Epworth Choir – annual report 2022 - 2023
It’s been a wonderful year of music for Epworth, being able to undertake full in person rehearsals with no Covid restrictions and really get back to enjoying singing.
At the start of the 2022/23 season (September 2022) we welcomed Makato (Max) James to Epworth as our new accompanist. We look forward to working with him over the coming years to see how Epworth can grow and develop.
In April 2023 we received the resignation of Michael Waldron our Music Director. Under his leadership the Choir has developed and grown. Michael took Epworth through nearly all genres, ages and styles of music from early Baroque, through to Opera, more modern music from Broadway and even commissioned a new work for Epworth. In July, our Summer Concert was a celebration of the end of the 2022/23 season, along with an opportunity for us to say goodbye to Michael.
Following Michael’s resignation, the Committee started the recruitment process for a new Musical Director and following a day of interviews on 3[rd] July and an audition with the Choir on 12[th] July, the Choir was delighted to appoint Charlie Perry as the new Music Director of Epworth which was ratified at an EGM on 6[th] September 2023.
This year we have been able to support three local charities - Home Start Runnymede & Woking in November 2022, Jigsaw Woking at our Christmas Concert in December 2022 and Citizens Advice Woking at our concert in March 2023.
CONCERTS
In September 2022 we started rehearsing HMS Pinafore (Gilbert & Sullivan) in preparation for our concert later in the year.
Following the very sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, on Sunday 18[th] September a small selection of choir members joined with other local choirs to sing during the National Moment of Reflection.
On Saturday 12[th] November on an unseasonably warm day we welcomed audience members on board the HMS Pinafore for a journey of love, mischief and bad behaviour on the open seas. We had 7 fantastic soloists who really helped bring our performance to life.
On Saturday 17[th] December at St Mary’s Church, Horsell we celebrated the Christmas season with two beautiful performances, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, of choral classics and carols for choir and audience, along with music from our special guests, the Jazz Group from Woking High School. It was wonderful to welcome back our previous Epworth accompanist Laurence Williams to play the organ.
After a short Christmas break January 2023 saw us start rehearsing for The Crucifixion by Stainer.
In preparation for a joint concert due to take place in September 2023, on 28[th ] January we welcomed over 100 people to Trinity Methodist Church to take part in a Come & Sing Workshop of Verdi’s Requiem, full of many memorable choral sections, including the dramatic ‘Dies Irae’ and the joyful ‘Sanctus’. After the afternoon break, where we shared numerous cakes made by choir members, we performed an informal concert for friends and family.
25[th] March saw us perform an evening of Stainer music, starting with some anthems written by Stainer and some wonderful organ playing by Max. After the interval we went on to perform The Crucifixion, telling the story of Christ’s crucifixion through a sequence of choruses and hymns for choir with arias for bass and tenor soloists (who both went on to sing at the King’s Coronation in May). It was a very moving performance and we received some lovely audience feedback.
Our thoughts then turned to our final concert of the year, which would also be our farewell to Michael. On the 28[th] June, to an audience full of friends, family and previous Epworth members, we performed our ‘Twilight’ summer concert, music selected by Michael to reflect on the end of the day and the end of his time with the Choir. At the end of the concert the Choir surprised Michael by performing ‘Thanks Michael for the Music’, a specially written song based on the famous Abba song.
During the summer break Michael came back to Epworth and ran two Summer Singer sessions, one on 19[th] July where we welcomed members from Godalming, Horsley and Oxshott Choral Societies for a session dedicated to Verdi’s Requiem, and a second session on 16[th] August with a selection of light music for a summer night.
MEMBERSHIP
Total number of members on Membership list: 88 (of these, 15 members are not currently singing due to family, illness or other reasons, but have not formally resigned, or are Hon Life members).
Total Number of Active Members: 73 (this figure includes the 6 new members listed below)
Total leavers this year: 10
Detail of Active members:
| Soprano: 36 | Alto: 24 |
|---|---|
| Tenor: 6 | Bass: 7 |
Independent examination
This year’s independent examination of the accounts has been performed by Alison Conway, a member of the choir known to many of you as our previous treasurer.
Appendix 1: Statement of Financial Activiiies the Ye ended 28 August 2023 2021 2022 Sthryiptions and donatKM5 Incoffle frorn concerts Swdry incomÈ121 Gross resources forthe year 12.967 4.814 8,445 26.226 11,852 2.510 1,077 15,439 (arFtable expendkture Concert costs (10.6971 19,8351 {4.5451 125.0781 17,D741 18.0701 13.5101 {18.6541 conduct acccwBIM5t Swdry e¥penses {31 Resowces used in year Net mry¥ement in fwids Unfestricted fvnds at startof year 1.148 95.030 96.178 13.2151 98,245 95.030 8an aCcot baTras 36.036 94.143 34.940 94.0 Fund5 General fund lunrèsrricted} Enrne1 {rE5trictedl14} 96.178 95J)J) 130.178 129,030
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