 Period end date**
## **Charity name: Musica Secreta**
## **Charity registration number: 1180343**
## **Objectives and Activities**
||SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Summary of the purposes of
the charity as set out in its
governing document|Para 1.17|The purposes of our charity are
To advance education, for the
public beneft, in the knowledge
and appreciation of music
primarily but not exclusively for
female voices, whether for choir,
consort, or solo voices,
accompanied or unaccompanied.
To further the development of public
appreciation of and education in the
musical arts through concerts,
workshops, conferences, lectures,
broadcasts, publications (print,
digital, and online), and recordings,
and by such other means as the
trustees shall from time to time
determine.|
|Summary of the main
activities in relation to those
purposes for the public
benefit, in particular, the
activities, projects or
services identified in the
accounts.|Para 1.17 and
1.19|The charity fulfils its purposes through
giving concerts, making recordings, and
running workshops. Where possible and
practical, amateur choirs are invited to be
involved in performances.
The charity also engages in primary trading
through its website, selling scores and
CDs. The website is also used to distribute
free scores and advice to choirs wishing to
develop experience in singing female-voice
polyphony.
The charity supports two ensembles:
Musica Secreta, a professional ensemble
normally comprising 8-10 singers, viol, and
keyboard (organ or harpsichord); and
Celestial Sirens, an amateur choir based in
the south of England that meets on an ad
hoc basis to prepare performances,
sometimes alongside Musica Secreta.
Musica Secreta is directed by Laurie Stras;
Celestial Sirens remains directed by|
|||Deborah Roberts. In 2022-2023 we
decided to recognise formally the
performance direction contribution of Claire
Williams, the organist, who takes
responsibility for tempi and ensemble
during recordings and performances when
Stras is otherwise occupied. Williams is
now credited as Ensemble Director on
programmes and recording notes.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement confirming
whether the trustees have
had regard to the guidance
issued by the Charity
Commission on public
benefit|Para 1.18|In shaping the objectives for and planning
the charity’s activities, the trustees have
had regard to the Charity Commission’s
guidance on public benefit and fee
charging. The ensemble relies on grants
and income from fees and primary trading
to cover the costs of its activities. Budgets
for projects are based on industry-
appropriate rates (such as union-
recommended rates, where available);
grants are sought to reduce the fees
chargeable to promoters.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
||
SORP reference||
|---|---|---|
|Contribution made by
volunteers|Para 1.38|The charity, the primary trading, and the
ensemble are all managed by one person
(Stras), who is also responsible for the
research on which programmes are based,
and the editions performed. Management
of the charity involves all reporting tasks
(accounting and annual report), populating
and managing the website, managing the
self-release label Lucky Music, social
media marketing (and profile strategy) and
delivery, grant writing and other forms of
fundraising, administration around
recordings and rehearsals (including
accommodation, scheduling, booking of
artists and technicians). Other members of
the ensemble are only able to help in a
limited way because none of the activity is
remunerated.|
|Other|||
## **Achievements and Performance**
SORP reference
|Summary of the main
achievements of the charity,
identifying the difference the
charity’s work has made to
the circumstances of its
beneficiaries and any wider
benefits to society as a
whole.|Para 1.20|_Formal activities_
Between 17 October 2022 and 16 October
2023, formal activities have included:
Recording of seven tracks, two for a
Christmas “single” release in December
2023, and five for a special “EP” to
raise awareness of metastatic breast
cancer.
In September 2023, the ensemble recorded
and videoed seven tracks, two of which
were for released in December 2023 as a
Christmas “single,” and five of which were
scheduled for monthly release between
October 2023 and February 2024.
The original intent had been to collaborate
with a number of other British early music
ensembles to create an album that would
raise funds for breast cancer research. This
proved impossible because of charity
commercial restrictions, but we went ahead
and recorded tracks that we would release
ourselves. Since this release activity falls
into the next accounting period, full details
will be provided in the next report.
In April 2022, Stras learned that she had
received a Leverhulme Emeritus
Fellowship for the completion of her book
on the Biffoli-Sostegni manuscript. The
fellowship will fund the recording – by
Musica Secreta - of audiovisual examples
for the book, which is being published by
Cambridge University Press in a
digital/online-first format.
_Musica Secreta website and score shop_
We continue to sell scores and CDs from
the website; traffic increased this financial
year because of the release of Laurie’s
edition of Maddalena Casulana’s five-voice
madrigal book.
_Recognition_
Mother Sister Daughter, which was
released in the previous accounting period,
received very favourable reviews. In
particular, it was chosen among the best
albums of 2022 by critics in the_New York_
_Times_and the_New Yorker_.||
|---|---|---|---|
## **Financial Review**
|Review of the charity’s
financial position at the end
of the period|Para 1.21|The reconciled bank account has a credit
balance of £7949.41, and the cash box
contains £50.00
Total income from all sources was
£6919.56.
Total expenditure was £8156.80.
Expenditure was higher than income this
year, but overall the balance was down
only £1,237 on 21-22, reflecting the spend
on the recording session at the end of
September 2022.|
|---|---|---|
|Statement explaining the
policy for holding reserves
stating why they are held|Para 1.22|Reserves are needed to bridge the gap
between spending/paying fees and
receiving payment from promoters. The
ideal level of reserves is £3000 per
contracted concert, the minimum we judge
to be necessary to cover compensatory
artists’ fees for a single concert in case of
promoter non-payment.|
|Amount of reserves held|Para 1.22|Although there is no separate account for
reserves, there is capacity to cover our
ideal reserve amount for 2022/23 in the
general fund.|
|Reasons for holding zero
reserves|Para 1.22|**n/a**|
|Details of fund materially in
deficit|Para 1.24|**n/a**|
|Explanation of any
uncertainties about the
charity continuing as a going
concern|Para 1.23||
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
The charity’s principal
sources of funds (including
any fundraising)|
Para 1.47|
**Royalties on recordings; primary**
**trading; grants; crowdfunding**|
|---|---|---|
|Investment policy and
objectives including any
social investment policy
adopted|Para 1.46|**n/a**|
|A description of the principal
risks facing the charity|Para 1.46|Risks include:
director retiring
continued shrinking of arts sector in
the UK
After the discussion at the last annual|
Trustees’ meeting, Stras had a discussion with our Independent Examiner, Rachel Cooper, about the process of winding down the charity when the time comes. Cooper said it would not be difficult to do in terms of administration, but she recommended that any funds remaining in the account be spent on the charity’s purposes, rather than just disbursed among ensemble members. Other
## **Structure, Governance and Management**
|Description of charity’s
trusts:|||
|---|---|---|
|Type of governing document
(trust deed, royal charter)|Para 1.25|The charity is governed by a constitution.|
|How is the charity
constituted?
(e.g unincorporated
association, CIO)|Para 1.25|The charity is a Charitable Incorporated
Association.|
|Trustee selection methods
including details of any
constitutional provisions e.g.
election to post or name of
any person or body entitled
to appoint one or more
trustees|Para 1.25|The trustees were approached by the
ensemble’s directors on the basis of their
knowledge and skills associated with the
charity’s purposes.|
## **Additional information (optional)**
## You may choose to include further statements where relevant about:
|
Policies and procedures
adopted for the induction
and training of trustees|
Para 1.51||
|---|---|---|
|The charity’s organisational
structure and any wider
network with which the
charity works|Para 1.51||
|Relationship with any related
parties|Para 1.51||
|Other|||
## **Reference and Administrative details**
|Charity name|Musica Secreta|
|---|---|
|Other name the charity uses||
|Registered charity number|1180343|
|Charity’s principal address|24 Oakmount Ave
Southampton
SO17 1DR
UK|
|||
## **Names of the charity trustees who manage the charity**
|1
2
3
4
3|**Trustee name**|**Office (if any)**|**Dates acted if not for whole**
**year**|**Name of person (or body) entitled**
**to appoint trustee (ifany)**|
|---|---|---|---|---|
||Mr Nick Boston|Chair|||
||Ms Sarah Dunant||resigned 30/01/2023||
||Prof Andrew
Pinnock||||
||Ms Anna Wright||Appointed 30/01/2023||
||Dr Susan Jackson||Appointed 30/01/2023||
## **Funds held as custodian trustees on behalf of others**
Description of the assets n/a held in this capacity Name and objects of the n/a charity on whose behalf the assets are held and how this falls within the custodian charity’s objects Details of arrangements for n/a safe custody and segregation of such assets from the charity’s own assets
## **Additional information (optional)**
## **Names and addresses of advisers (Optional information)**
**----- Start of picture text -----**
Type of Name Address
adviser
Name of chief executive or names of senior staff members (Optional information)
**----- End of picture text -----**
Professor Laurie Stras – administrator for the charity; director of the ensemble
## **Exemptions from disclosure**
Reason for non-disclosure of key personnel details
**n/a**
## **Declarations**
**The trustees declare that they have approved the trustees’ report above.**
**Signed on behalf of the charity’s trustees**
**Signature(s) Full name(s)** Nicholas Alexander Boston **Position (eg Secretary,** Chair **Chair, etc) Date** 15/3/24
**Charity Name No (if any) Musica Secreta 1180343 Receipts and payments accounts For the period** Period start date Period end date **To from** 10/17/2022 10/16/2023
**CC16a**
|**Section A Receipts and payments**|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|**A1 Receipts**
Concerts
**-**
Donations
**51**
Education
**-**
Grants
**-**
Primarytrading
**5,125**
Royalties
**535**
Gift Aid
**1,209**
**-**
**6,920**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total receipts_ 6,920**
**A3 Payments**
Accommodation and subsistence
**172**
Officeperipherals
**-**
Primarytradingexpenses
**1,433**
Professional fees - musicians
**3,000**
Professional fees - technical
**2,455**
Professional fees - other
**-**
Space charges/hire
**500**
Transaction charges
**152**
Travel
**445**
**_Sub total_ 8,157**
**-**
**-**
**_Sub total_ -**
**_Total payments_ 8,157**
**_Net of receipts/(payments)_ - 1,237**
**A5 Transfers between funds**
**-**
**A6 Cash funds last year end**
**9,236**
**_Cash funds this year end_ 7,999**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**to the nearest £**
**_Sub total_**_(Gross income for AR)_
**A2 Asset and investment sales,**
**(see table).**
**A4 Asset and investment**
**purchases, (see table)**|**to the nearest £**
**Restricted**
**funds**|**to the nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|**Total funds**
**to the nearest £**|**Last year**
**to the nearest £**|
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**51**
**-**
**-**
**5,125**
**535**
**1,209**
**-**
**6,920**|**10,104**|
|||||**6,811**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**12,826**|
|||||**3,146**|
|||||**52**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**32,939**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**||
|||||**-**|
|||||**-**|
||||||
||**-**|**-**|**6,920**|**32,939**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**172**
**-**
**1,433**
**3,000**
**2,455**
**-**
**500**
**152**
**445**
**8,157**|**1,931**|
|||||**194**|
|||||**2,450**|
|||||**17,274**|
|||||**7,606**|
|||||**2,200**|
|||||**1,933**|
|||||**259**|
|||||**2,738**|
|||||**36,583**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**||
||||||
|||||**-**|
||||||
||**-**|**-**|**8,157**|**36,583**|
||||||
||**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**|**- 1,237**
**-**
**9,236**
**7,999**|**- 3,644**|
|||||**-**|
|||||**12,880**|
|||||**9,236**|
## **Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period**
|**Categories**
**B1 Cash funds**
**B2 Other monetary assets**
**B3 Investment assets**
**B5 Liabilities**
**B4 Assets retained for the**
**charity’s own use**
Signed by one or two trustees on
behalf of all the trustees|**Details**
Cash in bank
Cash in hand
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
**Details**
Signature
**_Total cash funds_**
(agree balances with receipts and payments
account(s))|**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**7,949**
**-**
**50**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**7,999**
**-**
OK
OK
**to nearest £**
**to nearest £**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**Cost (optional)**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
**-**
Print Name
Nick Boston
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Unrestricted**
**funds**
**Restricted**
**funds**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**asset belongs**
**Fund to which**
**liability relates**
**Amount due**
**(optional)**|**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
|---|---|---|---|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||OK|
||||**to nearest £**
**Endowment**
**funds**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**Current value**
**(optional)**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**-**|
||||**When due**
**(optional)**|
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
|||||
||||Date of
approval|
|||Nick Boston|11.3.24|
|||||