AGM 2024 report from NCS Chair.
Summary
This year has been a particularly successful one on many fronts.
We have performed 3 concerts to great acclaim and above-average audience figures.
We have fund-raised enough money to be able to perform Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius next May in Clifton Cathedral, accompanied by Bristol Symphony Orchestra, and Messiah this Christmas in Nailsea with a baroque band.
Our membership has grown so that it is now up to pre - Covid levels.
Our current financial situation has future-proofed our society so that we can continue to perform high quality concerts.
Our concerts
Our concerts have comprised Christmas music highlighting Rutter’s Gloria with brass accompaniment, Choral treasures from Venice highlighting Vivaldi Gloria, and in a radical change, a summer concert of songs from musical theatre shows such as West Side Story and Phantom of the Opera.
Our fundraising
Everyone in choir has been involved in fundraising for our Centenary concert next year. A Singathon produced a surprise £2,000 plus. Two concerts, generously given by local groups to support us, gave us £1500, and many additional donations from individual members, plus a plant sale gave still more. We began the year wondering if we would ever be able to perform Dream of Gerontius but are now in a good financial position to do so.
Our commitees
This then is the time to mention the tireless work of our Centenary Steering group who have been meeting regularly all year to plan the fundraising events and the concert itself. Many thanks to all of them for their support and their unfailing optimism.
Thanks too, to the NCS committee who have all run your society with real commitment and care. I could not do without them. It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Gill Gray who has been our Chorus Secretary for the last 6 years and must now step down. She has been a steady and reliable mainstay of the society during these years.
Thanks too, to Emma Pontin who has been a stalwart in opening up our rehearsal venue and putting out the chairs each week for the last year.
Our members
Our membership has grown significantly during the year to over 80 members currently. This has given us a real boost.
Our MD and assistant conductor .
This year brought Harry Kirby as an assistant conductor to aid Tom. Quickly popular he has proved an asset to the choir, even more so because he sings tenor with us at concerts.
As ever though, we must overwhelmingly thank Tom for his considerable hours spent on our behalf in music preparation, finding orchestras and soloists, travel, great musical talent and generally leading us on and forward in our music making capabilities.
This next year, performing the Elgar will be a real test of both his and our endurance and fortitude, but we’re behind you Tom!
Nailsea Choral Society
Annual Accounts for 2023/24
| Revenue Account | Revenue Account | Net Exp (£) 2023/24 |
Net Exp (£) 2022/23 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concerts | December | 1,125 | 3,562 | |
| Spring | 113 | 521 | ||
| Summer | -717 | -427 | ||
| Rehearsal exps | 6,195 | 5,533 | ||
| Music (net) | -224 | 108 | ||
| Subscriptions/gift aid | -11,382 | -9,880 | ||
| Donations to Centenary Fund | -7,832 | 1,826 | ||
| Other expenditure/income | -30 | -101 | ||
| Transfer to Centenary Fund | 13,234 | -1,826 | ||
| Surplus/Defcit(-) for the year | -482 | 482 | ||
| Balance Sheet | 2023/24 (£) | 2022/23 (£) | ||
| Opening general reserve | 11,902 | 11,420 | ||
| Opening Centenary Fund |
1,826 | |||
| Surplus/defcit for the year |
-482 | 482 | ||
| Closing general reserve | 11,420 | 11,902 | ||
| Closing Centenary Fund | 15,060 | 1,826 | ||
| Total reserves | 26,480 | 13,728 | ||
| Represented by | Bank (current a/c) | 7,953 | 6.137 | |
| Bank (deposit a/c) | 19,099 | 7,818 | ||
| Sumup | 186 | |||
| Creditors/prepayments | -758 | -227 |
Nailsea Choral Society Annual Accounts for 2023/24
Details of expenditure and income
| Concerts | Rutter | Venice | Show tunes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Soloists/accomp. | 2640 | 1120 | 670 |
| Hall | 385 | 350 | 218 |
| Publicity/programme | 323 | 210 | 184 |
| Licence/PRS/other | 96 | 74 | 108 |
| Ticket sales | -2504 | -1820 | -1925 |
| Refreshments (net) | -115 | -121 | -272 |
| Total | 1125 | 113 | -717 |
| Rehearsals, subscriptions and music | |
|---|---|
| MD/substitutes | 4363 |
| Accompanist | 750 |
| Hall | 1082 |
| Music | 491 |
| Subscriptions | -9657 |
| Gift aid | -1725 |
| Music | -715 |
| Total | -5,411 |
| Other exps/income | |
|---|---|
| Making Music/insurance | 181 |
| Bank fees | 72 |
| Music folders (net) | 104 |
| Website | 36 |
| Sponsorship from Town Council | -100 |
Nailsea Choral Society Annual Accounts for 2023/24
| Other exps/income | |
|---|---|
| Interest earned | -294 |
| Other income | -29 |
| Total | -30 |
| Donations to the Centenary Fund | |
|---|---|
| Individual donations, incl. gift aid | -1,864 |
| Singathon, incl. gift aid | -2,419 |
| Just Good Company concert | -1,045 |
| Miscellany concert | -684 |
| Nailsea Community Trust | -1,000 |
| Other donations | -100 |
| Deposits for future events | -720 |
| Total | 7,832 |
Note: the number of subscribing members was 84.
The Accounts have been examined by D E Seabright, who writes ‘I certify that these accounts are in accordance with the books and records of the Society for the year ended 31 July 2024’.