Holst Singers Annual General Meeting
18[th] December 2023
Chair’s report for the year 2022-2023
This was James William’s last year as Chair of the Holst Singers and I would like to pass on my thanks to James for the huge amount of time that he put into helping the choir. Always diligent and supportive and quick to respond to questions, James helped to steer the choir through the very challenging Covid period, when concerts had to be cancelled at short notice and plans shelved.
Our first event of the season was recording the choral parts for the soundtrack to the film Kensuke’s Kingdom, a new feature-length animation of the well-loved story by Michael Morpurgo. We were invited by the composer Stuart Hancock and directed by Michael Waldron. We recorded a single session on 19[th] September, coincidentally the day of the Queen’s funeral, at the Air-Edel Studio in London. The general release of this touching film is set for 7 February 2024.
On 29[th ] October we gave a self-promoted concert at St Gabriel’s Church, Pimlico of English church music all dating from the decade surrounding the first world war. The concert was directed by Stephen though most of the rehearsals were taken by Michael Waldron. The challenging programme included Bax’s Mater Ora Filium, Stanford’s Magnificat and Vaughan William’s Mass in G alongside works by Parry and Holst.
We performed two Christmas Carol concerts in 2022. Our self-promoted Carol Concert in St Gabriel’s Pimlico on 17[th] December was directed by Stephen and included Warlock’s Bethlehem Down, Howells’ A Spotless Rose and Leighton’s Lully lulla, thou little tiny child, and some closeharmony style arrangements of Silent Night by Jonathan Rathbone and How far is it to Bethlehem by Robert Rice. We also performed at the Lords Taverners Christmas Carol Concert with the Stars, conducted by Nicholas Cleobury on 12[th] December. The Lords Taverners concert programme featured a new commission by John Rutter, All the stars looked down, and we were delighted to have the composer in attendance.
We were invited by the Barnes Festival to perform on 5[th] March and presented an ‘Earth theme’ programme centred around Aaron Copland’s In the beginning. Our programme also included music by John Tavener, Eric Whitacre, Judith Weir, Owain Park (his extraordinary ‘Upheld by Stillness’), Eriks Esenvalds, Kenneth Leighton and Rene Clausen. We were conducted by Eamon Dougann and also joined by mezzo-soprano Martha McLorinan for the Copland. The concert sold out and was well received by the festival who invited us back for 2024.
Both the October concert in Pimlico and the March concert in Barnes had ambitious programmes, and in the case of Barnes this was coupled with working with a new conductor. We always welcome choir feedback, which helped us to recognise that, while the music was really good and interesting to sing, overall it was challenging to tackle so much difficult new music at once, a point which has been taken into account in our programming going forward.
On 6[th] June we returned to the Temple Church at the invitation of the Temple Music Foundation. We performed a programme of English choral classics including Britten’s Hymn to St Cecilia, Finzi’s Lo, the full, final sacrifice and Rutter’s Hymn to the Creator of Light alongside works by Harvey, Hadley and Walton, achieving a capacity audience for the church. We were directed by Stephen and also pleased to welcome back Jeremy Cole, who had returned to London after a spell at Wells
Cathedral. Jeremy accompanied us and also performed Stanford’s Fantasia and Toccata in D Minor on the organ.
The last event of this year was our cathedral away weekend at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford on 19[th] and 20[th] August, directed by Michael Waldron, singing familiar music by Byrd, Stanford, Howells and others and enjoying a social meal together. The feedback generally was that people felt this was a well-organised and well-directed away weekend. Lots of the choir appreciated the fact that we had chosen music which was well-known and well-loved that people could perform to a good standard on minimal rehearsal.
Damian Eley
17[th] December 2023
Charity Name The Holst Singers
Receipts and pay
| For the period | For the period | Period start date | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| from | 01/09/2022 | |||||||||
| Section A Receipts and payments | ||||||||||
| Unrestricted funds |
Restricted funds | |||||||||
| to the nearest | £ | to the nearest £ | ||||||||
| A1 Receipts | ||||||||||
| Concert fees | 6669.81 | - | -- | |||||||
| Donation | 615 | - | -- | |||||||
| Misc income | 739.95 | - | -- | |||||||
| Ticket sales | 4134.93 | - | -- | |||||||
| Interest | 455.92 | - | -- | |||||||
| Insurance payout | 13725.68 | - | -- | |||||||
| Programme and merchandise sales | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | - 26,341- |
- | -- |
| Sub total(Gross income for AR) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A2 Asset and investment sales, (see table). | ||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| Sub total | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||
| **Total receipts ** | - | 26,341- | - | -- | ||||||
| A3 Payments | ||||||||||
| Musician fees | 6376.25 | - | -- | |||||||
| Music costs | 1795.88 | - | -- |
CCXX R1 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
1
| Online services | 354.14 | - | -- | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misc expenditure | 250 | - | -- | |||||||
| Publicity | 80 | - | -- | |||||||
| Venue hire | 1497.31 | - | -- | |||||||
| Library storage | 236.4 | - | -- | |||||||
| Fixing Fees | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | 10,590- | - | -- |
| **Sub total ** | - | 10,590- | - | - | - | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A4 | Asset and investment purchases, (see table) | |||||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| **Sub total ** | - | -- | - | -- | ||||||||
| **Total payments ** | - | 10,590- | - | -- | ||||||||
| **Net of receipts/(payments) ** | - | 15,751- | - | -- | ||||||||
| A5 | Transfers between funds | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| A6 | Cash funds last year end | - | 39,966- | - | -- | |||||||
| **Cash funds this year end ** | - | 55,718- | - | -- | ||||||||
Section B Statement of assets and liabilities at the end of the period
Categories
Bank Account
B1 Cash funds
Business current Business reserve Cash Float
Total cash funds
CCXX R2 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
2
(agree balances with receipts and payments account (s))
Details
B2 Other monetary assets
Details
B3 Investment assets
Details
B4 Assets retained for the charity’s own use
CCXX R3 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
3
Details
B5 Liabilities Signed by one or two trustees on behalf of all the trustees Signature
CCXX R4 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
4
No 278024 ments accounts CC16a Period end date To 31/08/2023
| Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Endowment funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Total funds to the nearest £ |
Last year to the nearest £ |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - -- |
- 6,670- |
- 5,384- |
|||
| - -- |
- 615- |
- 41- |
|||
| - -- |
- 740- |
- 495- |
|||
| - -- |
- 4,135- |
- 6,242- |
|||
| - -- |
- 456- |
- 18- |
|||
| - -- |
- 13,726- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
- 3- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- 26,341- |
- 12,183- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
||||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- 26,341- |
- 12,183- |
|||
| - -- |
- 6,376- |
- 9,776- |
|||
| - -- |
- 1,796- |
- 2,039- |
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 26,341- | - | 12,183- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 6,376- | - | 9,776- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 1,796- | - | 2,039- |
CCXX R5 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
5
| - | -- | -- | - | 354- | - | -- | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | -- | - | 250- | - | 1,178- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 80- | - | 15- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 1,497- | - | 2,993- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 236- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | 1,400- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | 10,590- | - | 17,401- | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||||||||
| - | -- | - | -- |
| - -- |
- 354- |
- -- |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - -- |
- 250- |
- 1,178- |
|||
| - -- |
- 80- |
- 15- |
|||
| - -- |
- 1,497- |
- 2,993- |
|||
| - -- |
- 236- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
- 1,400- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- 10,590- |
- 17,401- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
||||
| - -- |
- -- |
||||
| - -- |
- -- |
||||
| - -- |
- 10,590- |
- 17,401- |
|||
| - -- |
- 15,751- |
- 5,218- |
|||
| - -- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - -- |
- 39,966- |
- 45,184- |
|||
| - -- |
- 55,718- |
- 39,966- |
|||
| Unrestricted funds to nearest £ - 564- - 55,122- - 31- |
Restricted funds to nearest £ - -- - -- - -- |
Endowment funds to nearest £ |
|||
| - 564- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - 55,122- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - 31- |
- -- |
- -- |
|||
| - 55,718- |
- -- |
- -- |
CCXX R6 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
6
| OK | OK | OK | |||||||
| Unrestricted | Restricted funds | Endowment | |||||||
| funds | funds | ||||||||
| to nearest £ | to nearest £ | to nearest £ | |||||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| - | -- | - | -- | - | -- |
| Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| Fund to which asset belongs |
Cost (optional) | Current value (optional) |
||||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- | |||
| - | -- | - | -- |
CCXX R7 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
7
| - | -- | - | -- | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| - | -- | - | -- | ||||
| Fund to which | Amount due | When due | |||||
| liability relates | (optional) | (optional) | |||||
| - | -- | ||||||
| - | -- | ||||||
| - | -- | ||||||
| - | -- | ||||||
| - | -- | ||||||
| Name | Date of approval | ||||||
| Samuel Lipworth | 09/06/2025 | ||||||
| Christine Kinsella | 11/06/2025 |
CCXX R8 accounts (SS)
09/10/2025
8
CHARITY COMMISSION FOR ENGLAND AND WAIES Independent examinerfs report on the accounts Report to tho trustèes On accounts for thè y 7} ] %/1023 Charity no (rf any) Ii%o Set out on pag8s I retth to the trteeS my examinat x¢cunts rA Ihe atove chanty (IIE Trust") the yew Responsibilities and basis of report As ts chanty's trustees. are restK)nstAe f ts preparh)n of the accwnts in aCCordar8 wth the requirements of ts charrt Act 2011 Act"). I rer(i in respect of my exarninkn'( of ts Trusfs a¢Cjnts carried ¢yJt urKler Sect 145 of the 2011 Act armj in wyThJ (Jt my examinatkj). I have folk)Wl am applicatAe DirectThs given by Ihe CW CcKnmissic uTrJer sectM)n 1495Xb) of the ACL Independent he charity's gross inc(xne excded £2),(1x• and l am qualrfied to examinerfs statement undertake the examinakn by being a qUaIrf m&nter of [nsert name of apFAlCate listed fxyty]]. Delete { ] rf Tr)t aFplicable. I have ccffnpleted my examinati. I confirm that Th) material matters have c(Kne to my attentson in c(ne¢t wth ts examinat1 (other than that disclosed bdow ') which gives me cause to belbeve that in, any matenal respect: the accountir#J rdS were rnt kept in ¢dae with 130 (rf the chareS Act: the accounts d'hj r#Jt acccd wrth the aCcjntsr r&fxts; c the accounts Tr)t ccffitAy with the aptAicaLle wuirements Cern1rKj the fcffii and content of &counts set c4Jt in ts Charities (Accounts and RerMYts) Regulatvns 28 tts than any requirem&rt that ts &counts give a InE aThJ farf YW wlwch is rnt a mat ccrf)sidered as Fert of an 1rKIeFnI eXnath. wrth ts examinatffi to whh attentK)n sId te drawn in this rewrt in (ffder io enatAe a w¢Jper urKlerstatxliTrJ of the accounts to te . Please tslele wc¥ds in ixackets rftty Ib akY. Cp2_ Dat•: Rd•¥• prof•ssK¥ quairf)c*•Crf)l•) or body {rf Y).. IER (kt 2018
Address: 116 Only com[ete If the examiner needs lo hh1oh1 material matters of concem (see CC32. Independent exanwotion of Gtwty &c(yJnts". directions arKJ guidance for examiners). Give here brlef details of any items that the examiner wlshes to dis¢lose. IER Oct 2018
(IIARITY COMMISSION FOR ANO WAL£S Receipts and yments accounts T• CC16a Section A Receipts and payment• Al 741 X.341 t7 i•J90 17.401 56.71 SX71a
SKtloN B Stt•m•nt ol I•? Ilb¢l•••i th••nd ot th* p•rtodi Ji• r4 14,14