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The Hackney Singers (the Choir) is a charitable trust registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (Registered Charity Number 294564).
Charitable Objectives
The objectives of the Choir are to advance, improve, develop and maintain public education in, and appreciation of, the art and science of music in all its aspects, by any means the Trustees see fit, including through the presentation of public concerts and recitals; and to further such charitable purpose or purposes as the Trustees in their absolute discretion shall think fit. The Choir is governed by its constitution, which is available on the Choir’s website at www.hackneysingers.org.uk.
Management of the Choir
The Choir is managed by a Committee. The members of the Committee are the Trustees of the charity and are elected by the Members of the Choir at the AGM. The Committee may co-opt new Committee members (but no more than 25% of the elected Committee). The Committee engages a Music Team to facilitate the charitable objectives.
Public benefit
The trustees of the Hackney Singers have complied with the duty in section 4 of the Charities Act 2006 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission.
In pursuing our aims for the public benefit, the Hackney Singers believes it impacts on people’s lives in two ways. First, for members of the choir, we involve people in a creative, fulfilling and enjoyable educational activity. For many members, the choir provides a musical education that they haven’t previously had access to, including the opportunity to develop vocal technique and performance skills and explore a wide repertoire. We also believe we provide a strong community, with many members developing important social networks that bring benefits both by attending rehearsals and through other social activities made possible by the relationships built through the choir.
Secondly, for our audiences, we present exciting and varied concerts, which include audience favourites, but also repertoire that will sometimes challenge them and educate them by extending their musical knowledge.
We also seek to develop relationships with other groups in our community, such as
children’s choirs, to provide positive musical experiences for both our members and others in our community.
The trustees of the Hackney Singers are conscious that the opportunities to benefit from our activities must not be unduly restrictive. We are a non-audition choir and welcome any
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member who is willing to work towards and can maintain a certain standard. At times, we are unable to accept new members in some voice parts, due to the need to maintain a balance of voices to ensure a positive experience for both members and audiences. We offer significant concessionary rates to those who are receiving certain benefits or are on low income. We offer concessionary prices on tickets, and reduced prices for children.
Music Team
Dan Ludford-Thomas – Musical Director Andrew Storey – Assistant Musical Director
Committee Members and Trustees during the year ended 31 August 2022
Chair - Julie Granger Secretary - Jessica Glynn TreasurerGary Greene Committee - Cathie O’Driscoll Jonathan Koestle-Cate Carole Sired Yvonne Sired (co-opted as assistant treasurer on 16th March 2021) Jane Gibson (co-opted) Tony Price (co-opted) Sally Williams (co-opted) Anne Marsh (resigned during year)
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Chair’s Report for the year ended 31 August 2022
The year started with the choir opening its doors and scores to one and all at our Come and Sing Mozart’s Requiem at St Andrews Church Stoke Newington on 9[th] Oct 2021. Anyone, no matter their singing experience could attend and explore the piece (for a very reasonable fee). We spent an exciting and fun afternoon running through the Requiem. The concert in the evening, started with Haydn’s Insanae et Vanae Curae, sung by Hackney Singers and anyone who knew it. We were then treated to James Offord playing Bach Toccata & Fugue in D. This was our first concert since COVID so was fizzing with energy. Many of those who had sung with us the first time, said how much they had enjoyed it. So much so quite a few decided to join the choir. We ran a successful bar and lots of members brought delicious food to sell. Many thanks to those friends and family who gave up their time to help.
On the 11[th ] of December we performed our annual Carol Concert at St Peter’s De Beauvoir in our fabulous red and gold outfits. With COVID still around audience numbers were still slightly down but we managed to collect over £800 for the winter night shelter. On the 18[th] of December, Mary and Lynne organised yet another very successful Carolling event at Broadway Market. There were two sessions with refreshments gratefully provided by Stephen Selby (Off Broadway). The event raised a whacking £550 for charity!
On 1[st] of April 2022 saw the choir return to a favourite venue, St John at Hackney for the first time since 2016. In this beautifully refurbished venue, the choir performed Arvo Part’s Which was the Son and Alleluia Tropus. The orchestra performed Fratres and Helen Meyerhoff brought warmth and emotion to My Hearts in the Highlands. After the break we performed Handel’s Dixit Dominus accompanied by Helen and Jennifer Cearns. This was an exhilarating and exciting hands-on-the-handle-bar roller coaster of a performance with an appreciative audience packing the stalls and the balconies. The choir is set to return Spring 2024.
With COVID still part of our everyday lives, membership has been affected but 2021-2022 saw us increase to 118 paid up members. This up from 85 the previous year.
As ever, Dan and Andy’s, professionalism, dedication, humour (considering the time warp continuum that is the Blackwall Tunnel) and teamwork has once again ensured the choir has
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been challenged, has enjoyed and been rewarded with a wonderful year of community choral singing. The committee and choir thank you.
There have been changes to the make-up of the committee as Sally Williams is now concert manager.
Thanks must go to the Section Coordinators (Jasmin Zohren and now Ann-Barbara Brenells, Martin Stevenson, Judy Spours and Cathie O’Driscoll) who ensure members are kept informed.
I would like to thank our Patron Phillip Glanville, the Mayor of Hackney, for his continuing support.
I would like to say a big thank you to all the members of the choir who have supported the committee with their help and words of encouragement – it always means a lot.
I would like to acknowledge the tireless work of the committee.
Looking ahead, in 2023 we’ll be returning to another favourite venue, The Royal Festival Hall where we will be performing Verdi’s Requiem with our sister choir Lewisham Choral Society on 12[th] April.
Finally, I would like to say (this being my last chair’s report after 5 years in the role) what an honour and enriching experience it has been for me.
Julie Granger
Chair
9 November 2022
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Treasurer’s Report for the year ending 31[st] August 2022
The Annual Accounts for the year ending 31st August 2022 are presented to the members of the Hackney Singers. The accounts show all the monies received and all payments made by the choir during the year. They are presented in standard accounting format. These accounts are attached.
This was a partial get back to business-as-usual year. Membership grew so that our subscription income rose to £17,787 which with Gift Aid and donations gave us an income of £24,805. The costs of our rehearsals, music and other overheads however come to £24,541. So, whilst we have covered these costs, our ‘Come and Sing’ Mozart Requiem in October 2021 cost us £424 and the Spring 2022 concert at St John of Hackney lost £5,056. Losses on concerts are expected apart from the those we have at the Royal Festival Hall every other year. We will hopefully benefit from this next year.
Overall, we incurred a loss on the year of £2,801 and ended the year with £23,711 in the bank.
Financial Outlook
The fixed costs of running the choir and rehearsals are high and our concerts need subsidising (apart from those at the Festival Hall). Our costs are fixed whether we have many or few members. For the future, we will need to get back to about 140 members to have the ability to present the two major public performances we have historically staged. This year ended with 118 members. Our reserves have been reduced and will be further reduced over the next couple of years. If we have good membership growth, we should start to recover without too many problems but with some significant challenges.
Hopefully the attraction of singing at the Festival Hall next year might prove a sufficient incentive to increase our numbers. However, the committee is monitoring the level of our membership fees in the light of our numbers and costs.
I’d like to thank Yvonne Sired and all the other members of the committee and the choir for their help and support during what was a very difficult year.
Gary Greene, Treasurer
9[th] November 2022
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| Hackney Singers | Hackney Singers | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Receipt and Payments | ||||
| Account | ||||
| Year ended 31 August 2022 | ||||
| 2021-22 | 2020-21 | |||
| Receipts | Membership | £17,787 | £7,098 |
|
| Gift Aid refund from HMRC | £4,681 | £0 |
||
| Donations | £2,336 | £332 |
||
| Membership receipts and Donations | £24,805 |
£7,430 |
||
| Receipts from trading activities | ||||
| Charitable trading | ||||
| Concert Income | £9,127 | £0 |
||
| Non-charitable trading | £1,070 | £0 |
||
| Advertisinginprogrammes etc | £2,011 | £0 |
||
| Trading receipts | £12,208 |
£0 |
||
| Other receipts | £534 | £77 |
||
| Bank interest | £0 | £0 |
||
| TOTAL RECEIPTS | £37,547 | £7,507 |
||
| Payments | ||||
| Musicpurchase & hire | £3,931 | £0 |
||
| Rehearsal costs | £17,610 | £7,430 |
||
| Concert costs | £15,419 | £0 |
||
| Publicity& fundraisingcosts | £82 | £0 |
||
| Management and administration | £836 | £1,462 |
||
| Otherpayments | ||||
| Costs of goods for resale (inc bar costs) |
£733 | £0 |
||
| Disbursement of funds | £0 | £0 |
||
| Website | £0 | £0 |
||
| Donations | £1,057 | £0 |
||
| Subs refund | £300 |
£130 |
||
| Other | £378 |
£843 |
||
| TOTAL PAYMENTS | £40,347 | £9,865 |
||
| NET ANNUAL SURPLUS/SHORTFALL | -£2,801 | -£2,358 |
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Hackney Singers Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 August 2022
| 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cash Funds | 2021-22 | 2020-21 |
| CommunityCurrent Account | ||
| Total Cash at bank | £23,711 | £26,513 |
| Other Assets | ||
| Cash | £410 | £0 |
Signed:
Gary Greene 9[th] November 2022 Treasurer
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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER’S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF HACKNEY SINGERS
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of Hackney Singers (the Charity) for the year ended 31 August 2022.
Responsibilities and basis of report
As the trustees of the Charity you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (‘the Act’).
I report in respect of my examination of the Charity’s accounts carried out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examination I have followed all the applicable Directions given by the Charity Commission under section 145(5)(b) of the Act.
Independent examiner’s statement
I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe that in any material respect:
-
accounting records were not kept in respect of the Trust as required by section 130 of the Act; or
-
the accounts do not accord with those records.
I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.
Mr J P Foxwell FCCA FCIE independent-examiner.net
39 Enfield Road, Poole, BH15 3LJ
Date: 22 November 2022