## **Friends of the Vox Trustee Report 2023/2024**
Friends of the Vox was established for the public benefit, to advance, improve, develop, and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of choral music. Friends of the Vox is passionate about the power of choral music to unite people from all walks of life. We strive to make a tangible difference in our local community and to foster connections on a global scale. Through our local initiatives, global connections, and the remarkable performances of our choirs, we aspire to make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities. We firmly believe in the transformative power of choral music, and hope that you will join us to support our vision. Together we can nurture a passionate and thriving musical community.
## **2023/2024 season performance review**
The 2023/2024 season has seen Friends of the Vox continue to build community through choral music and this year we have reached a worldwide audience. Alongside the regular local concerts, the Emerging Composer initiative and collaboration with new choirs has seen our reach extend across the UK and overseas too.
## **Friends of the Vox Charity Launch Party and Christmas Fundraiser.**
In December 2023, following a wonderful joint Christmas concert between Vox Populi and Vox Anima Chamber Choir, many of our choir and audience members travelled the short distance to Mereworth Winery to officially launch the charity.
We were delighted to be joined by so many people at this event. As well as an opportunity to thank our supporters, the night was also a chance for us to share our vision, as well as to talk about how we have already been making a change within the choral world. We heard from our Chair of the Trustees, Laura Cloke, our Artistic Advisor, James Meaders, and from music teacher and Vox Anima Chamber Choir’s accompanist, Richard Hammond-Hall.
What was clear through these speeches was how much the charity has already achieved – multiple concerts within the local community, an American tour by one of the charity’s choirs, hosting an American choir in Kent, providing outreach opportunities to local school children, commissioning new music to be written, and performing and collaborating with many professional musicians!
## **Emerging Composers 2024**
In January 2024, we launched our inaugural competition for emerging composers in collaboration with the generous support of the Music of Dan Forrest. We invited composers to submit a new work to Friends of the Vox, to be adjudicated by James Meaders (Founder and Artistic Director, Vox Anima London) and Dan Forrest (Composer). The title "Emerging Composers" was chosen to allow potential participants to "self-select" enabling us to reach a larger cross-section of the composer population. The winning piece ‘O Oriens’ by Anna Rocławska-Musiałczyk explores the “O Oriens” Antiphon, traditionally sung in the Catholic
Church on December 21, the shortest day of the year, and which speaks of God as the Rising Sun. The top three winning pieces selected by the adjudicators will be recorded by Vox Anima Chamber choir in May 2025. This recording will act as a platform for the emerging composers allowing their music to reach wider audiences locally and internationally.
## **Workshop at Surbiton High School**
Artistic Advisor, James Meaders, led a workshop for students at Surbiton High School, supported by singers from Vox Anima Chamber Choir. Together, they explored “Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo” before being joined by composer Cecilia McDowall. This session was in preparation for the choirs to take part in an International Women’s Day concert at Cadogan Hall in March 2024.
## **The Mancunium Consort Summer Tour in Kent**
We were pleased to support the promotion of “The Mancunium Consort’s” Summer Tour in Kent. Led by Harry Mobbs, who grew up in Tonbridge, Kent, they are a new and dynamic vocal ensemble. We can’t wait to hear more from this exciting group.
## **Vox Anima Chamber Choir**
The chamber choir has continued to grow and develop its sound, taking part in three concerts across the year. ‘What delights me’ at St Dunstan’s Church in Cranbrook in November 2023 focused around “Everyday Wonders: The Girl from Aleppo” by Cecilia McDowall. In December the chamber choir joined Vox Populi for a Christmas concert, featuring the commissioned piece ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ by Dan Forrest.
In July 2024, the chamber choir returned to St Dunstan’s Church in Cranbrook to perform ‘Fly Higher’, a concert which featured a wide range of music from contemporary female composers and lyricists. Following the concert the choir had a weekend retreat at Frasers Barn, Egerton, which included reflecting on the last year, setting goals for the future, and singing together in a beautiful countryside setting.
## **Vox Populi**
In 2023-2024 Vox Populi performed in 3 concerts, with some singers also participating in a concert at St John’s Smith Square, London. Repertoire has focused on larger works by contemporary composers including Dan Forrest, Sarah MacDonald, and Heather Sorensen. Vox Populi also collaborated with St Mary’s Church in West Malling, performing a joint concert with their Church Choir, Treblemakers (a music group for children), and the Choral Scholars. The Charity supported several singers who were unable to pay subscriptions to sing with Vox Populi.
## **Charity updates**
The Trustees decided to engage the services of a consultant to enable the aims of the Charity to be advanced. This role has proved invaluable to the charity as it seeks to establish itself and much of the work this year would not have been possible without it. Hannah
Pinney-Thomson created a website, further developed the brand identity, and set up systems and processes to allow the charity to function in an efficient and professional way. Hannah secured a grant from the D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust which allowed a significant concert to be arranged in December 2024 (concert report on next year’s Trustee Report). One trustee position remains open, and the board is assessing the skill set and person specification needed before recruiting into this role.
## **Funding**
It has been identified that core choir activity is covered by our current funding model (subscriptions by members and sponsorship for the chamber choir) but to deliver bigger projects, additional funding is required. A donation from The Music of Dan Forrest (which was received as a direct result of the launch party) allowed the Emerging Composer initiative to be delivered. A similar sponsor will be sought for any such activity in the future.
The Vox Anima Chamber Choir sponsorship programme continues to be successful. All donors were thanked for their support in the 2023/2024 season and have been asked to continue to support the chamber choir for 2024/2025. Some new sponsors have been acquired and the choir and charity are continually looking for new opportunities to raise money.
The board are reviewing running costs, recognising that it is important to pay commercial rates for all professional musicians involved, and are developing a strategy to ensure we can meet these increased fundraising needs over the next 5 years.
Anthony Royle of Royle Accounting gave an independent review of the charity accounts. He had a full view of the charity bank statements, cashbook, and invoices for the year and was able to do an independent review as required by the Charity Commission. His report:-
1. All bank items have been included in Income and Expenses.
2. Opening and closing balances agree to bank statements
3. Change on bank agrees to net income & expenses for year
Anthony was thanked for his review which he donated free of charge.
## **Board of Trustees as at January 2025**
Chair - Laura Cloke Secretary - Cathy Booth Treasurer - Alexandra Meaders Member - Becky Clifford Member – Simon Fowler
Artistic advisor - James Meaders
Development consultant - Hannah Pinney-Thomson (up to February 2025) and Laura Fowler (from February 2025).
## **Report written by Laura Cloke – 5[th] March 2025**
**Friends of the Vox (reg'd charity 1200317) Income and Expenses from 1 September 2023 - 31 August 2024**
|**Income**
**Vox Populi**|**Expenses**|**Expenses**||
|---|---|---|---|
|Subs 2023 - 2024
General fundraising
Dec 2023 concert
May 2024 concert
**Vox Anima Chamber Choir**
Subs 2023 - 2024
Sponsorship
General income
Nov 2023 concert
July 2024 concert
July 2024 Retreat
**FotV general**
Income
FoTV launch party
Upper Voices Festival Nov 2024
Composition Competition
Joint VP / VACC HGS Dec 2024 concert
**Total**
Current account balance
Uncleared
Total
Split of funds
FoTV
Vox Populi
VACC
Restricted funds
FoTV
FoTV
FoTV
Vox Populi
VACC
**Available funds**
**FoTV**
**Vox Populi**
**VACC**|£4,977.87
General expenses
£0.00
Accompanist
Rehearsal venue
£1,076.45
Dec 2023 concert
£906.02
May 2024 concert
**£6,960.34**
£2,280.00
General expenses
£2,300.00
Accompanist
£650.00
£1,339.46
Nov 2023 concert
£680.01
July 2024 concert
£2,000.00
July 2024 Retreat
**£9,249.47**
£3,926.65
Expenses
£1,187.22
FoTV launch party
£2,100.00
Upper Voices Festival Nov 2024
£1,755.61
£1,700.00)
Joint VP / VACC HGS Dec 2024 concert
**£10,669.48**
Monthly Payments to J Meaders||-£700.33
-£1,920.00
-£1,040.00
-£1,251.40
-£400.00|
|||**£6,960.34**
General expenses
Accompanist
Nov 2023 concert
July 2024 concert
July 2024 Retreat
**£9,249.47**
Expenses
FoTV launch party
Upper Voices Festival Nov 2024
Joint VP / VACC HGS Dec 2024 concert|**-£5,311.73**
-£2,939.97
-£1,520.00
-£781.20
-£557.50
-£3,190.00
**-£8,988.67**
-£4,847.05
-£1,036.93
£0.00
-£1,035.87|
|||**£10,669.48**
Monthly Payments to J Meaders|**-£6,919.85**
-£4,200.00|
|||||
CHARITY COMMISSION
FOR ENGLAND AND WAIES
Independent examinerfs report on the
accounts
Section A
Independent Examiner s Report
Report to the trustees
On x¢ounts for the y8ar
ended
31 Ik4&¢LsT ?LLLk
JiAffjMMY c}
Charity no
(if any)
Set out on pages
I rep)rt to the trustees (m my examination crfthe accounts of the abov8
charity (Ihe Trusf) for the year ended
51 Ic¥120L4
RèJponglbiliti•s and
basi8 of roport
haris trustees. you are rpsp)nsible for the preparation of the
accounts in accwdance wilh the requirements of the Charittes Act 2011
A).
I reF(Yt in resrEd of my examination of the Trusvs a>nts carried out
under sedion 145 of the 2011 Act and in 12rry1 out my examination, I
have followed all the appfjcable Directmjns given by th8 Charity Commission
under section 145(5Mb) of the Ad.
Indopendent he charivs g
Ie exce
,000 and l a
ifted to
examlnerfs statement undertak
examinatio
I a qualifi
le listed
er of [ins8rt name of
ete[lrf
I have u)mtAeted my examination. I confim that rK) material matters have
to my attentk)n in conneclion with the examination19th8FI
which gNe5 me cause to believe that in. any material
r8specL
the accounting reo)rds re not kept in accordance wtth section 130
of the Charities Al. or
the accounts did not accord wth the accounting records,. or
the acUnts did not ccrfnply with the applicable requirements
concemirvJ the fomi and cx)ntent of aw)unts set out in th8 Charities
(Accourts armj Report5) RegulatF()ns 2008 other than any requirement
that the accounts give a Irue and fairf view which is not a matter
¢onsKlered as part of an independent examination.
I have no con(*ms and come auoss no other matters in connection
with examination to which attention shoukl be dravm in this report in
order to enable a s)per urKlerstanding of the acowrrts io be reacned.
. Hease de
e the words in the brackets rfthey (k) not apply.
Slgned:
Namo:
Relevant profosslonal
qualifjcationls) or ljody
IER
Oct 2018
(If any):
Addre.
Sectioii B
Disclosure
Only complet8 rf the examiner needs to higttiight material matters of concem
(see CC32. Indep8ndent examination of charty accounts.. directions and
gUKlan for examiners).
Give here brief details of
any items that the
examiner wlshes to
dlsclo80.
IER
Oct 2018