CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND ANO WALES
Independent eXamIneS report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner's Report
Report to the trusleesl
m8mbers of
CORNERSTONE MUSIC
On account8 for th• year
ondod
31. December 2021
Charity no
lif any)
1188707
Sat out on pages
I report to the trustees on my examination of the aKounts of Ihe above
charity ("th8 Trust.) for the year ended 31112 12021
Résponslbilities and
basis of report
As the chartys tnjstees, you are responsible for the prepar8tion of th8
accounts in accordanc8 with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011
{'the Acr).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trusl's accounts carried out
under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying Out my examination, I
hav8 followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission
under section 145(5}(b) of the Act.
Independent I have completed my examination. I confinn that no m8terial matters havo
examinerfs statement come to my attention in conneclion with the examination which gives me
caus8 to believe that in, any malerial respect..
the accounting records Vre not kept in aGcordan¢e with $e¢lion 130
of the Charrties Acl, or
the account5 did not accord with the accounting records; or
Ihe accounts did not comply wrth the applicable requirements
concerning the fomi and content ol accoun15 sel out in the Charities
(A¢counts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement
that Ihe accounts give a 'true ar)d fair, view which is not a matter
consldered 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.
Signod:
Date:
2110412022
Name:
C G Linford
Relev8nt professional
qualification{s> or body
(rfany)".
MCICM
Address:
13 Herdman Close. Greenleys
Milton Keynes MK12 6Ad
IER
Oct 2018
Section B
DisclosurÈ
Only complete if Ihe examin8r needs to highlight material matters of concern
(see CC32, Independent exarninalion of charity aGGounls: directions and
guidance for examiners).
Give her• brigf detalls ol
any itom8 that the
examinorwlshes to
discIo8•.
IER
Oct 2018
## **Cornerstone Music CIO**
**Report of the trustees for the financial year ended 31[st] December 2021** , and for the prior period since registration on 23[rd] March 2020.
## _NOTE_
_This Charity was registered with the Charity Commission on March 23 2020, the same day that the Prime Minister announced the first Covid 19 legal restrictions. The Trustees express their gratitude to the Charity Commission for their support and understanding._
The trustees present their annual report and financial statements and confirm that these comply with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011, the CIO constitution and the Charities SoRP (FRS 102).
Cornerstone Music is a Public Benefit Entity and not operated for profit.
Its objects are
- (1) To advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects by any means the charity trustees see fit, including through presentation of public concerts and recitals;
- (2) To further such charitable purpose or purposes as the charity trustees in their absolute discretion shall think fit but in particular through the making of grants and donations.
The activities and accomplishments of Cornerstone Music are described in the report of the Music Director which follows.
The Trustees are Iain Porteus (chair), Dr. Cathy Hammond, The Rev. Dr Margaret Goodall and Adrian Yardley. The address of the charity is 11 Burewelle, Two Mile Ash, Milton Keynes, MK8 8LS. The Independent Examiner is C G Linford MCICM.
## **Report of the Chair**
The Trustees are honoured to play their part in sustaining the transformative heritage of music in the Milton Keynes area and acknowledge the enormous help and support which makes it possible, including that of Adrian Boynton, the indefatigable administrative and organisational support of Jill Boynton and helpers too numerous to name but the contribution of each and every one is valued as a vital resource without which this enterprise would not be possible. Chris Linford has generously donated his expertise as Independent Examiner. We acknowledge the great generosity of donors, sponsors and supporters, members of the Chamber Choir and Orchestra, and the benefit of concessionary rates for use of premises kindly agreed by the Ecumenical Council of the Church of Christ the Cornerstone.
## _V. Iain Porteus_
Chair, Cornerstone Music
1
## **Cornerstone Music CIO**
## **Report of the Music Director for the year ended 31 st December 2021**
The first few months of 2021 were dominated by the continuing challenges of the Covid pandemic. In the absence of live music-making, I continued to prepare recordings on a weekly basis and to share these on-line wherever possible, with additional commentary. By May 2021, the recording project had been running for 15 months and some 400 items had been captured. These included solos for piano, harpsichord, organ and piano. There were lovely recitals by guest performers including Emily Haig (soprano), Abigail Burrows (flute) and John Fisher (piano). There were also recordings by the choir made during periods of less stringent restrictions, including works by Byrd, Bruckner, Stanford, Rutter, Carter, L'Estrange and Boynton. I am grateful to Adrian Yardley for his skill and patience as recording engineer and editor. Extended videos were made for the seasons of Epiphany, Passiontide, Easter, Pentecost and Transfiguration. In addition, archive recordings of the Cornerstone Chamber Choir were brought into play, notably extracts from Messiah (2014), Elijah (2015), Fauré Requiem (2016) and Bach B Mass in B minor (2017).
At the end of June, a few days after the easing of restrictions, our small choir, New English Singers, had their first engagement for 18 month when they provided a rich musical programme for a wedding at St Mary Magdalene Church, Willen. The joy of the singers in being able to serve the community once again was palpable, and there was enormous appreciation among the wedding guests.
During the summer, a proposal was made from Cornerstone Social Justice Committee that a concert might be held to coincide with the Cop26 Climate Change Conference in November. I suggested that Haydn's Creation would be the ideal repertoire for such an event, and a date was set for 7th November, the middle Sunday of the two-week conference. The Cornerstone Chamber Choir was invited to reconvene on 19th September after a silence of 18 months (they had last met for Messiah rehearsal on 15th March 2020, just before the first lockdown). It was wonderful to feel such strong support from choir members from the very first rehearsal. Only three or four of a forty strong team felt unable to take part (due mainly to shielding vulnerable family members). We were also blessed with the support of new members - Amy McCormick (soprano), Monika Lorinkova (soprano), Ruth Legh Smith (mezzo-soprano), Lawrence Holden (tenor) and Martin Ferns (bass). An unexpected problem developed when it was realised that the Worship Area balcony at Cornerstone would not be available for audience seating on 7th November, due to ongoing clearance work. It was felt that it would not be practical to accommodate a choir of 40, orchestra of 30 and audience of 150 with appropriate social distancing, all on the ground floor. A decision was made to seek an alternative venue, and in due course the performance was moved to St Peter and St Paul Newport Pagnell. Performances 'away from home' are not unknown for the Chamber Choir, which in the past has sung in SS Peter and Paul's Church Olney and Rochester Cathedral. We were made to feel very welcome by Newport Church, but the venture was not without its challenges. The church had an insufficient number of separate chairs to accommodate 40 singers and 30 orchestral players so chairs had to be borrowed from the Synagogue in Giffard Park (by kind permission of Sarah and Zvi Friedman) and transported in a convoy of cars to Newport (thanks to Christine and Robin Thompson, David Chapman, Jan Taylor, Amaret Price, Adrian Yardley and Martin Ferns). Sections of staging had to be transported by similar convoy from Cornerstone, so that a large platform could be built to allow the performers good sightlines and
2
## **Cornerstone Music CIO**
appropriate social distancing (thanks to David and Joy Chapman, Cathy and Tim Hampton, Richard May Miller and Adrian Yardley for additional support in setting up the staging and dismantling the stage).
We were thrilled that the performance was a success in every way. Both Choir
and Orchestra were on top form. The three soloists Emily Owen (soprano) Thomas Elwin (tenor) and Timothy Nelson (bass) were absolutely superb. Each of them were totally 'involved' in their respective roles. Soprano Emily, a late replacement because of illness, was a sheer delight. We were blessed with a good-sized audience, large enough to fill the church, while still enabling people to feel safe. Thanks to Adrian Yardley for his efforts with extra publicity around North Milton Keynes and Newport Pagnell. Audience reaction to the performance was warm and enthusiastic.
In December 2020 our small a cappella choir had prepared a Christmas concert which was cancelled at the eleventh hour due to the introduction of 'Tier 3' restrictions. In December 2021 we prepared again and this time - joy of joys - the concert was able to take place! The choir sang a full range of repertoire from the 15th to the 21st century. We were joined by our dear friend Abigail Burrows (flute) in works by Mozart, Rutter and Mancini and by prizewinning pianist John Fisher in Brahms's Intermezzo in A and Chopin's Barcarolle, Op 60 (surely one of the composer's finest works). The concert was enjoyed by an enthusiastic audience who joined us at the end for seasonal refreshments. During the year we were delighted to acquire a new set of tiered staging for choir and orchestra use, to enhance our large-scale performances. I am particularly grateful to Doug Sellers, a member of the Chamber Choir bass section, for his painstaking research which identified Unistage in Cheshire as the company of choice, and to Adrian Yardley for his detailed and successful application to Milton Keynes Community Foundation, which secured a grant to cover a significant proportion of the funding. Thanks also to Simon and Bob for their co-operation and support. It is somewhat ironic that the very first use of the staging was for our 'away from home' performance at Newport Pagnell. The staging will certainly come into its own at Cornerstone in April 2022 when choral forces will be split on either side of the dias for Bach: St Matthew Passion. We hope that the new staging will prove an asset for Cornerstone, to be used for a variety of functions. It could also be loaned to other organisations in the local area.
I express warm gratitude to the Cornerstone Music Committee ably led by Iain Porteus, to Simon Lowson and Andrew Wood for their help and co-operation and to my wife Jill for her unstinting support.
## **Report of the Music Director for the period ended 31 st December 2020**
At the beginning of February, Chamber Choir rehearsals had begun for Handel Messiah, scheduled for performance as an Eastertide celebration on 19th April (we aim to perform Messiah every 6 or 7 years). Members were really enjoying exploring the finer details of this great work but on 17th March the first Coronavirus lockdown was imposed, which brought rehearsals to an abrupt end. Sadly plans for Summer and Autumn projects had to be put on hold too. Some lovely events were in the pipeline, including a Beethoven 250th Anniversary Celebration Concert, with our good friend Craig Greene as soloist in Piano Concerto No 4 and featuring members of Milton Keynes Youth Orchestra playing 'side by side' with our own Chamber Orchestra musicians. A popular concert featuring our own choirs and Milton Keynes Brass was also in preparation. A series of talks on Beethoven was planned, but this never progressed beyond the first session. In the absence of live music making, I took opportunity to share with our loyal concert audience and with the wider community some of the music being prepared for on-line
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## **Cornerstone Music CIO**
services of worship at the City Church from Sunday 22 nd March 2020 onward. I was providing at least seven recorded pieces each week: a prelude and postlude (organ or piano), introit (or psalm), reflective music to follow the sermon and three hymns. By the middle of December we had built up a library of some 300 original recordings including organ solos, harpsichord solos (from my music room) and piano solos. And there were special projects. Violist Louise Boynton recorded music following her successful grade 8 examination. Pianist John Fisher, flautist Abigail Burrows and soprano Emily Haig all came to Cornerstone to record when lockdown conditions had eased. It was good to be able to capture lovely examples of their fine musicianship. I am hugely indebted to recording engineer Adrian Yardley for his patience and skill in creating an ideal visual composition and the best possible sound. In July the great Italian film composer Enio Morricone died. To mark his passing, trumpeter John MacDomnic and I created a special performance of the composer's 'Gabriel's Oboe', theme tune from the 1986 film epic 'The Mission'. I recorded the accompaniment at Cornerstone, then John overlaid his part from home in Harrow, skilfully co-ordinating with the accompaniment. The final product, thanks to John's musical and technical artistry, was very successful. In addition to new 'bespoke' recordings, items from our archive of previous performances by the Cornerstone Chamber Choir and Orchestra (variously recorded by David Hemmings and, more recently, Mike Ballance) were shared with our audience, including movements from Messiah, Elijah, Mass in B minor and African Sanctus. These recordings may be found on YouTube via URL links from our website www.cornerstonemusicmk.co.uk One of the advantages of posting our music on-line is that we have been able to share it more widely, and over the months we have received messages of appreciation from people in different parts of the UK and across the world! Cornerstone Music 3 As we drew closer to Christmas, lockdown restrictions were eased temporarily, and there were hopes that a short seasonal concert could be held, along the lines of our regular 'Christmas Cracker' event, with small socially distanced audience. Our regular audience members were contacted and within a few hours 30 people had signed up to attend - an ideal number in the particular circumstances. New English Singers held two socially distanced rehearsals, and thoroughly enjoyed exploring and revising some fine seasonal repertoire. Then, quite suddenly, Tier 3 restrictions were imposed, followed very quickly by Tier 4, and this concert had to be cancelled. Let us hope that during 2021 the health situation will steadily improve for all, so that people may gradually be able to return to a more normal way of life, including the joy of shared music making. I give warm thanks to all music lovers in our community and beyond for their continuing support and encouragement, to Iain Porteus who heads our music task force for his generous friendship and wise counsel, special thanks to Adrian Yardley for his outstanding service, to the Chamber Choir for their loyalty, support and goodwill at a hugely challenging time. and my dear wife Jill for her unstinting support.
Adrian Boynton
4
## **Cornerstone Music CIO**
## **Statement of Financial Activity**
|||**Note**|**Note**|**Year to**
**31st December**
**2021**
**£**
**Period from 22nd**
**March to 31st**
**December 2020**
**£**
1,845
385
880
1,835
615
70
**5,175**
**455**
4,200
238
107
**4,545**
**630**
**455**
2,111
1,656
**2,741**
**2,111**|**Year to**
**31st December**
**2021**
**£**
**Period from 22nd**
**March to 31st**
**December 2020**
**£**
1,845
385
880
1,835
615
70
**5,175**
**455**
4,200
238
107
**4,545**
**630**
**455**
2,111
1,656
**2,741**
**2,111**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||**Income**
**Friends of Music**
**Donations**
**Ticket sales**
**Gift Aid**|||||
|||||||
||||5|||
||||6|||
|||||||
||||8|||
||**Total**|||||
|||||||
||**Expenditure**|||||
|||||||
|||||||
||**Performers**
**Venue hire**
**Scores**
**Administration**||9|||
||||10|||
||||11|||
||||12|||
||**Total**|||||
|||||||
||**Net income/ (expenditure)**|||||
|||||||
|||||||
|||||||
||**Funds brought forward**|||||
|||||||
||**Funds carried forward**|||||
|||||||
5
Cornerstone Music CIO
Balance Sheet
Asat
31" December
2021
Asat
31- December
2020
Note
Debtors
Cash at bank & In
hand
13
2,560
1,945
15.181
14,166
17.741
16,111
Credltors
14
15.000
14,000
Net assets
2a41
Fund8
21741
2Jii
Notes
i. Cornerstone Music CIO is re8lStered with the Charity Commission, is a
Public Benefit Entity and does not seek profit.
2. These financial statements comply with the Charities Statement of
Recommended Practice {SoRP) second edition October 2019, and report
incoTne and expenditure deriving from a programme of rnu5ical events put
on during the financial year ended 31" December 2020, and the prior
period from date of registration on 23rd March 2020 to 3i$t Dcccmber
2020.
3. Accounting bases: These fmancial statements have been prepared on the
going concern basis: that the CIO will continue with generous support,
skilled knowledge and experience of the Music Director Adrian Boynton
and administrator Jill Boynton for the foreseeable future.
## **Cornerstone Music CIO**
These financial statements have been prepared on the accruals basis: that unsettled (unpaid) costs appear as debtors or creditors at financial year end, which include the use of estimates where necessary.
4. The principal economic risks to CIO are: contagion that would depress ticket sales or prevent performers from attending; and rise in venue charges. The trustees are prepared to mitigate the consequences of these risks.
5. Donations received are treated as income in full upon receipt.
6. Donations include amounts from choir members toward the concerts.
7. Advertising income derives from the sponsors named in concert programmes.
8. Gift Aid are the amounts of income tax to be recovered from HMRC.
9. The Music Director calls on his extensive range of contacts to enlist excellent performers. Performer fees are paid to professional solo singers and expenses to the orchestra. Cornerstone Chamber Choir sing gratis.
- 10.Venue fees are levied by Christ the Cornerstone Church, Milton Keynes, except for events held elsewhere such as the parish church of St. Peter and St. Paul at Newport Pagnell for Haydn’s The Creation on 7[th] November 2021.
11. Score expenditure includes hire of music scores, tuning the piano & organ prior to performance, and PRS charges for use of copyrighted material.
12. Administration expenditure includes costs of website hosting, refreshments, stationery & postage.
13. Debtors comprises Gift Aid of £1875 recovered on a donation in January 2015 owed by the City Church, and recoverable Gift Aid on donations in year ended 31[st] December 2021 of £615 and in the period 31[st] December 2020 of £70.
14. Creditors include unpaid fees for the Music Director and his wife, and accrual for venue costs.
15. There was neither remuneration nor reimbursement of expenses for trustees or the independent examiner.
7