Truro Choral Society
Regsstered Charity 281￿2
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 ac￿pt 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
p￿Ident. 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 ha￿of 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£oMpan￿d the performante. conducted by Martin
Palmer.
15 June 2024- Rossini: Petite Messesolennelle
Neither small nor solemn, this wa5 a maFvellou5 work to learn and perfo￿Tr. 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 cOn￿rt 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 COn￿rt 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 a￿hough 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 COn￿rtS. 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
Registere<l Charity 281902
President Michael Galsworthy CVO CBE DL
atts 313tiirt 2024
3Z286.75
O.LKJ
Tnro Lkni Sogetylftsty￿28f￿￿s
15283
31st W 2fL¥
2W24
14171_46
10.951.(
17.447.
13,634.£KI
I.tXA).OJ
1JS.02
17&55
83931
10.
i.O)D.
7.(6TJ1
25571?
34.78
14.844.73
ieKJ.(x)
I￿.48
3￿.￿j
j1.￿1.
s.[￿￿>
2,CWS_
1,10).￿1
1.64120
687.WJ
.74
11059
9.70
-11.760.63
Registered add￿Ss. Bissom Bu￿alOw, Love Lane. TRIO 9LQ h
email: chair
trurothoral.o
trurochoral.or
tel= 07831830120

Truro Choral Society
Reg¢stered Charity 281￿2
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 orgafXsa￿M fry L*e year ended 31"Varth
2024
B*sls of Examln•trs Stst•m•nt
Chaw C¢YMll8S￿*ft 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 Ind￿t3 consrfla•im of any ilems LY dthur•s In Ih accfj￿ts
and seeking explanat¢ns from as 'Mtees C£JncemJr6 afty guth fflatt￿. Tr
orxe#U￿ vTr#eraken oo rwY4 WOV]ce all •Y￿epcQ **4 ￿￿?￿Id * reqwtr# in an
abQrt. and no QFin..0￿. IS G£¥•n 4$ to ￿￿e'￿t tre ￿￿ts present.
e v*w ano tts ropx Is Jimthd to Imse matters sel aut ift L*e ￿xI
Ind•p•nd•nt Exwnln•rfs Stat•m•
11 gryes me reoxmb*k eausé to ljelith zhaL ￿ afry ttspe¢L
. To keep rects¢s In accrydanc8 Twjtr. SecfKm 130 d th• Ctsrrt
A￿201:. 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