ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE
Registered Charity number 1186162
TRUSTEE ANNUAL REPORT AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For the period 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
Registered Address
2 Ellesmere Close Caversham Reading RG4 5HG
Trustees
| Trustees | ||
|---|---|---|
| Martin Randall | (chair) | From 1 February 2025 |
| Nick Jackman | From 5 November 2019 | |
| Matthew Neudegg | (treasurer) | From 5 November 2019 |
| Daniel Sargeant | From 5 November 2019 | |
| Naomi Taylor | From 5 November 2019 | |
| Thomas Hansell | From 8 June 2023 | |
| Jonty Dawson | From 7 September 2023 | |
| Sarah Ralphs | (former chair) | Until 31 January 2025 |
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
For the period ending 31st March 2025
Our Objectives
Echo is a professional vocal ensemble that aims for both excellence and accessibility, presenting the highest quality music in the least pretentious way possible. We aim to inform, entertain, and inspire audiences across the UK, while getting every audience singing. We want to explore the full range of what ensemble singing can achieve, including improvisation and multi-disciplinary collaborations, while aiming for musical excellence at all times, and are committed to reaching a varied and extensive demographic with our work.
Our aims are to:
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Innovate within the sector of ensemble singing
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Reach a diverse audience and break down barriers within this art form
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Achieve artistic and musical excellence
In particular, we are keen to challenge the preconceptions and traditions that can sometimes be associated with choral music in the UK - the fixed association with the church, the ‘seriousness’ of western classical repertoire and its presentation, and a critical approach to the idea of a ‘fixed’ historical canon. By doing so, we aim to reach the widest possible audience and allow them to engage in a meaningful way with music through inclusive experiences.
Our measure of success is gauged by the audience, participant and artist reaction to each event, and the number of new audiences and participants we can reach each year.
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
For the period ending 31st March 2025
Achievements and Performance
Artistic Highlights and Touring
The past year has been defined by ambitious touring, high-profile venue debuts, and a commitment to commissioning new music.
Wigmore Hall Launch: We achieved a milestone performance at Wigmore Hall, attracting our largest London audience to date. With 200 attendees and 181 tickets sold, the event was a resounding success. This was further bolstered by the sale of 50 CDs on the night.
Inaugural Scotland Tour (April 2024): Echo undertook its first tour of Scotland, featuring a brand-new commission by Ailie Robertson and works by young Scottish composers Kenneth Tay and Alexander McNamee. We successfully engaged a younger demographic, with 22% of tickets sold in Edinburgh to under-30s.
Swaledale Festival Residency (May 2024): We completed a multi-faceted residency in Yorkshire, including the Sweet Disharmony concert and a joint performance with the Ganda Boys.
Innocence Mini-Tour (October 2024): We toured our Innocence album repertoire to Douai Abbey (Berkshire) and The Lightbox (Barnsley), the latter connecting with the ‘Sing the Trees’ project.
A Night of Snow (December 2024): The year concluded with a performance of our winter programme at the Assembly Rooms in Faversham, Kent.
Audience Feedback: "Brilliant. Genius. It's a very long time since I left a concert so overjoyed and moved.", "What a gorgeous sound from the choir - so blended and warm.", "You must have felt the buzz in the audience!"
Community Engagement and Outreach
Echo continues to deliver public benefit through educational workshops and community interaction, using music to improve well-being.
Prison Workshop: As part of the Swaledale residency, we delivered an inspiring day-long workshop with inmates at Barnard Castle Prison.
Community Well-being: Our performance at The Lightbox in Barnsley received profound feedback regarding its impact on mental health. One participant noted that a community member with severe anxiety and ADHD felt entirely calm throughout the performance, highlighting the therapeutic power of our work.
Student Mentorship: We were delighted to provide a work experience placement for a student during our launch period, offering insight into arts management.
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
Collaborations and Innovation
We continue to innovate the choral form through cross-genre partnerships and international projects.
Helsinki Biennial Commission: In March, seven of our singers spent three days in the studio improvising with artist Hans Rosenström. This resulted in a new audio piece for an installation on Vallisaari Island at the Helsinki Biennial (June), providing significant international exposure.
Genre-Bending Recording: In February, Echo’s upper voices recorded with ambient songwriter Eren Önsoy in Brighton, bridging the gap between choral and ambient music.
Ganda Boys: In addition to Swaledale, we joined the Ganda Boys for an industry performance at the National Theatre in September.
Critical Recognition
The charity’s artistic output has received high-level validation from the music press and industry bodies.
BBC Music Magazine Awards: Echo was nominated for an award, placing in the top 3 out of 190 longlisted albums (from 900 reviewed). While the award ultimately went to pianist Yunchan Lim, the nomination itself serves as a major endorsement of Echo’s quality.
Press Reviews: Our work has garnered excellent reviews across major publications, including BBC Music Magazine, Gramophone, and The Arts Desk.
Fundraising and Development
We have made significant strides in cultivating our donor base to ensure financial sustainability.
Friends of Echo: Our Friends Evening raised significant funds to support the charity. The event, attended by 20 key supporters, featured speeches from the leadership team and intimate performances.
Donor Cultivation: We successfully hosted a donor event at the Savile Club and have developed a strategy to scale up our fundraising efforts next year, with plans for a cultivation event at Union Chapel and a larger gala targeted for January.
Financial Review
Over the course of the period, the charity had a surplus of £3,961.
At the end of the period, the charity has unrestricted funds of £20,550, and zero restricted funds.
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES
For the period ending 31st March 2025
Governance
Echo Vocal Ensemble is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, registered on 5th November 2019. The Trustees approved the Echo Vocal Ensemble Constitution, which serves as the governing document of the charity.
Trustees
Trustees are appointed to the board of the charity to manage the affairs of the CIO. The board must comprise no fewer than three trustees.
New trustees must be appointed by a resolution of the existing trustees for a term of two years. Any new trustee will be judged on the basis of their skills, knowledge and experience needed for the effective administration of the charity.
Management
Responsibility for the day-to-day management of the charity is held by the Artistic Director, who reports on performance to the board.
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Echo Vocal Ensemble (the charity) for the 12 months ended 31 March 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Trust 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 giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
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accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records; or
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the accounts do not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Stephen Rennison ACA December 2025
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
For the 12 months ending 31st March 2025
| Notes Income from: Donations 2 Charitable activities 2 Other |
£ £ £ 11,645 - 11,645 42,167 - 42,167 - - - Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2025 |
£ £ £ 8,958 - 8,958 22,541 - 22,541 - - - Unrestricted Funds Restricted Funds Total Funds 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Income Expenditure on: Total Expenditure Net surplus/(deficit) for the period Reconciliation of funds: Total funds carried forward Raising funds Charitable activities Administration expenses Other Total funds brought forward |
53,812 - 53,812 - - - (46,874) - (46,874) (2,978) - (2,978) - - - (49,852) - (49,852) 3,961 - 3,961 16,588 - 16,588 20,550 - 20,550 |
31,499 - 31,499 |
| - - - (32,647) - (32,647) (627) - (627) - - - |
||
| (33,274) - (33,274) |
||
| (1,775) - (1,775) |
||
| 18,363 - 18,363 |
||
| 16,588 - 16,588 |
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
| STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| As at 31st March 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | |
| Total | Total | ||
| Notes | £ | £ | |
| Current assets | |||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 12,243 | 14,716 | |
| Debtors | 3 | 19,182 | 4,020 |
| Total Assets | 31,425 | 18,736 | |
| Current liabilities | |||
| Creditors | 4 | (10,876) | (2,148) |
| Total Liabilities | (10,876) | (2,148) | |
| Funds of the Charity | |||
| Unrestricted Funds | 20,550 | 16,589 | |
| Restricted Funds | - | - | |
| Total Funds | 20,550 | 16,589 |
APPROVED BY
Matt Neudegg Treasurer On behalf of all of the trustees
December 2025
ECHO VOCAL ENSEMBLE 1186162
NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
For the 12 months ending 31st March 2025
1 Accounting policies
Basis for preparation
These accounts are prepared on an accruals basis in compliance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102), and with the Charities Act 2011. We consider the charity to be a going concern and the accounts have been presented accordingly.
2 Recognition of income
Income is recognised when the charity becomes entitled to the resource and it is likely that the charity will receive the income.
Echo Vocal Ensemble recognises two main types of income:
Charitable Activities
Donations
Income related to specific events, performances or services (for example ticket sales)
Income related to general support for the charity and its operations, including 'Friends' memberships.
Any income outside of these parameters is considered 'Other Income'.
Restricted funds are income committed to the performance of a particular event or series of events. Currently Echo does not have any restricted income.
3 Debtors
At 31st March 2025, Echo Vocal Ensemble had £19,182 (2024: £4,020) of debtors related to charitable activities.
4 Creditors
At 31st March 2025, Echo Vocal Ensemble had £10,876 (2024: £2,148) of creditors related to day-to-day expenses.