Truro Choral Society Regsstered Charity 2812 President Mithael Galsworthy CVO CBE DL TRUSTEES ANNUAL REPORT 01 APRIL 2024- 31 MARCH 2025 Legal and administrative information Full name: Truro Choral Sotiety {The Truro Singers) Registered Chartty number: 281902 Correspondent: Governing document- Trustees: Hon. Treasurer Constitution. revised 12 Juty 2022 OFficer5 and elerted committee Lloyd5 Bank Choral music rehearsals and concerts lusually in Cornwall) None Specifical mentioned in the goveming document. apart from "control of finance to be in hands of the committee" Bank- ArtNlties: Investment powers: Aims and organisation Aim: To promote, improve. develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and Scien of choral music, by the presentation of public concerts. The Charity is organised entirely by volunteers. The Director of Music and the accompanist are fee-paid per rehearsal at an agreed hourly rate. The activities of the Charity are: Regular choir rehearsèls Presenting choral conterts There are no major changes in the aims and organisation to reportthis year. Review of progress and achievements Membership remained steady at around 130. with a welcome Ismalll influx of tenors and basses. As part of our charitable remit, we have developed an Artist in Residence programme aimed at supporting and encouraging young musicians at the start of their professional career. We are delighted that Katherine Gregory, soprano. agreed to acpt the inaugural posttion as Artist in Residence to the Society. The Residency will extend for a period of 3 years during which Katherine will appear as soloist once each season Isubject tothere being a professionally suitable rolel and when the Society will seek generally to support Katherine'5 concerts etc. Scheduling clashes last year meant that this financial year spanned four events, rather than our usual three, since it includes the Spring 2024 concert. We benefitted this year from a particularly talented and enthusiastic cohort of Cathedral Choral Scholars who were keen to sing with us for concerts. Since our autumn concert was planned for late November. we took the opportunity to slot in two addwtional concerts in the autumn terni, which meanta busy period forthe Committee but which were welcomed by the choir a5 some interesting variations from our usual cycle of events. The folbwing Truro Choral Society concerts were perfornied: Registered address: Bissom Bungalow. Love Lane. Penryn Tr10 9LQ htt email.. chair trurochoral.or rurochoral.or tel.. 07831830120
Truro Choral Society Registered Charity 281902 pIdent. Michael GaL%worthy CVO CBE DL 13 April 2024- Mendels50hn: Elijoh The Socrety had last sung this work, one of the great choral classics. many years ago as a joint concert wwth Three Spires Singers. and the work was new to over haof the choir. This meant some intensive rehearsals. A ger)erous donation from an lanonymousl choir member persuaded us to invest in hiring quartet of soloFsts from the Royal Academy of Music, London. The Academvs Professor of Perfomiance personalfy selected the singers. all of whom were undertaking post-graduate studies. Overnight accommodation and travel costs, allied to the need for a larger orchestra, meant that this proved an expensrve concertto stage. but choir. orchestra and audience alike were unanimous in their praise of the concert and delighted at the talent and energy brought by the RAM 5010i5ts. Not least was a magical moment when an unaccompanied semi<horus of angels Ithree senior girl choristers from the Cathe(Iral, prepared and condurted by James Anderson-Besant, Direttor of Music, Truro Cathedral} sang "Lift thine eye< from the Cathedral's Tower- they were completely out of view, as this heavenly sound appeared from nowhere. The RAM soloists were Conrad Chatteron (baritone. Elijohl, Sophie Benfield {sopranol, Sophie Patterson laltol, Constantine Akridttis Itenor}. with Imogen DOV (soprano. The Youth"). Truro Symphony Orchestra (leader: Molly Leigh) aC£oMpand the performante. conducted by Martin Palmer. 15 June 2024- Rossini: Petite Messesolennelle Neither small nor solemn, this wa5 a maFvellou5 work to learn and perfoTr. particularly the two long and tricky fugues. Again. our performan wa5 enhanced by our soloists and we were delighted to welcome back several who have strong links wrth ComwalS, including Katherine Gregory150pranol, Helena Paish Imezzo-sopranol. Paul 8a(Iley Itenorl, David Caroe Ibassl. Paul Comeau Ipianol and Michael Hoeg lorganl. Martin Palmer condutted the choir and Truro Symphony Orchestra (leader: Philip Montgomery-Smsthl- 11 September 2024- Last Night of the C¢wnish Proms A joint venture between the Society and Truro Cathedral, thi5 near sold out concert was an evening of Cornish music and culture. with Cornish flags, Comish tartan and colours to the fore especially during the audience partiapation rtems. Camborne Town Band provided the orchestral music and Truro Choral Society san8 the medley of sea shanties. City of Truro Male Choir also featured and soprdno Suzanne Manuell perfornied tsvo sets of songs. while the whole evening was held together by compere Roger Bush. 16 year old violist Wictoria Stolte played in the "young musician" slot, accompanied by Stella Pendrous Ipianol. Organistlpianist Jeremy Wan raced around from organ loft to orchestra stalls. Truro and B05cawen Rotary Club kindly provided the stewards for the evenin& illustrating that it was very much a collat*Jratr¥e afFdir. The event was dedicated to Benjamin Luxon who had died earlier this year. With the plans of threè musical directorsto dovetail, it was a hectic concert to organise. but brought an entirely new audience from our usual, and the Cathedral is keen for it to become an annual event. 23 No¥ernbÈr 2024- Musicfor Bach= "Sleepers wake!". sung in German. was the principal work for this concert featuring music for the forthcoming Advent period. Bach's Adagio from the Concertofv violin und oboe was arranged Registered address: Bi5som Bung31ow. Love Lare. Penryn TRIO 9LQ h email- chair trurochoral.o trurochoral.o tel: 07831 830120
Truro Choral Society Re855tered Charity 281902 President: Mthael Galsworthy CVO CBE DL for two oboes (not uncommon at the timel played by Ellen Wilkinson and Jack Tostevin-Hall, both students at the Royal Academy of Music. The first half closed with Mendelssohn'5 Yhere shall be a starf, extract from Christus which is becoming a finn choir favourite; Mendelssohn, in the view of Cornish composer Russell Pascoe, being a composer whose work really suits the Society. The second half opened with Judith Weirfs "My guardian angel", a short setting of a text by William Blake. This required the audience to drone-Alleluia" while the choir wove harmonies above. It was a remarkable success, not least aided by the orchestra's singin& so much so that we sang st twicel It was followed by Finzi's tricky "In terra Pa and the cOnrt concluded on an upltfting note with Handel's version of similar text "For unto us a child is born" from Messioh. Martin Palmer condurted Truro Symphony Orchestra (leader. Philip Montgomery-Smith} with soloists Kate Banfield Rickard Isopranol, Will Charnley Itenorl and Mark Meadows Williams (bass). 10 December 2024-Carol concert The early autumn concert lefttime to organise a concert of carols, held on a rehearsal night. at St John the Evangelist's Church. Lemon Street, Truro. This beautiful church had space for around 400. This was primarily an houvs concert for choir members and their families and friends, and around 60 people were welcomed with mulled wine and a Min pie for a love conclusion to a busy but produrtive autumn season for the choir. Then it was eyes down forthe Verdi... 22 Marth 2025-Verdi: Requiem Our succe55 With Roydl Academy of Music for Elijah last year led us to repeat the experiment and, by a happy coincidence, the RAM'S thoice of soprano solost was none other than our Artist in Residence, Katherine Gregory. Zixin Tang Imezzo-sopranol. Konstantinos Akridttes Itenorl and Harrison Robb Ibassl completed the quartet of soloists. Martin Palmer marshalled his considerable forces- 90 choir and 50 orchestra including four off-stage trumpets playing from the Cathedral'5 gallery. After a slow build-up of ticket sales. the concert sold out. The COnrt was deemed a rousing success and a fitting farewell concert for our Musical Director, Martin Palmer. Review of financial activities and affairs Unfortunately, the "Music for Advenf concert coincided with some particularfy dreadful weather surrounding "Storm Berf which reduced considerably our typical "walk-in" audience and, compounded wtth a plethora of concerts in the Cathedral, meant that it produced a larger Concert deficit than anticipated. Fortunately, the losses were offset somewhat bythe success of the following Verdi Requiem ahough requiring large orchestral forces meant it was also an expensNe concert to stage desptte the full Cathedral. The yearfs financial accounts were impacted atso from the hangover of our 2023124 season Elijah concert intr) this financial year. which thus refietts 4 COnrtS. two of whith were particularly expensNe to stage. and no Messiah Iwhith Usual attracts a large audience). As a resu, financial reserve5 were reduced. although remain about the equivalent of 6 months operating costs. There were a number of administratNe changes to the Society. After the particularly hectic autumn, the Chair felt that she had achieved all she could in her 2% years chairmanship and tendered her resignation to the commtttee in December 2024. The vice-chair elected not to take over for the remaining 6 months and also resigned from the committee. An emergency commrttee meeting RegisterÈd address: Bissom Bungalow, Love Lane, Penryn TRIO 9LQ htt email: chair trurochoral.o trurtthor31.or tel.. 07831830120
Truro Choral Society Registered Charity 281902 President: Michael Galsworthy CVO CBE DL elected a new atting Chair. and the appointment was subsequently put to the vote of the thoir membership at an Extraordinary General Meeting in January 2025. where the acting Chair was unanimously elected into the substantNe role. In his 16 year wbth the Society, our Musical Director tendered his resignation with effect from the end of the choir season in June. The posrtion was advertised in early March. wrth the expectation of appointing a new Musical Directorforthe 2025126 season in late May 2025. Report prepared by- Travis Mason (Secretary) Signed by.- Susanne Deneke {Chairl Date- 05 No¥ember2025 Registered address: Bissom Bungalow. Love Lare, Penw TRIO 9LQ htt email.. cha4r tiuiochoral.or urochoral.o tel= 07831 830120
Truro Choral Society
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Truro Choral Society Reg¢stered Charity 2812 President: Mtchael Galsworthy CVO CBE DL Inthp•nd•nt Fln•nco1 Exarnln•rfs R•port To thè trusteès of Truro Choral Socl6ty Reght•r•d Charlty No 281902 FM9>•1 Stst•nwt for tho ats>M narrnd orgafXsaM fry Le year ended 31"Varth 2024 Bsls of Examln•trs Stst•m•nt Chaw C¢YMll8Sft An exaffiin8tst)n fjUL¥Jes a r•v,•Y of the xcount.ng r•csyd kem Dy the Chanty arnj a wpansw ol lh• attodnts prOsan•d Mfrth those recotds. It akn Indt3 consrfla•im of any ilems LY dthur•s In Ih accfjts and seeking explanat¢ns from as 'Mtees C£JncemJr6 afty guth fflatt. Tr orxe#U vTr#eraken oo rwY4 WOV]ce all •YepcQ 4 ?Id * reqwtr# in an abQrt. and no QFin..0. IS G£¥•n 4$ to e't tre ts present. e vw ano tts ropx Is Jimthd to Imse matters sel aut ift Le xI Ind•p•nd•nt Exwnln•rfs Stat•m• 11 gryes me reoxmbk eausé to ljelith zhaL afry ttspe¢L . To keep rects¢s In accrydanc8 Twjtr. SecfKm 130 d th• Ctsrrt A201:. and trJ• aix£wtsng rwY•ments rf th• CfKgrrt•s Act have not Ixen met. CY 21 To In my ow*)n drawn in to ènatsle a proper Sig Chrls Harrls 31 Ch•invnlk Drlv• Truro Comwall TR1 35T Registered addre5s'. Bissom Bungalow. Love Lane. Penryn TRIO 9LQ h email.. chair trurocho¥al.o rochoral.o tel= 07831 830120