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2024-08-31-accounts

BATH OPERA Trustees report to the Charity Commission for the year ending August 2024.

Charity’s name, registraton number, address and trustee names

The name of the Charity is Bath Opera.

The business address is 24 Southay, Bratton, Westbury BA13 4RT

The Trustees for the period in question were:

Charity’s structure, details of how it is managed, including how it recruits trustees

The Charity is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), registered with the Charity Commission under number 1185066. Its Constitution is the Association Model and is viewable on our website www.bathopera.com. The constitution allows for the day-to-day business to be conducted by the Management Committee.

Trustees are elected at the AGM and any casual vacancies during the year are filled by the Committee. Officers are appointed by the Trustees, usually at the first meeting after the AGM.

Charity’s actvites and objectves

The Charity’s stated objective in the Constitution is:

To advance public education in and appreciation of the art of opera music, in particular but not exclusively by:

The activities in the year comprise a main fully staged performance with full orchestra, a summer fund-raising tour, and sometimes other fund-raising and social events.

Report for Year Ending 31 August 2024

The year has been another successful one for the Company, artistically and financially.

ticket revenue than ‘Merry Widow’ but costs were lower on royalties, costumes, set and lighting. There was also a £1,000 grant from the Paragon Music Trust. The summer tour ‘Don Giovanni’ exceeded its target profit by £226, but only thanks to a grant from the Cameron Mackintosh Foundation of £1,000. A change of lighting technician next year is necessary to reduce costs. This was overall a satisfactory result after the previous year’s loss.

Sadly some stalwart members died during this year, including Brian Snell, Graham Billings, and of course our well-loved founder David Edwards. We will always be grateful for their contribution over so many years.

It has been a year of adaptation as the environment we work in continues to evolve: principal singers these days perform not just for one, but for many different groups; our regular singers are increasingly joined by national and indeed international singers keen to take the opportunities the amateur opera scene offers them, which has helped us continue to improve quality; financial pressures arise from lower attendances on tour (attendance of the main show is less predictable but being watched very carefully), and from rising hire charges and technician costs. We benefit more and more from students and graduates from the Royal Welsh College.

We are delighted to have recruited Will Stevens to conduct our main show, and Dominic Irving to accompany the tour, while Harvey Evans did a great job directing Don Giovanni. However the recruitment of amateur stage directors either from within the company or outside is getting more challenging, and other opera groups are increasingly hiring professional stage directors as well as musical directors.

• Main show – Semele

For this production we leapt in 12 months from operetta to baroque. Peter Blackwood drilled the chorus for months learning nine choruses with very tricky entries, dynamics and moves. Dave Key Pugh converted an ancient tale of gods, goddesses and mortals to a comedic farce set in the age of the twittersphere. It was a damn close-run thing, at least from the chorus viewpoint, although Hannah Drury and Alex Pinkstone led a team of principals, which soared above the near chaos around them! Fiona valiantly managed the set requirements and stage management.

Nicole’s publicity machine, and Pat’s team of front of house ensured that all ran smoothly on the night. The set and costume were novel and colourful, the baroque orchestra was excellent, and the show was universally well received by the audiences that came to see it.

The small-scale summer tour was ‘Don Giovanni’, directed by Harvey Evans, with accompaniment and musical direction by Dominic Irving.

In recent years, the tour has featured mostly Bath Opera regulars, with a couple of visiting ‘guests’, but auditions for the Don resulted in a cast of excellent singers mainly from outside the company, with Rod Hunt (reprising his amazing Commendatore) and Alex Pinkstone as Don Ottavio providing the Bath Opera regular talent. Sebastian Stride created a sinister and brooding Giovanni, and Simon Wilson a craftsmanlike performance as Leporello. The minor roles fitted their parts and sang beautifully. The result was what many reviewers and audience members considered our best tour yet. The travel requirements for more long-distance performers presented some challenges to rehearsal schedules. Thanks go to society members who provided overnight accommodation.

We were very unlucky with outbreaks of the dreaded lurgy on three of the four performance weekends, but great sacrifices to get the show on were made by Will Stevens, Kathy Adams, Carole Lockwood and Darja Skukina in almost impossible and stressful circumstances, for which we remain hugely grateful.

The Welsh connection provided not just many of the singers but designers of set, costume and artwork by the talented Yu Song and Yiwen Lin.

We performed 7 performances in the same 5 venues as last year, but did a final private performance at the invitation of Akeel Sachak in Pyrford: Akeel was among those who thought it was our best yet, and will invite us back, but cannot do that every year.

• Looking forward

We have a very strong combination of directors for Bellini’s Norma on 19[th] – 22[nd] February 2025 at the Roper. Will Stevens, the extremely busy director of Cardiff Opera and contracted artist of the WNO joins our own Neil Kirkman to bring Bellini’s epic alive.

This production is full of ‘firsts’. We are singing in Italian for the first time ever (it remains to be seen if it is the last!) and we are turning our usual second dress rehearsal into a Preview performance at half price. Both the lead players are being double cast from the exceptional auditionees and allow vocal rest over the 4 performances. The auditions drew applicants from Greece, Denmark, China, Australia and Sweden as well as from the UK.

With his typical verve, energy and imagination, Neil is bringing most of Stonehenge to Oldfield Park, and Will has already fascinated the chorus with his expert teaching in singing in Italian.

There has been much discussion and hard work identifying the next shows and their directors, with some good data analysis from Rod Hunt.

The next summer tour will be ‘La Traviata’. The MD/Accompanist will again be Dominic Irving, and the stage director will be John Clark. We will revisit the Strode Theatre at Street, the Rondo in Bath, Great Chalfield Manor, Wincanton Memorial Hall, and the Julian Slade Theatre at Prior Park (with the Widcombe Association), and are looking seriously at new venues including village halls in Wiltshire. Performances will be between 27[th] June and 27[th] July 2025. Audition information will go up on the website in early November, and the auditions themselves are provisionally on Sunday 19[th] January 2pm – 5pm at Widcombe Junior School.

For the main show to follow ‘Norma’, the Trustees have shortlisted ‘Carmen’.

• Trustees

We welcomed Fiona Gray and Naomi Heffer to the Board of Trustees, and during the year Janet Cooper joined and contributed to our meetings and was elected on 11 October at the 2023 AGM. Peter Sutton retired from the Board during the year, and Richard Hunt and Naomi Heffer retired at the AGM. Richard has served as a Trustee for something approaching a decade, providing advice and recruiting audience with great success; and Naomi’s stay, although short-lived, was invaluable for her taking control of the website and mailing list, and creating video material for social media.

The Board also said goodbye to Pat Harper after six years as our loyal and hard-working secretary, and a source of wise counsel to this Chairman. Pat went above and beyond the responsibilities of secretary, notably organising for many years front of house, auditions, scores and many other matters.

thOpera 1 185066
R and mentsaccounts
# s Forthe period
from
1st Seot 2023 To 3'1stAug 2024
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Totalfunds Last year
to thenoarest E to the nearest€ to thenearest€ tothe nearest€ to the nearest€
( 0 6,200 5,041
( ( 13.263 15.724
( ( 14.33S 9,50!
( 0
( ( 0
( ( 0
t t 0
t (
( ( 33,80i 30,26t
Asset and investment sales,
H
Totalreceipts 33,802 0 0 33,802 I-5d,F1
3,62! 3,038
21.584 26,082
11,11 6,43t
900 900 0
0 0
0 80€ 382
0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0 0
90( 38,02t 35,93i
0
0
0
0
9
0
H
A5
AG
Totalpayments
Netofreceipts/(payments)
Transfersbetweenfunds
Cashfundslast year end
Cashfundsthis yearend
37,128
-3,32i
0
12,395
9,06t
900
-90(
2,9'lt
2,0{t
0 38,028
4,221
0
15,3't3
11.08t
0
0
-EeEi?-]
f-EEl
l0l
I
ra,oe+l
I
rz,agsl
Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Endowment
i;.!l,tfi .:il funds funds
tonearest f, to near€sif to nearest€
BiCashfunds Account 9,fft8 2,O18
0
0
Total cashfunds 9,06t 2,01t
(agrcebalanceswithreceipts and payrnents
account(s))
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Setails tonearest € to nearestE to nearest€
82Other monetary assets
Details Fund towhich Cost (optional)
83lnvestment assets
*etc!is Fund towhich Cost (optional) CunEnt valu€
84 Asseta retainedfor the Modularflab
charity's ownuse Clothas rail
Fund towhich Amount due When due
Betails
85 Liabilities Accounts Examiner 225.00
Signedbyoneor twotrusteeson
behalfof allthe trustees
Signature Prinl Name
hl C-IAE-\,<

f ortheyear e nded31stAug ust2024
2024 2023
lncome
Members 3884.73 2875.00
PatronsandFriends 425.O4 305.00
GiftAid 940.5L 508.45
Fundraising andDonations 0.00 L3.78
Raffle 527.50 269.00
Coffee 375.26 270.04
BOIBA 0.00 0.00
Sundry 45.60 800.00
Total 6,199.60 5,O4L.23
Expenditure
lnsurance 607.52 438.2L
Audit 200.00 125.00
Website 749.tO 747.90
NODAmembership 230.00 215.00
Sundry 260.97 1511.39
Lossof flatsasset 0.00 0.00
Spirolux L577.45 0.00
Depreciation of flats 424.97 424.97
Total 4,050.01 3,462.47
ProfitonGeneralAccount 82,149.59 f1,578.76

lncome
TicketSales 1a923.78 L37L2.OA
ProgrammeSales 542.L2 598.1s
Bartakings 777.42 996.70
CostumeResale 20.00 0.00
Grants 1000.00 0.00
Total 73,262.92 15,306.85
Expenditure
Orchestra 5850.00 6325.00
Musical Director 2390.00 1750.00
Repetiteurs 510.00 1s40.00
SetMaterialsand Costumes 2085.L2 2826.L2
Hall&TheatreHire 3988.65 3600.00
Lighting 24AO.OO 3276.00
PerformingRights&scores t!79.1.4 2935.76
Auditionhire 0.00 20.00
AdvertisingandFlyers L188.47 566.00
Hire Stands o.oo 0.00
HireofStaging 0.00 0.00
PrintingandStationery 0.00 864.97
StageCrew 0.00 0.00
TicketAgentCommission 1t67.OO t378.32
BarLicence&Stock 3s1.95 413.O7
Coachhire 222.24 200.00
Miscellaneous 141.50 39L.00
Total 21,584.O3 26,t86.24
Profit/Losson Main show -88,321.11 -LO,879.?9

Tour showPr ofitandLoss Account
Giovanni 2024 Figaro2023
lncome
TicketSales 10640.95 7030.81
ProgrammeSales L460.74 s69.19
Raffle 0.00 0.00
FoodandDrink 737.O2 158.30
Grants&Sponsorship 1500.00 1070.02
Piano Hire 0.00 0.00
Costume resale 0.00 s5.43
Total 14,338.72 8,883.75
Expenditure
Musical Director 1000.00 1000.00
Set,CostumesandProps 981.81 942.95
Lighting and Sound 1990.66 972.67
Piano Hire 295.00 710.00
Rehearsal Hire 1219.90 537.50
Advertising 0.00 120.00
Printing and Publicity 88/..M 328.84
TheatreHire 2061.18 1035.52
Travel L452..51 228.A0
BarStock 427.52 0.00
Royalties 700.m 0.00
Miscellaneous 100.m 0.00
Total LL,1t3.O2 5,815.48
Profit/LossonTour 3,225.70 3,068.27
Balanc e Sheetasat31st August2024
2024 2021 Notes
Fixed assets
Modular frames 3,827.58 4,246.55
Total fixedassets 3,821.58 4,2J,6.55
Currentassets
Cashatbank tt,o85.7L t5,3L2.76
Debtors
Prepaid expenses(main prodn) 806.20 381.95
Deferred income
Totalcurrentassets 11,891.91 15,694.7t
Currentliabilities
Creditors 0.00 0.00
Deferred income 0.@ 0.00
Accruals 225.& 200.00
zl5.(x) 2m.oo
Netcurrentassets __-11,s6.9r ___tsAe!!L
Totalassets lesstotalliabilites ___1I,488.49- ___El!!26_
Finaneedby
Balancesat start ofFY L974t.26 26,104.62
Movement onEOIBAFund -900.00 0.G0
Prior year 406.95 -127.00
Profitongeneralaccount 2L49.59 L57a.76
Profit/Losson main show -83Zr.tL -10,879.39
Profit/Lossontour 3225.7A 3,068.27
15,48819 ___]!141.26_
Theflatsaredepreciatedto writeoffth€irvalu eover15 years.
Flats&Rails Total
Costat1stSeptember2023 6,374.55 6,374.55
Additions 0
Disposals 0
Costat31stAugust 2024 6,374.55 6,374.55
Depreciationat1st S€p 2023 2,t28.00 0 2,L28.00
Chargefor year 424.97 0 424.97
Depreciation at31st Aug2024 2.552.97 2.552.97
NetBook Valueat1st Sep 2023 4,246.55 4,246.55
NetBook Valueat31st Aug2024 3.821.58 3.821.58
Prepayments
Audition Hire 115.00
Scores 69t.20
f806.20
Accruals
Accounts Examination t225.00

thOpera 1 185066
R and mentsaccounts
# s Forthe period
from
1st Seot 2023 To 3'1stAug 2024
Unrestricted
funds
Restricted
funds
Endowment
funds
Totalfunds Last year
to thenoarest E to the nearest€ to thenearest€ tothe nearest€ to the nearest€
( 0 6,200 5,041
( ( 13.263 15.724
( ( 14.33S 9,50!
( 0
( ( 0
( ( 0
t t 0
t (
( ( 33,80i 30,26t
Asset and investment sales,
H
Totalreceipts 33,802 0 0 33,802 I-5d,F1
3,62! 3,038
21.584 26,082
11,11 6,43t
900 900 0
0 0
0 80€ 382
0 0
0 0 0
0 0 0 0
90( 38,02t 35,93i
0
0
0
0
9
0
H
A5
AG
Totalpayments
Netofreceipts/(payments)
Transfersbetweenfunds
Cashfundslast year end
Cashfundsthis yearend
37,128
-3,32i
0
12,395
9,06t
900
-90(
2,9'lt
2,0{t
0 38,028
4,221
0
15,3't3
11.08t
0
0
-EeEi?-]
f-EEl
l0l
I
ra,oe+l
I
rz,agsl
Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Endowment
i;.!l,tfi .:il funds funds
tonearest f, to near€sif to nearest€
BiCashfunds Account 9,fft8 2,O18
0
0
Total cashfunds 9,06t 2,01t
(agrcebalanceswithreceipts and payrnents
account(s))
Unrestricted Restricted Endowment
funds funds funds
Setails tonearest € to nearestE to nearest€
82Other monetary assets
Details Fund towhich Cost (optional)
83lnvestment assets
*etc!is Fund towhich Cost (optional) CunEnt valu€
84 Asseta retainedfor the Modularflab
charity's ownuse Clothas rail
Fund towhich Amount due When due
Betails
85 Liabilities Accounts Examiner 225.00
Signedbyoneor twotrusteeson
behalfof allthe trustees
Signature Prinl Name
hl C-IAE-\,<

f ortheyear e nded31stAug ust2024
2024 2023
lncome
Members 3884.73 2875.00
PatronsandFriends 425.O4 305.00
GiftAid 940.5L 508.45
Fundraising andDonations 0.00 L3.78
Raffle 527.50 269.00
Coffee 375.26 270.04
BOIBA 0.00 0.00
Sundry 45.60 800.00
Total 6,199.60 5,O4L.23
Expenditure
lnsurance 607.52 438.2L
Audit 200.00 125.00
Website 749.tO 747.90
NODAmembership 230.00 215.00
Sundry 260.97 1511.39
Lossof flatsasset 0.00 0.00
Spirolux L577.45 0.00
Depreciation of flats 424.97 424.97
Total 4,050.01 3,462.47
ProfitonGeneralAccount 82,149.59 f1,578.76

lncome
TicketSales 1a923.78 L37L2.OA
ProgrammeSales 542.L2 598.1s
Bartakings 777.42 996.70
CostumeResale 20.00 0.00
Grants 1000.00 0.00
Total 73,262.92 15,306.85
Expenditure
Orchestra 5850.00 6325.00
Musical Director 2390.00 1750.00
Repetiteurs 510.00 1s40.00
SetMaterialsand Costumes 2085.L2 2826.L2
Hall&TheatreHire 3988.65 3600.00
Lighting 24AO.OO 3276.00
PerformingRights&scores t!79.1.4 2935.76
Auditionhire 0.00 20.00
AdvertisingandFlyers L188.47 566.00
Hire Stands o.oo 0.00
HireofStaging 0.00 0.00
PrintingandStationery 0.00 864.97
StageCrew 0.00 0.00
TicketAgentCommission 1t67.OO t378.32
BarLicence&Stock 3s1.95 413.O7
Coachhire 222.24 200.00
Miscellaneous 141.50 39L.00
Total 21,584.O3 26,t86.24
Profit/Losson Main show -88,321.11 -LO,879.?9

Tour showPr ofitandLoss Account
Giovanni 2024 Figaro2023
lncome
TicketSales 10640.95 7030.81
ProgrammeSales L460.74 s69.19
Raffle 0.00 0.00
FoodandDrink 737.O2 158.30
Grants&Sponsorship 1500.00 1070.02
Piano Hire 0.00 0.00
Costume resale 0.00 s5.43
Total 14,338.72 8,883.75
Expenditure
Musical Director 1000.00 1000.00
Set,CostumesandProps 981.81 942.95
Lighting and Sound 1990.66 972.67
Piano Hire 295.00 710.00
Rehearsal Hire 1219.90 537.50
Advertising 0.00 120.00
Printing and Publicity 88/..M 328.84
TheatreHire 2061.18 1035.52
Travel L452..51 228.A0
BarStock 427.52 0.00
Royalties 700.m 0.00
Miscellaneous 100.m 0.00
Total LL,1t3.O2 5,815.48
Profit/LossonTour 3,225.70 3,068.27
Balanc e Sheetasat31st August2024
2024 2021 Notes
Fixed assets
Modular frames 3,827.58 4,246.55
Total fixedassets 3,821.58 4,2J,6.55
Currentassets
Cashatbank tt,o85.7L t5,3L2.76
Debtors
Prepaid expenses(main prodn) 806.20 381.95
Deferred income
Totalcurrentassets 11,891.91 15,694.7t
Currentliabilities
Creditors 0.00 0.00
Deferred income 0.@ 0.00
Accruals 225.& 200.00
zl5.(x) 2m.oo
Netcurrentassets __-11,s6.9r ___tsAe!!L
Totalassets lesstotalliabilites ___1I,488.49- ___El!!26_
Finaneedby
Balancesat start ofFY L974t.26 26,104.62
Movement onEOIBAFund -900.00 0.G0
Prior year 406.95 -127.00
Profitongeneralaccount 2L49.59 L57a.76
Profit/Losson main show -83Zr.tL -10,879.39
Profit/Lossontour 3225.7A 3,068.27
15,48819 ___]!141.26_
Theflatsaredepreciatedto writeoffth€irvalu eover15 years.
Flats&Rails Total
Costat1stSeptember2023 6,374.55 6,374.55
Additions 0
Disposals 0
Costat31stAugust 2024 6,374.55 6,374.55
Depreciationat1st S€p 2023 2,t28.00 0 2,L28.00
Chargefor year 424.97 0 424.97
Depreciation at31st Aug2024 2.552.97 2.552.97
NetBook Valueat1st Sep 2023 4,246.55 4,246.55
NetBook Valueat31st Aug2024 3.821.58 3.821.58
Prepayments
Audition Hire 115.00
Scores 69t.20
f806.20
Accruals
Accounts Examination t225.00