Reading Festival Chorus
Report and Accounts For the year ended 31 July 2025
Registered Charity No 254201
Reading Festival Chorus
Index to the Report and Accounts
For the year ended 31 July 2025
| Page | |
|---|---|
| Report of the Committee of Management | 2 |
| Report of the Independent Examiner | 8 |
| Statement of Financial Activities | 9 |
| Balance Sheet | 10 |
| Notes to the Accounts | 11 |
Reading Festival Chorus Report of the Members of the Committee of Management
Objectives and Activities
The aims and objectives of the Chorus are to foster public knowledge and appreciation of choral music by means of giving members of the Chorus the opportunity to study and practise such music, and the public performance of such music.
Thr Chorus held three concerts this year, and also joined in the performance of the Dream of Gerontius presented by Johanneskantorei Düsseldorf in the Johanneskirche.
The first concert was in Wesley Church on 23[rd] November 2024 and featured Will Todd’s Mass in Blue and Bob Chilcott’s A Little Jazz Mass. The accompaniment was provided by a trio, and the soprano soloist was Lisa Swayne. The general opinion was that it was a highly successful concert, featuring a particularly talented soloist.
Our spring concert was also held in Wesley Church, on 8[th] February 2025, and was of Rossini’s Petite Messe Solennelle. This concert was held earlier in the term than usual, to enable us to start rehearsing Gerontius
in good time for the Düsseldorf performance. The work was performed with piano (Ben Giddens), harmonium (Nick Austin) and soloists Alexandra Stevenson, Sarah Anne Champion, Graham Neal and Timothy Dickinson. Although the size of the audience was disappointing, the performance achieved a high standard in all respects
On 25[th] May we joined with Johanneskantorei Düsseldorf
and its youth choir (Jugendchor der Akademie für Chor und Musiktheater) for the first of our joint
performances of Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. Wolfgang Abendroth conducted the Düsseldorf Festival Orchester and soloists Elvira Bill (mezzo), Jonathan Cook (tenor) and Dmitri Vargin (baritone). The tenor travelled from England to stand in at the last minute for a German tenor who was unwell. His excellent reception on the night was highly deserved. The Johanneskirche was virtually sold out: all agreed that it was a most moving performance of a work which is not often heard in Germany (though its second ever performance took place in Düsseldorf in 1901).
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Our second performance of the work took place during the return visit of our German friends in the Great Hall of the University of Reading on 20[th] June. This performance was conducted by Greg Hallam. The orchestra was the British Sinfonietta, and the soloists were Martha McLorinan (mezzo), Peter Davoren (tenor) and Thomas Humphreys (bass). Chorus was again joined by the Johanneskantorei and its youth choir. The Great Hall was nearly full to capacity for a very fine performance which fittingly marked both the 80[th] anniversary of the founding of the Chorus, and the 80[th] anniversary of the beginning of the ongoing relationship between Reading and Düsseldorf. The concert was preceded by an introduction from Cllr Paul Gittings, Deputy Mayor of Reading, and Lindsey Beard, Deputy Lieutenant for Berkshire, was also present.
Our visit to Düsseldorf was celebrated by a party after the concert, and the visit of Johanneskantorei to Reading was celebrated by a party on 21[st] June at Purley Barn, with food provided by members.
We held our usual informal concert of carols and readings in Wesley Church Hall on 9[th] December. A collection was taken at the concert for Christian Community Action, a charity which gives practical support to people in crisis in Reading. The evening helped raise over £600 for its cause.
The Trustees of the charity (ie the Committee of Management) confirm that they have had regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit. Chorus continues generally to make no charge for concert attendance by those aged under 18, and offers reduced subscriptions to students, those on state benefits and those aged 65 and over.
Achievements and financial review
The financial statements have been prepared for the year ended 31 July 2025.
The Committee updated the current Chorus business plan to cover last year’s financial position. This plan includes a budget for each financial period which is developed as the programme of concerts is finalised.
Overall position
The accounts show a deficit for the year of £6,073. Although it is never welcome to have to report a loss, it must be pointed out that the loss is less than had been projected, and considerably less than we had feared earlier in the year. Although each of our concerts made a loss ( Jazz Masses : £442; Rossini : £2,371, and Gerontius : £9,605), the eventual loss on Gerontius was considerably reduced by donations received from The Reading Düsseldorf Association, Johanneskantorei, and some very generous donations from members and Friends of Chorus. The donation from Johanneskantorei helped to cover additional costs incurred by the inclusion of its Youth Choir. There were around 256 in the audience, so ticket sales were higher than in our initial estimates.
Although the Gerontius concert has considerably depleted our reserves, from £24,169 in July 2024, to £18,095 in July 2025, the reserves are still considerably above the figure of £11,500 which we estimate to be the minimum amount we should retain in reserves as a “safety net” (to enable us to continue to operate for a year even if we received no income from concerts). The Committee took the decision before our final concert to curtail our planned 2025/26 programme, with the support of the Musical Director, and not to perform with an orchestra in
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2025-26. The more buoyant state of our reserves at the end of this year should mean that that orchestral performances become a realistic possibility for the 2026-27 season.
Membership of the Chorus fell very slightly this year from 69 to 67. The fall in income from Friends is partially accounted for by two Friends becoming members. The work involved in organising both aspects of the Düsseldorf exchange this year has limited the opportunity to engage in fundraising, but Hire a Choir brought in £500 and the 100 Club £204. Bring and Buy sales were reinstated and raised a further £414. It should also be noted that a raffle at the Purley Barn party raised £347, which was included in the concert account for Gerontius . More ambitious fundraising is planned for 2025-26.
Membership and our rehearsal and administrative costs
As the Committee felt that the Chorus’s remuneration of our Musical Director and Accompanist had not kept pace with inflation, the decision was taken at the AGM last year to increase members’ subscriptions by a substantial 18%, as a “one-off” catch-up. This year membership subscriptions (£11,089: see note 5) have, as intended, very nearly covered rehearsal and administrative expenses (£11,239: see notes 11 and 13). The proposed increase in subs this year will therefore be only such as is required to ensure that the remuneration we pay continues to keep pace with inflation.
Chart showing our income for the year:
----- Start of picture text -----
Sale & hire of music Investment Where the resources came from
£1,197 3%
(total £39,503)
Fundraising
Income
Deficit for year Concert income Jun
£1,423 4%
£6,073 15% £10,858 27%
Refreshments
£248 1%
Income
Tax
Refunds
£2,393
£14,556 37%
3%
Donation
s £1,115
4% Concert income
Mar £1,516
Friends' Concert income Nov
subscriptions Members' subscriptions £2,182 6%
£458 1% £11,089 28%
----- End of picture text -----
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Chart showing our expenditure for the year:
----- Start of picture text -----
Where we spent resources
(total £27,691)
----- End of picture text -----
----- Start of picture text -----
Refreshments at
rehearsals £56 0%
Purchase & hire of
music £1,966 7% Surplus for the year Concert expenditure
£4,341 16% Mar £1,425 5%
Concert
Music Director's fees
expenditure
£4,785 17%
£9,398 34%
£5,513 Cost of raising
funds £1,696 6% Concert expenditure Jun
£2,460 9%
£1,425 Administration
£2,460 Affiliation fees expenses £317 1%
Rehearsal costs £4,521 and insurance £611 2% Concert expenditure
Nov £5,513 20%
17%
----- End of picture text -----
Total reserves therefore decreased from £24,169 at 1 August 2024 to £18,095 at 31 July 2025.
The Committee of Management considers the Chorus has sufficient assets to fulfil its obligations. The Committee has set out a Reserves policy which is available to members through the Chorus website. The Chorus drew on accumulated reserves to cover costs this year, but such reserves are accumulated expressly to cover the cost of putting on expensive concerts. The Committee will continue to programme concerts which ensure an appropriate level of reserves is maintained.
The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the accounting policies set out in notes to the accounts and comply with the charity’s governing document, the Charities Act 2011 and the second edition of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) issued in October 2019.
Structure, Governance and Management
Reading Festival Chorus is an unincorporated association governed by a written Constitution. This is made available through the Governance page of the Chorus website.
In accordance with this the Committee of Management is required to prepare financial statements for each financial period which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Chorus and of the income and expenditure for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the members of the Committee of Management are required to:
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select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently;
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make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
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state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures disclosed and explained in the financial statements;
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- prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the Chorus will continue in business.
The members of the Committee of Management are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose, with reasonable accuracy at any time, the financial position of the Chorus and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with charity law and the requirements of the Constitution. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Chorus and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Members of the Committee of Management are the Trustees of the charity. Committee members are selected by the members of the Chorus at the Annual General Meeting, through election where there are more applicants than posts.
A set of Chorus Policies is published for members and others in the Governance section of the Chorus website.
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Reference and administrative details
Reading Festival Chorus is registered at the Charity Commission with registration number 254201. The registered address is that of the Treasurer (currently 121 Church Road, Earley, Reading RG6 1HG).
The Chorus is pleased that the pianist John Lill CBE continues to be our Patron.
During this period (including the time between the end of the reporting period and the date these accounts were signed) the Trustees were:
| From | To | |
|---|---|---|
| Katherine Walkem (chair) | Start of financial year | AGM 21 October 2024 |
| Janet Allen (chair) | AGM 21 October 2024 | Current |
| Jane Reed (vice-chair) | Start of financial year | Current |
| Margaret Cocks (secretary | Start of financial year | Current |
| Nicholas Roberts (treasurer) | Start of financial year | Current |
| Thomas Wall (publicity) | Start of financial year | Current |
| Sally Hamilton (librarian) | Start of financial year | Current |
| Natalie McGuire (registrar) | Start of financial year | Current |
| Jane Bazley (concert manager - artists) |
Start of financial year | Current |
| Susan Mithen (concert manager – front of house) |
Start of financial year | Current |
The Vice-Chair (Jane Reed) is also the Making Music representative.
John Kelly has served as Concert Manager – Staging during the year, but has not been a member of the Committee.
Examiner
The Committee of Management consider that neither an audit nor an examination of the accounts is required for this period under section 144(2) of the Charities Act 2011 (the 2011 Act), but that according to our Constitution an independent examination is required. Mr William Ellison was re-appointed at the AGM as the independent examiner for the year ended 31 July 2025.
Signed on behalf of the members of the Committee of Management
(sgd) Nicholas T M Roberts
Nicholas Roberts – Treasurer
Approved by the Committee of Management on 1 September 2025
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES ON MY EXAMINATION OF THE ACCOUNTS OF READING FESTIVAL CHORUS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2025
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Reading Festival Chorus (“the Charity”) for the year ended 31 July 2025.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the charity trustees of the Charity 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 Charity’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:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Charity as required by section 130 of the Act; or
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the accounts do not accord with those records.
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.
Signed: (sgd) W M Ellison Date: 5 September 2025
Name: William Mark Ellison
Address: 73 Balmore Drive Caversham Reading RG4 8NN
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Reading Festival Chorus For the Year Ended 31 July 2025
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES
| INCOME FROM: Voluntary income Membership Subscriptions Friends' Subscriptions Corporate memberships Donations Gift Aid Charitable activities Concert tickets and programmes Refreshments at rehearsals Other activities Fundraising activities Sale & Hire of Music Investment income TOTAL INCOME: EXPENDITURE ON: Costs of raising voluntary income Raising funds Charitable activities Administration Expenses Affiliation Fees and Insurance Concert payments Rehearsals Music Director fees Refreshments at rehearsals Other Purchase & Hire of music TOTAL EXPENDITURE: NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) Reconciliation of Funds Total funds brought forward Total funds carried forward |
2025 2025 2025 Unrestricted Designated Total £ £ £ 11,089 11,089 458 458 0 0 1,115 1,115 2,393 2,393 14,556 14,556 248 248 1,423 1,423 1,197 1,197 951 951 33,430 0 33,430 (204) (204) (566) (566) (625) (625) (26,974) (26,974) (4,768) (4,768) (5,280) (5,280) (40) (40) (1,046) (1,046) (39,503) 0 (39,503) (6,073) 0 (6,073) 24,169 0 24,169 18,095 0 18,095 |
2024Further Total details £ 9,554 5 616 0 854 6 2,223 7 5,908 8 314 5,387 9 2,043 10 792 13 27,691 (1,696) 9 (317) 11 (611) (9,398) 8 (4,521) 12 (4,785) 12 (56) (1,966) 10 (23,350) 4,341 19,828 24,169 |
|---|---|---|
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Reading Festival Chorus BALANCE SHEET as at 31 July 2025
| CURRENT ASSETS: Debtors & Prepayments Investments COIF Deposit Account Cash at bank and in hand Barclays Current Account TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS: LIABILITIES: Creditors: Amounts falling due within one year TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES: TOTAL NET ASSETS THE FUNDS OF THE CHARITY: Unrestricted Funds TOTAL CHARITY FUNDS Janet Allen - Chair |
2025 2024 Further details £ £ 209 782 15,089 18,138 13 3,138 5,764 13 18,436 24,684 (341) (515) (341) (515) 18,095 24,169 (18,095) (24,169) (18,095) (24,169) Nicholas Roberts - Treasurer |
|---|---|
The Examiner's Report is on Page 8
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Reading Festival Chorus
Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 July 2025
1. Basis of Accounting
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a. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the second edition of the Charities Statement of Recommended Practice issued in October 2019, the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) and the Charities Act 2011.
-
b. The trust constitutes a public benefit entity as defined by FRS 102.
-
c. There are no material uncertainties about the charity’s ability to continue and therefore the accounts have been produced on a going concern basis.
-
Recognition of Income
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a. Voluntary Income is received by way of donations and fund raising events. Cash donations are included in the accounts when they are received.
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b. Where incoming resources have related expenditure (as with fundraising) the incoming resources and related expenditure are reported gross in the Statement of Financial Activities, but shown side by side in the Notes to these Accounts.
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c. Subscription income due, including income tax recovered through Gift Aid, is accounted for in the period to which the subscriptions relate.
-
d. Bank interest receivable is included in the period during which it is credited.
3. Expenditure
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a. All expenditure is included in the Statement of Financial Activities. The value of expense invoices received after the period-end is included in the relevant account.
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b. Any expenditure on stocks and items of a capital nature is written off in the period in which it is incurred.
4. Taxation
Reading Festival Chorus is not liable to either Corporation Tax or Income Tax on its activities by virtue of its status as a registered charity. The Chorus is not registered for VAT and the amounts shown are inclusive of VAT paid.
| 5 Membership subscriptions |
2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of members paying subscriptions | 65.33 | (67 indivs) | 67.33 | (69 indivs) |
| Voluntary income | ||||
| Membership fees received | 11,089 | 9,554 | ||
| Friends subscriptions received | 458 | 616 | ||
| Sub-total Voluntary income | 11,547 | 10,170 | ||
| The tuition element of members' subs was formerly | recorded | but is no longer | relevant for | Gift Aid |
| purposes | ||||
| 6 Donations |
2025 | 2024 | ||
| £ | £ | |||
| General donations | 195 | 108 | ||
| Transfers from members 65+ paying full rate subs | 920 | 746 | ||
| 1,115 | 854 |
Donations designated for the June 2025 concert are included in Concert Account. General donations and transfers include receipts from a number of the Trustees.
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Reading Festival Chorus
Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 July 2025
| 7 Gift Aid |
7 Gift Aid |
2025 | 2025 | 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |||||
| Income tax refunded | 2,393 | 2,223 | ||||
| Gift Aid on donations | designated for the June 2025 concert are included in Concert | Account | ||||
| Total Gift aid claimed | in 2024-25 therefore = £3,051 | |||||
| 8 Concert |
Income and Expenditure | |||||
| Total | Total | |||||
| Concert | Concert | Concert | 2025 |
2024 | ||
| 08-Feb- | 20-Jun- | |||||
| 23-Nov-24 | 25 | 25 | ||||
| £ | £ | £ | £ |
£ | ||
| Charitable | ||||||
| INCOME: activities |
||||||
| Ticket Sales | 1,972 | 1,372 | 5,540 | 8,884 |
5,529 | |
| Programme sales | 0 | 0 | 225 | 225 |
0 | |
| Sponsorship/donations | 0 | 0 | 4,088 | 4,088 |
50 | |
| Gift Aid on designated | ||||||
| donations | 0 | 0 | 658 | 658 |
0 | |
| Raffle | 0 | 0 | 347 | 347 |
0 | |
| Interval donations | 210 | 144 | 0 | 354 |
329 | |
| TOTAL INCOME: | 2,182 | 1,516 | 10,858 | 14,556 |
5,908 | |
| EXPENDITURE: | Charitable activities | |||||
| Conductors' Fees | 698 | 698 | 825 | 2,221 |
1,951 | |
| Orchestra/Accompanist | 1,050 | 700 | 12,080 | 13,830 |
4,351 | |
| Soloists | 350 | 1,400 | 1,500 | 3,250 |
923 | |
| Music Hire | 62 | 0 | 130 | 192 |
0 | |
| Venue Hire | 250 | 250 | 1,595 | 2,095 |
1,480 | |
| Harmonium Hire | 0 | 650 | 0 | 650 |
0 | |
| Programme costs | 114 | 106 | 512 | 732 |
360 | |
| Publicity costs | 70 | 70 | 73 | 213 |
200 | |
| Miscellaneous | 0 | 0 | 3,668 | 3,668 |
0 | |
| Refreshment costs | 30 | 13 | 80 | 123 |
133 | |
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE: | 2,624 | 3,887 | 20,463 | 26,974 |
9,398 | |
| SURPLUS / (DEFICIT) | (442) | (2,371) | (9,605) | (12,418) | (3,490) |
“Miscellaneous” includes all other expenditure incurred in connection with the visit of the Chorus to Düsseldorf and the return visit of Johanneskantorei and its youth choir to Reading.
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Reading Festival Chorus
Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 July 2025
| 9 Fundraising Raffles & Quizzes Bring & Buy Sales Hire a Choir 100 Club Jill Evans music sale Auction (incl Silchester Exhibition tour) Easyfundraising, AmazonSmile, etc TOTAL Donations at for example social events are included 10 Sale and hire of music Income from sale and hire of music Expenditure on purchase and hire of music Net surplus/(deficit) |
2025 2025 Income Expenditure £ £ 0 0 414 0 500 0 408 (204) 0 0 0 0 101 0 |
2025 2024 Surplus Surplus £ £ 0 242 414 0 500 650 204 174 0 172 0 2,387 101 66 £ 1,219 £ 3,691 2024 2,043 (1,966) £ 77 |
|---|---|---|
| £ 1,423 £ (204) |
||
| in Donations - see note 6 2025 1,197 (1,046) £ 151 |
Music purchased by RFC for use by members is charged immediately against income. Thus the expenditure on music includes additions to the library.
This category also includes the purchase and sale of concert folders, where a small stock of folders is kept by the Chorus.
11 Administration expenses
Expenses for 2024-25 include £75 for the purchase of wineglasses for use at concerts. The cost has been treated as expenditure for the year.
Trustees are entitled to claim reasonable expenses for travel to committee meetings. However no payments were made in the year. See also note 6
| were made in the year. See also note 6 | |
|---|---|
| Trustee expenses paid | £0 |
| Number of trustees paid expenses | 0 |
A number of trustees were reimbursed for expenditure made on behalf of the Chorus (eg for music hire). Details can be made available upon request.
| 12 Remuneration to Trustees |
2025 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| No professional fees or other remuneration were | ||
| paid to Trustees | £0 | £0 |
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Reading Festival Chorus
Notes to the Accounts For the year ended 31 July 2025
| 13 Cost of rehearsals 2025 £ Rehearsal hall hire costs 1,760 Accompanist costs 3,008 sub-total 4,768 Music director's rehearsal fees 5,280 Total rehearsal costs 10,048 Costs to be met from members' subs include the above PLUS Administration expenses 566 Affiliation fees and insurance 625 TOTALcosts to be met from members' subs 11,239 (Total actually received was £11,089) |
2024 £ 1,815 2,706 |
|---|---|
| 4,521 4,785 |
|
| 9,306 317 611 |
|
| 10,234 |
14 Bank accounts
Cash reserves of the Chorus are held in our account at COIF Charities Deposit Fund. This investment generated £951 interest (2024 £792).
15 Debtors, Prepayments and Creditors
Debtors/prepayments are purchase of music for 2025-26 Creditors are payments for music already made by members
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