THE HIGHGATE CHORAL SOCIEfY TRUSTEES. REPORT 202412025 Charltable Oblects The objeds of the Charity are the advantt8mènt of arts and culture, in particular the art and culture of music, by the presentation of concerts and other ancillary activities. The Charity pursues its objects prin¢ipaWy through holding public concerts and also undertakes additional activities lo supp)rt the bcal community. The Trustees of the Charity are aware of the general guidance issued by the Charity Commission on public benefit. They have regard to this guidance in dec4ding what actbvth'es the Charity should undertake. onstitution Highgate Choral Society. originally founded in 1878, has been registered in its current form as a Charitable Incorporated Organisatmjn (CIO) with the Charity Commissioners under charity registration number 1191240 since 11th September 2020. Governance The administration of the Charity is Ihe responsibltty of the Trustees who are all unpaid members of the choir elected by its m8mbers in accordance with its constitution. At the 2025 AGM held on 24 February 2025. Debby Bumian and Tom King resigned and, in accordance with the Constitution, Emty Finch and Richanl Gourlay retired by rotalion and were reYlected for a second term of 3 yéars along wtth Caroline Dove and Diana Muggleston who had been CopIed as Trustees during the year. At the conclusion of the 2025 AGM the Trustees were Ashitey Ollennu l¢hairl. Ali Brodie (General Manager}. Felicity Demieik. Caroline Dove. Emily Finch. Janet Floyd, Richard Gouday, Dsana Muggleston. Luke Randobh ITreasurer) and Ursula Taylor. Th6 Trustees meet regularly, meeting 4 times during the past year. Our hAusic Dir8Ctor is not a Trustee, but is invited to attend Tru$tees' meetings. Ronald Corp OBE It 18 With profound sadness and a great sense of loss that I have to report Ihe death of our b8loved hAusic Director. Ron COTP. in May 2025 after a long illness. We offer our sinc8r8 condolences to his life partner John Glass. Ron had directed Highgate Choral Sc¢iely for over 41 years and has left a void. not only in our choir and ts members. but in the lives of countless others that his wide4eaching musical interests and enduring friendship had touched in the course of a long and illustn'ous career. We are planning a memorial concert for Ron at Cadogan Hall on June 23, where we will honour his memory with a selection of his Compositional works. perfomied by Hhgate Choral Society. The London Chorus which he also conducted for overthity years, and the New London Orchèstra which he founded in 1988, together with alumni of the North London Children's Choir which he also founded and ran for many years. uslcal Actlvlti05 Our first cOrrt of the year orb 6th November 2024 was a fith'ng finale to Ron's career when. to a packed hLxtse at Cadogan Hall. he GonduGted the world premiere of his final Gomposition Phoenix from Ihe Ashes- cantsta for suffering children. compos&d in memory of a long- standing member of Highgate Choral Society who died in 2021. together with Holst's A Somer5el Rhapsody and Fauré's Requiem, performed by his choirs and orchestra with rènowned soloists Lucy Crowe {soprano} and Roderi¢k Williams (baritone} in celebralion of
his 40 years as music director of Highgale Choral Society and 30 years in the same role al The Lothn Chorus. Ron also conducted our annual Famity Carols concert on 7th December 2024 al St Michael's Chur¢h. Highgate where his talent for coaxing compelling perfonnances from our rnber$ and audience alike and his innate sense of fur) rernained re%Autely to the foie. as he determinedly resisted the effects of his last illness. At the end of the concert. we held a bucket collection for Iwo local charities nominat8d and chosen by our members. This kn'me. it was the tum of C4WS Homeless Project and Wood that Works. Thanks to the genero$lty of choir members and our audience. we raised £1,332 whith meanl that each chartty received an amazing £666 towards their important and necessary work with the poor. the homeless and those suffering from mental health issues. We were subsequently hugely fortunate to have been able to secure the services of three first class ¢¢torS lor the remaining thTee concert5 of the year. not lèasl as a foretaste for our members that lrfe after Ron might in tim8 b8CA)m8 possiblo trj imagine. On 8° March 2025 we perfomied Monteverdi's Vesper5 of 1610. vAdely regarded as one of the greatest pieces of sa¢red music ever composed, heralding the transition beeen the Iraditional style of the late Renaissance and the start of the Baroque period, to a capacty audience at All Hallows Church. Gospel Oak under the expert batten of Jeremy Jackman. whose CV range5 from singing th the King's Singers and in operas, to chorus master al the London Philharmonic Choir. the musical diwtor of the English Baroque Choir and directing performances all over the world. We were accompanied by the New London Orchestra and our soloists were sopranos Aorfe Miskelly and Hafflet Bums, counlertenor James Laing. t6nors Gwilym Bowen arKI Ruairi Bowen and baritone Felix Kemp. For our nexl concert, held on 1* May 2025. at Sl Michael's Church. HMJhgate, w8 focused on English 20 and 21 century music: Edward Elgarfs Give unlo th• Lord,. Herbert Howells, King David: Hubert Parry's My heart is Like a Singing Bifft. and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Toward th6 Unknown Règion. We also premièred Russell Hepplewhite's The Diarists Pages,. and sang a nevAy commissioned piece by Joanna Forbes L'Estrange. A Season to Sing. We also sang, in Ron Corp's memory, Elegy lor Himsem composed by Ron with text from Chidiok Tichbome, an English Catholtc poet who wrole il on the eve of his execution for involvement in a plot against Elizabeth 1 st. Perhaps appropriately. it is a dark meditation on a lrfe cut short. Our guest conductor for this concert was Hilary Campbell. a freelance choral specialist, director of music at Kellogg College, Oxford, musical director of Bristol Choral Society, West London Chows and West London Chamber Choir. assistsnt chorus directrK of London Symphony Chorus and associate conductor of Ex Cathedra. We were acMpanied by organist Ethvard Batting and our soprano Katie Trethewey. For ourfinal concert ofthe 2024125 season. we returned to A]1 Halkiws. Chur¢h. Gospel Oak on Saturday, 5 July 2025, and to the music of Handel and Bach, contemporaries who never in fact met, singing 8 number of songs by George Frideric Handel (including May No Rash Intruder) and Johann Sebastian Bach linduding Nun 1st das Hell und die Kraw. as well as Bach's Magnificat in D Major. Our gu8St conduclor on thal occasion. Jennifer Sterling. is cUentlY associate choral director at Sl Martin-in-the-Fields, a soprano soloisL a scotkn.sh folk singer and a member of the vocal ensemble. Oclavoce. She was joined in the concert by the New London Orchestra 2nd soloists Madeline Boreham and Georgia Melville (sopranosl. Majid El-Bushra {alto), David Webb (tenor) and Michael Craddock (bass}.
Another highlight of our2024125 season was our bier)nial intemational lour. in May 2025, when we travelled to BeT1in lo perform in iwo tonc•rts. also under the dwection of Jennrfer Sterling. Forthe second of these ¢oncerts. we werejoined bythe Berfiner Singakademie. In the glorious surroundings of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church on the 80 anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. It was a very special occasion. During the year, Highgate Choral Society also participated in siwing Camiina Burana at the Royal Albert Hall and Beethoven's Ninth SymptrK)r)y at the Barbican, both promoted by Raymond Gubbay Ltd. We are deepty gratslul to Alexander Wells. our accompanist. not just for his brilliant piano playing skills, but also for his calm presence at the keyboard which helF*d to keep us focused and on an even kèel in the darkest of times. M¢mbershlp Membership sto(yJ at 178 at the end of the year. a little below the 192 of the previous year. Finance The resuli for the year was a General Fund surplus of £16,674, resulting in a carried forward General Fund of £66.995 and a Commissioning Fund balance of £9,581. Ticket prices remained the same as the previous year and membership subscriptions were increased by S.8°. Independent Examiner We are. as ever, very grateful to Ri¢hard Morris. our independent examiner. for his continued support and adwce during the year. Conclusion The success of our year in MuCal and financial terrns bears testimony to the resilien¢e of our management structure and the mmitMent of our members in the face of a challenging year. I would like to thank each and every Trustee for their dedication and skill in maintainlng our organisation in a very good positKJn trom which to face the future with conf9n(8. hitey Ollennu Chair Highgate Choral Society 4 Febnjary 2026
CHARITY COMMIS510 FOR ENGLAND AND WALE Highgale Choral Society Annual accounts for the 1st September 2024 Charity N. 1191240 eriod to 31st August 2025 Section A Statement of financial activities Total Unr•strict?d Funds Last Y&ar Draft 09109125 Dèslgnat•d Commissioning Fund Total Unrèstrlct•d Funds Gènèral Funds Incoma Concert Ticket Sales Pro amme Sales Pro ramme Advertisin Membershi Subscri tions Fnends Donations onsorshi Gift Aid Tax Recove Bar Sales R8fr8shments Net Income Music Hire Income External Concert Promoters Income Benslow Weekend Income Tour Income Commissionin Sundry Income Total In¢om• 47.193 2.442 1.880 47.193 2.442 1.880 46.450 1.950 137 18.794 11.510 3.882 1.056 5.$49 3.165 28.410 2.096 1.625 46.415 2.010 1.95D 137 18.794 11.510 3882 1.056 3.150 9.829 4.241 1.019 4.432 1.670 16,283 3.165 43.295 43.295 1.000 382 Fund Income 1.000 382 187.68S 350 1.000 188,685 121.530 nditur• Concert Costs Pro ramme Costs Rehearsal Costs Bar Costs Music Hire Costs External Concert Promoters Costs Benslow Weekend Costs Tour Costs Bank & Card Char PRS Ro alties Insurances Makin Music Annual Subscri Commissionin Fund Costs reciation SLJnd Costs Tot•1 Exp•ndltur• 82.716 5.615 28.268 1.237 5.341 1,421 82.716 5.615 28,268 1.237 5.341 1.421 67,918 4,065 23.870 1.267 3,722 949 14.523 43.443 159 314 380 520 43,443 159 314 380 520 s.000 581 1,016 176.011 es less Interest 214 631 339 496 300 514 1,403 120.211 lion 581 1.016 171,011 s.000 Income less Expenditure 16.674 4.000 12.674 1,319 Transfers betsyeen fund5 Net movement fvnds 16,674 4.000 12.674 1,319 Funds brought forward 50.321 13,581 63.902 62.583 Funds canied fonvard 66.995 9.581 76.576 63.902
Section B Balance sheet T)knl Totsl 15237 3.591 ai bkInd In IN24& 66 523 79623 628 9581 63.JD2 50.321 9581 63 902
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ETrLAND ANO WALES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Section A Independent Examiner s Report Report to the trustees The Highgate Choral Soclety On accounts for the year ended 31st August 2025 Charity no (rf any) 1191240 Set out on pages I report to the trustees my examination of the accounts of the )ove Charity (the Trusf} for the year ended 3110812025. Responsibilities and basis of report As the tharitys trustees, Y are responsible for Ihe preparation of the aCcnts in accordan wtth the requirements of Ihe Chartiies Ad 2011 rthe A. I report in respect of my examinati of trle Trusys accwnts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Aci and in (arrying out my examination. I have followed all the applicab Directions given by the Chanty Ccxnmissi under section 145(5)(b) of the ACL Independent I have completed my examination. I c(xffimi that no material matters have examinerfs statsment come to my attention in connection wrth Ihe examnation which gives me cause to believe that in. any material resFett. the aoJ)unting records Vre rt kept in accordarts section 130 of the Charities Act; or the a0Unts did not accofty %%ith the acccwnting records; or the aCC£nts did not c£¥nply with the applicable wuirements COnMIra the fomi and ntent of accounts set in the Charities (Accounts and Rewrts) RegulatiLs 2(JJ8 other than any requirement that the accounts give a 'true and fairf which is not a matter c¢)nsidered as part of an independent exnination. I have no concems have come s$ no other matters in ¢(nection Ih the examina to which attention shId be drawn in this report in er to enable a Per understanding of the accounts to be reached. Signed: April 2028 Name: Rithard MorTiS Relevant professional qual1f1&Ion(sj or body lif any): Addrnss: 8 Holt Close Lond N10 3HW IER Oct 2018