## **ANNUAL REPORT**
## **AND**
**STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS YEAR ENDED 31 JULY 2024**
## **NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING**
The Annual General Meeting of the Members of the Salisbury Musical Society will be held at South Wilts Grammar School, Stratford Road, Salisbury SP1 3JJ on **Tuesday 22 October 2024, 7.30pm,** for the following purposes:
1. To receive apologies for absence
2. To consider and approve the Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting
3. To receive Reports from the Chairman, Conductor, and Treasurer in respect of the year ended 31 July 2024
4. To receive and adopt the Statement of Accounts for that year
5. To appoint an Independent Examiner
6. To elect the Officers
7. To elect Ordinary Members of the Committee
8. To consider the Revised Programme for Season 2024/2025 and the Recommended Programme for Season 2025/2026
9. To appoint the Voice Representatives
10. To consider Any Other Business
## SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEEE
…............................................... (SECRETARY)
## 20 September 2024
…............................................... (DATE)
1
## **SALISBURY MUSICAL SOCIETY**
The Committee as Trustees presents its Annual Report and Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 July 2024.
## CONSTITUTION
The Society was founded in 1923 by Sir Walter Alcock and is registered as a Charity with the Charity Commission under the Number 266461. The Society is governed by a Constitution that was revised and adopted by the Members on 26 January 2021. The Registered Office of the Society is 41 Cornwall Road, Salisbury, SP1 3NH.
## PRINCIPAL OBJECT
The principal object of the Society is to promote, improve, develop and maintain public education in and appreciation of the art and science of music in all its aspects by the presentation of public concerts.
## REVIEW OF THE YEAR
The review of the activities of the Society during the year is given in the separate reports of the Treasurer, the Chairman, and the Conductor which are included on pages 12–17 of this Annual Report.
## COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The members of the Committee (being the Charity Trustees) who served during the year ended 31 July 2024 were :
|Officers|Luke March|Chairman|
|---|---|---|
||Clare Tawney|Secretary|
||Steve Beverley|Treasurer|
|President|Roy Bexon||
|Ordinary Members|John Foster|(From 03-10-2021)|
||Rowena Ingram|(From 03-10-2021)|
||Sue Blyth|(From 01-11-2022)|
||Hilary Goodman|(From 01-11-2022)|
||Heather Easton|(From 31-10-2023)|
||Linda Nardone|(From 31-10-2023)|
2
All the Officers and Ordinary members will retire at the conclusion of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting. Sue Blyth, Hilary Goodman, Heather Easton and Linda Nardone are eligible for re-election as Ordinary Members and can be nominated.
As regards ordinary members, there will be six vacancies to be filled. Nominations by members of the Society for any appointment as an officer or ordinary member must be made in writing, supported by a seconder and delivered to the Secretary by no later than **Tuesday 8 October 2024** .
Nomination forms can be obtained on application to the Secretary or on the website.
## CO-OPTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Heather Bache (Social Secretary) Carole Bexon (Membership Secretary) Sue Blyth (Patrons’ Secretary) Tracy Harding (Social Media) Campbell Edgar (Ticket Manager) Di Verdon-Smith (Publicity) John Reed (Concert Manager) Les Rose (IT Manager)
## ADVISERS TO THE COMMITTEEE
David Halls, the Conductor, and John Challenger, the Assistant Conductor, attended meetings of the committee during the year in an advisory capacity.
## SIGNED ON BEHALF OF THE COMMITTEEE
…............................................... (Secretary) 20 September 2024 ….............................................. (Date)
3
## **Minutes of the Annual General Meeting of Salisbury Musical Society held at St Francis Church, Beatrice Road, Salisbury on Tuesday 31 October 2023**
The Chairman, Luke March, welcomed Members and Patrons to the Meeting.
## 1. Apologies
Apologies for non-attendance were received from the Assistant Conductor, the Treasurer, 2 Members and 10 Patrons.
2. Minutes of the Last Annual General Meeting
(a) John Powell proposed and Campbell Edgar seconded a motion that the Minutes, as published in the Annual Report, should be read as a correct record. The Motion was carried by a show of hands.
- (b) _Matters Arising_ . None.
3. Reports from the Chairman, Conductors and Treasurer
The Chairman highlighted that we made a surplus on all concerts last year, which was great news and which could be attributed to good programme choice, efforts by choir members to sell tickets, successful use of social media and marketing, etc. An exercise in reclaiming Gift Aid by Steve Beverley, yielding £11,000, has also contributed to an overall increase in our funds of £22,000. He congratulated Roy Bexon, the President, for his work in heading up celebrations during the centenary year and for his booklet covering the history of the SMS. One of our key challenges is finding musical works that we want to sing and audiences want to hear. The conductor David Halls had nothing further to add to his report as published in the Annual Report. Adoption of all three reports was proposed by Lorraine Blakey, seconded by Di Verdon-Smith and carried by a show of hands.
4. Adoption of the Statement of Accounts
The Chairman spoke on behalf of the Treasurer, who could not be present. He reported that the Society's Accounts are in a very satisfactory position. There was nothing to add to the Accounts as published in the Annual Report nor any questions. The Adoption of the Statement of Accounts was proposed by Campbell Edgar and seconded by Jon Hampton and carried by a show of hands.
The Chairman thanked the Treasurer, in her absence.
## 5. To Appoint an Independent Examiner
The Chairman thanked Martin Gairdner and reported that he had agreed to continue as Independent Examiner for another Season. This Motion was proposed by Lorraine Blakey, seconded by Fiona Wright and carried by a show of hands.
4
## 6. Election of Officers
Clare Tawney (Society Secretary) took the Chair. One nomination had been received for the position of Chairman:
Proposed Seconded Luke March Clare Tawney Heather Bache
The election of Luke March was accepted with a show of hands. Clare thanked Luke for all his work as Chairman.
Luke March resumed the Chair and reported that only one nomination had been received for the position of Secretary :
Proposed Seconded Clare Tawney Anne Foster Audrey Palmer
The election of Clare Tawney was accepted with a show of hands.
Stephanie Ford has resigned from the position of Treasurer, and in her absence she was thanked, especially for her role in handing over finances on such a secure footing. Luke March reported that only one nomination had been received for the position of Treasurer :
Proposed Seconded Steve Beverley Sue Blyth Roy Bexon
The election of Steve Beverley was accepted with a show of hands.
## 7. Election of Ordinary Members of the Committee
The Chairman thanked the Elected Members of the Committee for the 2022/2023 season:
Steve Beverley, John Foster (the ‘100 club’), Hilary Goodman, Rowena Ingram, Les Rose (IT Manager), Julia Sharpe.
He also thanked the Co-opted Members: Heather Bache (Social Secretary); Carole Bexon (Membership Secretary), Sue Blyth (Patrons’ Secretary); Campbell Edgar (Ticket Manager); Tracy Harding (IT administrator); Linda Nardone (Librarian); John Reed (Concert Manager); Di Verdon-Smith (Publicity).
He also thanked others who contributed to the success of the Society:
Philip Corp (Concert Programme), John Foster (100 Club and music stand), Jon Hampton (programme notes), Caroline Probert (hosting our soloists), and Sonia Woolley (warm-ups).
5
The Chairman reported that six nominations for the six vacancies had been received for the 2023/2024 season:
||Proposer|Seconder|
|---|---|---|
|Heather Easton|Di Verdon-Smith|Dell Warner|
|John Foster|Clare Tawney|Mandy Hollywood|
|Hilary Goodman|Claire Jamieson|Mary Solon|
|Rowena Ingram|Robert Taylor|Kate Henderson|
|Linda Nardone|Anne Blevins|Ursula Bartlett|
|Sue Blyth|Clare Tawney|Mandy Hollywood|
|(to complete Steve|Beverley’s term as an ordinary|member which started 01-11-|
|2022)|||
The Election of Ordinary Members of the Committee _en bloc_ was carried by a show of hands. The Chairman thanked the Elected Members for standing.
8. Revised Programme for 2023/2024 and Proposed Programme for 2024/2025 The Conductor David Halls reported the following Revised Programme: 25 November 2023: Bach _Mass in B Minor_ With Florilegium and Cathedral Choristers
16 March 2024: Verdi _Requiem_
with Chelsea Opera Group Orchestra
Sunday 9 June 2024 (Poole) and Saturday 22 June (Salisbury Cathedral)
Carr’s _Awakening;_ Parry _Blest Pair of Sirens_ ; Tallis hymn, Vaughan Williams’ _Fantasia on a theme by Tallis_ . With Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus.
David Halls recommended the following Proposed Programme for 2024/2025:
23 November 2024: Mendelsohn’s _Elijah_ with Chelsea Opera Group Orchestra 22 March 2025: Haydn’s _Creation_ with Hanover Band. 21 June 2025: Mozart _Requiem_ , Bach _Magnificat_ with SSO 22 November 2025: Finzi: _For St Cecilia_ , Walton’s _Belshazzar’s feast_
The Chairman reported that BSO customarily wear black shirts as their concert dress, and he recommends that we should follow suit for the two concerts in June 2024.
6
This will be discussed by the committee in the months to come.
The Chairman put the recommended Programme to the Meeting. Ginny Mackay proposed and Jane Wadddington seconded that the Revised Programme for 2023/2024 and the Proposed Programme for Season 2024/2025 be accepted. This was carried by a show of hands.
Luke March offered thanks to David Halls and to John Challenger the Assistant Conductor; and to Peter Grove our Accompanist.
## 9. Appointment of Voice Representatives and Members who left the choir during Season 2022/2023
The Chairman reported that all the present Voice Representatives were happy to continue for another Season. He thanked them all on behalf of the Society.
Thanks in part to the work of the Membership Secretary, Carole Bexon, our membership numbers have continued to increase from 104 members at the end of 21-22 season to 123 members at the end of the 22-23 season. Tenors and basses are still urgently sought. The breakdown in parts is as follows:
||Left|Joined|
|---|---|---|
|Sop1|2|1|
|Sop2|2|6|
|Alto 1|0|5|
|Alto 2|1|5|
|Tenor 1|0|4|
|Tenor 2|0|0|
|Bass 1|0|0|
|Bass 2|1|4|
Younger members are to be encouraged in particular, and the Chairman thanked Ann Harries, the donor behind the Faithfull Bursary scheme, for her support towards recruiting members under 30 years of age. There are now three Faithfull Bursary members at the start of the new season.
## 10. Any Other Business
We are using blue scores, no folders for the forthcoming concert. The Meeting closed at 8.00 pm.
7
## Signed on behalf of the Committee:
……………………………………….. (Secretary of the Society
## 20 September 2024
………………………………..(Date)
8
##
|FORENGLA|NDANDWALES
accounts|
|---|---|
|SectionA|lndependent Examiner's Report|
|Reporttothetrustees/
membersof|SalisburyMusical Society|
|Onaccounts for the year
ended|31July2024
Charityno|266461
(if any)|
|Setoutonpages|10and11|
||Ireport to thetrustees onmy examinationoftheaccountsoftheabove|
||charity("the Trust") for theyearended31July2124|
|Responsibilitiesand|Asthecharity's trustees, youareresponsible forthepreparationofthe|
|basisof report|accounts in accordance withtherequirementsoftheCharitiesAct2011|
||("the 2011Act').|
|esponsibilitiesand
asisof report|Asthecharity's trustees, youareresponsible forthepreparationofthe
accounts in accordance withtherequirementsoftheCharitiesAct2011
("the 2011Act').|
|---|---|
||Ireportinrespectofmy examinationofthe Trust'saccounts carried out|
||undersection145 ofthe2011Act andincarryingoutmyexamination,I|
||havefollowedalltheapplicable DirectionsgivenbytheCharity Commission|
||undersection145(5Xb)ofthe Act.|
|lndependent|Ihave completed myexamination.Iconfirmthatno material matters have|
|examiner's statement|cometomyattentioninconnection withtheexamination (other thanthat
disclosedbelow*)which givesme causetobelievethatin,anymaterial|
||respect:|
||.the accountingrecordswerenot keptinaccordancewith section130|
||oftheCharities Act;or|
||otheaccountsdidnot accord withthe accountingrecords;or|
||Ihave no concernsandhave comeacrossno other matters in connection|
||withtheexamination towhichattentionshouldbe drawninthisreportin|
||ordertoenableaproper understandingoftheaccountstobe reached.|
|Signed:|Date:|12September 2024|
|---|---|---|
|Name:|M.H.T.Gairdner||
|Relevant professional|FCA||
|qualification(s) orbody|||
|(ifany):|||
|Address:|Keepers Cottage, Berwick Road, Berwick St. James,\MltshireSP3 4TQ||
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## **TREASURER'S REPORT**
Having taken over the role of Treasurer this year, I was very pleased to discover that the accounts for the Society were in such a good state. It has made my role a lot easier by not having the traditional Treasurer’s task of always reigning in the spending!
This year has been wonderful and inspiring in terms of our music making, involving four concerts over the year. I am pleased to report that we almost balanced the books on the Bach and Awakening2 (Salisbury) concerts, thanks to extremely generous donations in support of these two concerts. The Awakening1 (Poole) concert was the financial responsibility of Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. And we made a healthy profit of £3,660 on the Verdi concert, earlier in the year.
My thanks go to all who have made this possible: David and our professional musicians for choosing an extremely attractive programme (for singers and audience alike) and engaging high-quality orchestras and soloists generating high volume ticket sales; all those who work in the background in both traditional and digital publicity, marketing and ticketing and of course all the patrons and members who encourage sales.
|**Item**|**Season**
**19/20**|**Season**
**20/21**|**Season**
**21/22**|**Season**
**22/23**|**Season**
**23/24**|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|Ticket sales|13,432.08|-|28,567.56|44,318.71|58,871.03|
|Retiring collections|596.41|-|-|-|-|
|Concert Income|14,490.87|-|28,904.28|45,518.71|70,321.03|
|Concert Expenses|19,084.72|1,094.27|33,495.76|31,888.30|54,054.27|
|Conductor and
Soloists|1,000.00|-|10,550.00|6,235.00|13,182.49|
|Performance
Surplus (Loss)|(4,593.85)|(1,094.27)|(5,181.48)|13,630.41|3,084.27|
|General Account
Surplus (Loss)|10,657.10|612.84|4,750.96|9,637.82|(4,599.30)|
|Profit (Loss) on
Season|6,063.25|(476.43)|(430.52)|22,998.23|(1,515.03)|
|Increase in value of
investments|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|16,343.67|
|Cash assets|82,223.15|81,741.72|81,311.20|104,309.30|119,137.94|
12
Membership of the Society has increased significantly this year, yielding an increase in subscriptions and Gift Aid from £19,719 to £22,896, a 16 per cent increase. All this has enabled us to embark on two significant projects during the year: a complete redevelopment of the website at a cost of £12,000 (£9,600 of which was paid for in the 23/24 financial year); and the recording of the excellent Verdi Requiem at a cost of £2,900.
The Society’s reserves are predominantly held in the Charities Deposit and Tracker Funds. The value of the Tracker fund increased significantly this year which has resulted in an increase in the Society’s assets from £104,309 to £119,136.
The Officers and the Committee continue to explore ways in which these assets can be used for the benefit of the Society and the wider community.
Steve Beverley Treasurer
13
## **CHAIRMAN'S REPORT**
It has been a remarkable year with increased membership in the choir, large audiences and magnificent performances. It was also an ambitious year with considerable investment in the performance of the _B Minor Mass_ with a specialist orchestra and, at the end of the year, the collaboration with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra in a new work which was jointly commissioned and performed on two occasions in Poole and Salisbury.
Bach’s _Mass in B Minor_ is not only a truly wonderful work it is also a massive sing. We were privileged to be supported by a highly skilled orchestra, Florilegium, and wonderful soloists. The size of the audience reflected our pride in singing such a great work, and the half-page colour photograph of the choir in the following _Daily Telegraph_ and _The Guardian_ echoed our achievement.
Our summer concert was possibly our most complex project including the commission of an entirely new work, _Awakening_ , and then engaging with another large choral society and a professional orchestra. We also worked closely with the composer and librettist, and also the sponsor. With a choir of over 200, and an orchestra of some 70 players, it became a challenge to accommodate the whole choir in staging at the west end. It was without doubt a total team effort, and the delivery of two large performances including the commission itself was a remarkable achievement.
Sir Terry Waite’s address at the performance of _Awakening_ in the Cathedral was especially memorable as he said, having been in solitary confinement for five years, that ‘Music, like language, has the capacity to breathe harmony into the soul’.
On Friday 8 March our President and the Membership secretary attended the Wiltshire Life Awards Ceremony in Devizes, along with about 200 other guests. He received the Award for the Arts, Culture and Music category 2024 on behalf of the choir in recognition of the choir’s hundred years of outstanding music making in the Salisbury and Wiltshire area.
I continue to be most grateful for the support and commitment of a strong committee which has been an essential ingredient over the past year. We can only achieve an ambitious programme with full support of the choir, and I invite more members with great skills to offer themselves to join the committee. In particular I pay huge tribute to the team who have created a new website for the society, which is such a critical shop window for all we do, including of course our ticketing facility. We remain so grateful for the generous support of the Faithfull Bursary Scheme by Ann Harries, a past member and chairman of the choir, which is specifically designed
14
to encourage younger singers to join the choir. We are thrilled to receive applications under the scheme, which continues to flourish.
Uniquely we were privileged to receive a legacy from the estate of Graham Daniels who, with his wife, was associated with the choir as both a singer and later also as a patron from 1957 until his death in 2023, a period of over 60 years. We are thankful for his dedication and commitment, together with the generous support of all our patrons without whom we could not operate at our high standards.
For a choral society of our size embarking on an increasingly ambitious future programme, the strength of our financial position remains very reassuring. With particular thanks to the Wiltshire Historic Churches Trust which celebrated its 70[th] anniversary in 2023, we received considerable financial support from CCLA and EIO towards the performance of the Bach _Mass in B Minor_ . In addition, the financial underwriting of the performance of _Awakening_ in June by Chorali Fiscus was a critical element of this ambitious project.
However, none of this would be achieved without the considerable commitment of our Director of Music, David Halls, his deputy John Challenger, and our remarkable accompanist, Peter Grove. On behalf of the whole choir I thank them for their support and confidence in our abilities to deliver excellent performances.
Luke March Chairman
## **GOVERNANCE STATEMENT**
The Trustees have taken note of the Charity Commission's Guidance on Public Benefit in undertaking its activities. They have also assessed the risks to which the Charity is exposed, including operational and financial risks. In the opinion of the Trustees the Charity has established resources and review systems which, under normal conditions, should allow the risks identified to be mitigated to an acceptable level in its day to day operation.
15
## **CONDUCTOR’S REPORT**
The 2023-2024 season certainly provided many, many high points, with enjoyable rehearsals matched by fine performances and large audiences.
In November 2023, SMS performed Bach’s _Mass in B Minor_ with the period instrument orchestra, Florilegium, and Salisbury Cathedral Choir. This was a wonderful concert with soloists and choirs performing with commitment, energy, stamina and musicianship. The soloists made superb contributions and clearly enjoyed going about their work, but it was the choir that carried the evening. When it came to the performance, I had the privilege of feeling in complete control of everything and I really enjoyed the concert myself. High points for me were the Et resurrexit, Sanctus and Dona Nobis Pacem, but I give a special mention to the basses (and some tenors) for the amazing passage 'Et iterum venturis' sung with total confidence and commendable belief.
Next in our season came Verdi’s masterful _Requiem_ and accompanied by our good friends the Chelsea Opera Group Orchestra. This time, SMS built on the detailed work which had come to fruition in the Bach, and again sang with passion and understanding. I was delighted with the tuning, especially in those notorious passages in flat keys such as B flat minor and it gave me immense satisfaction to be asked by one of the soloists how I managed to get such a big choir to sing unaccompanied and in tune. I cannot remember how I answered.
Finally, we arrived at our two concerts in June 2024 with the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra. I could tell when the choirs first got together in Ferndown that this project would progress very well and so it proved. Gavin Carr wrote most eloquently about the Poole performance, but I would like to add how much I appreciated the careful rehearsing and the attention to detail which bore fruit in both performances.
The concert in Salisbury was certainly memorable with all forces on top form. I must admit to a brief moment of anxiety when I saw how far away from me the back row of the chorus was, yet from the first chord of that beautiful Tallis hymn tune in the afternoon, things were and remained remarkably together. I cannot remember if the Tallis stayed in tune though I am certain that the BSO played the Vaughan Williams Fantasia most beautifully. Then came the Parry, a true wall of sound with your conductor being just a little indulgent. Well done sopranos for that lovely 'in tune with heaven' melody, only possibly surpassed by the tenor counter melody a few bars in.
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As for _Awakening_ , I thought the choirs performed magnificently. It is true that Paul writes so well for voices, however you all brought this major work to life. I found many moments particularly moving, and the final section of the whole work left a profound and lasting impression. It is so appropriate and satisfying that Stephen Feltham's imaginative text forged such a suitable partnership with Paul Carr's music.
Thank you everyone for a remarkable season and thank you, Peter, for your patience and excellent accompanying.
David Halls
Conductor
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## **CONCERTS FOR SEASON 2023/2024**
Saturday 23 November 2024: Mendelssohn: _Elijah_ with Chelsea Opera Group
Saturday 22 March 2025: Haydn’s _Creation_ with Hanover Band Saturday 21 June 2025: Mozart _Requiem_ and Bach _Magnificat_ with guest orchestra
## **CONTACTS**
Chairman: Luke MARCH, luke.march@salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk
Society Secretary: Clare TAWNEY, clare.tawney@salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk Patrons' Secretary: Sue BLYTH, 20 Wiltshire Road, Salisbury SP2 8HS sue-blyth@ntlworld.com; 01722-500541
Treasurer: Steve BEVERLEY, steve.beverley@salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk
Membership Secretary: Carole BEXON, membership@salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk
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## **What is the Faithfull Bursary scheme?**
Salisbury Musical Society (SMS) wants to encourage younger singers to join the choir and have the opportunity to perform major choral works. We are therefore offering financial support for singers aged between 16 and 29 who join the choir. The Faithfull Bursary Scheme offers these singers:
- Free membership of SMS for a year.
- A payment of £150 per season (payable £50 per term), subject to attendance at rehearsals and the concert, according to the choir’s rules.
- Free music hire.
- The opportunity for an ongoing Bursary up until the end of the SMS Season in which they turn 29 years of age.
The Faithfull Bursary has kindly been donated by Ann Harries, a former choir member and chairman of the choir, in memory of her mother, whose maiden name was Faithfull.
## **Choral Music Scholarship**
Salisbury Musical Society wishes to stimulate interest in choral music in schools – the schoolchildren of today are the future members of SMS and other choirs. Singing teachers are an essential link in bringing the enjoyment of choral music to our young people.
To assist us in that aim we are offering a training and development opportunity – a Choral Music Scholarship – to professional singing teachers in private and state schools in the Salisbury and South Wiltshire area who teach pupils over the age of 13. This will give you
- Free membership of the choir (worth £150 per season)
- The opportunity to sing in a large choir under the expert direction of a recognised national choral conductor, David Halls.
- CPD opportunities: observation of instructional and teaching techniques in choral music, networks with other singers.
For further information, please contact the SMS Membership Secretary Email: membership@salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk
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www.salisburymusicalsociety.org.uk