Danesborough Chorus
Charity Number 1188026
Trustees’ Annual Report
Year ended 31 August 2022
Activities during the year
Compared to the two previous years the 2021/22 season was altogether more satisfying and far less affected by Covid.
We were able to return to indoor rehearsals in September 2021 and to performing publicly in November 2021 although all our concerts this season have had a reduced capacity of 75% to increase audience distancing.
Our first concert since the pandemic was Vivaldi’s Gloria and Magnificat and McDowall’s Ave Maris Stellar , a programme which had been delayed since March 2020. This was very well received with positive comments from the audience.
Unfortunately the Christmas concert had to be cancelled due to the emergence of the Covid Omicron variant and nervousness from both choir and audience about the self-isolation rules and how that would affect Christmas social arrangements.
In April 2021 we performed Bernstein Chichester Psalms , Lauridsen Lux Aeterna and Rheinberger’s Requiem . We also sang a Prayer for Ukraine and took up a collection of nearly £500 for the Ukraine Appeal.
Once again we found ourselves in the midst of another Covid wave and a number of members had to withdraw from the concert with Covid infections while more members tested positive for Covid not long after.
Our summer concert was Michael Haydn Requiem in C minor and Joseph Haydn Maria Theresa Mass . The Requiem had been extensively rehearsed on zoom during lockdown and it was lovely to finally perform it.
Day-to-day running
The choir is blessed with many members who assist in its day-to-day operations. Without these helpers, concerts would not run as smoothly as they do and the fun of belonging to the choir would be considerably reduced. Having many members performing these various functions means that no-one has to be overcommitted. As with all these tasks, we do need to have new members joining the band of helpers as some inevitably do retire, and so we appeal to those among you, whatever your skills, to see if you can assist in some small way.
For many years we have had an informal arrangement for free storage of scores, staging and lighting in Milton Keynes thanks to a former choir member. This year it became necessary to
formalise that arrangement and start paying rent for the facility. This gave us the incentive to install shelving thus making it easier to find scores. Many thanks to the choir members who helped with this.
As a Committee we have held our usual regular meetings. We are facing some challenges both in recruiting new members to the choir and in drawing in audiences for our concerts, both of which impact on our financial position. We will be focussing on these areas in the coming year.
Administrative Information
Danesborough Chorus is constituted as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and was registered in February 2020. Its objects, set out in the constitution, are to educate the public in the arts and sciences and in particular the art and science of Music. The address for communications is 3 Ackroyd Place, Shenley Lodge, Milton Keynes, MK5 7PA.
The Trustees who have served during the year are: Tessa Cox (Chair); Peter Snelling (Treasurer); Ian Smith (Musical Director); Siân Rees (Secretary); Julia Dickens, David Roberts, Jeremy Hopkinson and Carol Yirrell.
The Trustees are elected at the charity’s AGM with a further two places being available for co-option of members by the Committee. Ordinary members of the Committee can only serve for a maximum continuous period of three years.
An EGM was held on 9[th] February 2022 and the members approved the transfer of assets from The Danesborough Chorus (279281) to Danesborough Chorus (1188026), and the dissolution of The Danesborough Chorus.
Finance
The annual accounts are attached to this report.
The choir has reserves which are necessary for the performance of concerts which have to be financed before the concerts take place. Reserves considered necessary need to be sufficient to cover the average costs of a season’s concerts. Concerts generally run at a loss which is covered by members’ subscriptions and other revenues but we cannot put on a concert without having adequate reserves to cover the costs of performances. We sustained a loss of £7,000 in the year under review and our reserves now stand, as shown by the accounts, as just over £29,000. In order not to deplete our reserves further we have taken the step of increasing the membership subscription for the coming year.
DANESBOROUGH CHORUS
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 31 AUGUST 2022
| Current Assets Debtors and Prepayments Music Stock Bank Petty Cash Current Liabilities Creditors and Accruals Net Assets Represented by Funds General Fund Staging Fund Friends Reserve |
6 Mths ended 31.8.22 £ £ 2985.00 1300.98 28486.82 0.00 32772.80 0.00 0.00 32772.80 29472.94 590.00 2709.86 32772.80 |
|---|---|
P J SNELLING TREASURER 1st November 2022
on behalf of the Trustees
The notes on the attached pages form part of the accounts
Registered CIO No 1188026
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DANESBOROUGH CHORUS
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR THE 6 MTHS ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022
| 6 mths ended | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-Aug-22 | |||||
| General | Staging | Friends | Total | ||
| Fund | Fund | Reserve | Funds | ||
| Notes | £ | £ | £ | £ | |
| Income | |||||
| General Income | 2 | 4645.46 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 4645.46 |
| Concerts | 3 | 5725.31 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5725.31 |
| Grants | 4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Total Income | 10370.77 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 10370.77 | |
| Expenditure | |||||
| General Expenditure | 2 | 5173.79 | 0.00 | 388.36 | 5562.15 |
| Concerts | 3 | 15101.84 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 15101.84 |
| Total Expenditure | 20275.63 | 0.00 | 388.36 | 20663.99 | |
| Net Income/(Loss) | (9,904.86) | 0.00 | (388.36) | (10,293.22) | |
| FundsTransferred from previous charity | 39377.80 | 590.00 | 3098.22 | 43066.02 |
Funds Carried Forward
29472.94 590.00 2709.86 32772.80
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DANESBOROUGH CHORUS
NOTES TO THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE 6 MTHS ENDED 31 AUGUST 2022
The CIO became active on March 1st 2022 and the accounts are for the 6 month period until the end of our financial year on August 31st 2022.
1 Accounting policy
These accounts have been prepared under the historic cost convention in accordance with applicable accounting standards and the Statement of Recommended Practice on accounting by charities.
2 General Income and Expenditure
| Income Members subscriptions/donations Friends Gift Aid tax refunds Bank interest Fundraising income Wedding & funeral income Donations Programme advertising Music hire income Sponsorship Expenditure Rehearsal fees Rehearsal premises MM/PRS fees Publicity Officers expenses Sundry expenses Training Store rental Christmas costs (Deficit)/Surplus 3 Concerts Income Tickets Programmes Expenditure Orchestra Soloists Conductor Music Premises Programmes Publicity PRS fee Instrument hire Other costs Deficit |
6 mths ended 31-Aug-22 545.00 1055.00 2126.37 0.00 256.09 350.00 170.00 50.00 93.00 0.00 . 4645.46 3320.00 615.00 0.00 0.00 31.44 222.35 0.00 985.00 0.00 5173.79 (528.33) 6 mths ended 31-Aug-22 Woburn April 2022 2,873.60 104.00 2,977.60 1,200.00 50.00 1,400.00 271.69 970.00 115.51 104.76 399.34 4,511.30 1,533.70 |
Woburn July 2022 2,626.71 121.00 |
|---|---|---|
| 2,747.71 | ||
| 5,440.00 1,900.00 1,400.00 277.34 820.00 111.36 96.66 545.18 |
||
| 10,590.54 | ||
| 7,842.83 |
| Summary of all concerts Income Expenditure Deficit 4 Grants and Sponsorship 5 Fundraising detail (part of note 2) Members Music hire (ext) Sundries Coffee easyfundraising Sale of music/books Total |
6 mths ended 31-Aug-22 5725.31 15101.84 9376.53 6 mths ended 31-Aug-22 0.00 6 mths ended 31-Aug-22 18.00 0.00 0.00 127.91 110.18 0.00 256.09 |
|---|---|