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2025-12-31-accounts

The Academy Choir Wimbledon Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025

Registered Charity No. 299069 Give As You Earn Registration No. 012910

Independent examiner’s report

Report to the trustees of The Academy Choir Wimbledon (charity number 299069) on accounts for the year ended 31 December 2025, set out on pages 4 and 5.

I report to the trustees on my examinaIon of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 December 2025.

Responsibili3es and basis of report

As the charity trustees of the Trust, you are responsible for the preparaIon of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the ChariIes Act 2011 (“the Act”).

I report in respect of my examinaIon of the Trust’s accounts carried out under secIon 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinaIon, I have followed the applicable DirecIons given by the Charity Commission under secIon 145(5)(b) of the Act.

Independent examiner’s statement

I have completed my examinaIon. I confirm that no material maQers have come to my aQenIon in connecIon with the examinaIon which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:

I have no concerns and have come across no other maQers in connecIon with the examinaIon to which aQenIon should be drawn in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Ann F Orton

18 Church Avenue, East Sheen, London SW14 8NN

Trustees’ Report 2025

The Academy was founded in 1980 and became a charity pursuant to a meeting of its members held on 13 March 1988 (number 299069). The committee members (who acted as the trustees) during 2025 were:

The address to which any correspondence regarding the Academy should be sent is 13 Haydon Park Road, Wimbledon SW19 8JQ.

Report on Activities

I am very sorry to have to record here the passing of Matthew Best on 10 May 2025 after a lengthy struggle with cancer. Matthew became our Music Director in late 2016, conducting his Virst concert with us in January 2017. Obituaries appeared on BBC Radio 3 and in publications as varied as Gramophone, The Times and The Telegraph underscoring just how signiVicant a Vigure Matthew had been in the world of music and - correspondingly - how immensely fortunate we have been to work with and learn from him. He will be hugely missed and we have a lot to live up to.

Remarkably 2025 was our busiest year in recent memory - indeed it was also a year of four conductors. In January we gave a performance of Monteverdi’s Vespers of 1610 funded by the family of Roger Chadder in celebration of whose memory the concert was given. Roger had been a founder member of the Academy, its treasurer for many years and one of the choir’s committee members and guiding lights for several decades. Roger and his wife Rosemary were also material Vinancial supporters and it was characteristic of both him and them that they wished to remember Roger in this generous and musical fashion. Matthew was not well enough to lead us in this concert and so we were conducted by local conductor Max Barley who had been well known to Roger.

In March we gave what Matthew announced would be his Vinal concert. We were determined to do all we could to make it a Vitting occasion and I wish to reproduce here a paragraph from my welcome which appeared in the programme for that concert:

“Put simply, Matthew is one of our country’s contemporary greats of choral conducting. His achievements with the Corydon Singers speak for themselves – but they have to as Matthew is far too modest to tell you himself. His work ethic is an inspiration to us all but one thing that marks Matthew out is that this is allied with a deep understanding of vocal production, a remarkable eye for detail and a deep understanding and love of music. This combination is vanishing rare. I know that I speak for everyone in the choir – and many of you – when I express

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my gratitude to Matthew for dedicating so much of his energy and prodigious abilities to our beneVit. We are hugely fortunate to have been able to enjoy so many inspirational concerts over the past 9 years together.”

Matthew selected a programme to represent his personal musical interests and style. Performing alongside us were the London Mozart Players (with whom Matthew had had a long-standing relationship) and soloists Nardus Williams and Darren Jeffery. Nardus’s appearance was sponsored by Richard Baker, a Benefactor of the choir. It did not feel entirely right to thank Richard in the context of Matthew’s Vinal concert but I am very pleased to record here my sincere thanks to him for this signiVicant Vinancial support. Thank you. The programme opened with Beethoven’s Egmont overture which was followed by Richard Strauss’s rarely performed Metamorphosen, Study for 23 solo strings . In the second half we sang Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem . It was musically wonderful, emotionally complete and a deeply special evening.

For our June concert we engaged Sam Laughton to lead us in a performance (programmed by Matthew) of “Summer Baroque”. Sam is a distinguished musician and choral conductor with whom we very much enjoyed working. We were joined by the Academy Baroque Players led by Alison Bury for a programme of which the Virst half was Purcell ( Rejoice in the Lord alway, Chacony in G minor, My Beloved Spake, Rondeau from Abdelazer and My heart is inditing ) and the second half comprised two motets written by JS Bach ( Komm, Jesu, Komm and Lobet den Herrn ) either side of Handel’s Water Music First Suite . Solos were sung with real skill by no fewer than 12 members of the choir. This concert was followed by a collection in support of Marie Curie and Help Musicians (two charities chosen by Matthew’s family) and a reception for members of our hugely important Friends scheme.

In order to appoint a successor Music Director the Committee interviewed many impressive candidates and the choir auditioned a short list of three, each of whom we felt had the necessary ability and credibility for the role. The committee took all factors (including the choir’s feedback) into account in selecting and appointing George Inscoe. We could not be happier with the outcome of this process. George is a musician and conductor of great skill and ability who has hugely impressed the committee, the choir and our audiences since his appointment. We are delighted to have engaged George and very much look forward to making music together. Welcome, George!

Our Virst chance to make music with George was in our annual appearance at November’s Wimbledon International Music Festival (WIMF). Because the date matched that of King’s College School’s nearby Vireworks display our performance was a short one, starting at 8 pm. A very brief Virst half comprised two works by John Tavener ( The Lamb and Svyati for choir and solo cello ) with the second half being Fauré’s Requiem . We were joined for this performance by the London Mozart Players (who provided the impressive cello soloist Leo Popplewell) and vocal soloists Sophie Bevan (soprano) and Gareth Brynmor John (baritone). This was our Virst concert under newly

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appointed WIMF Director, Anthony Friend. We look forward to continuing to enjoy a productive and mutually beneVicial relationship with WIMF for many years to come.

I am delighted to report that 2025 delivered an increase in our Vinancial surplus after two successive years of deVicit (a modest £121 last year but a more worrying one of some £1,800 the year before). A surplus is essential to give us the conVidence to continue to plan concerts of the type and scale that we do in a time when costs are constantly increasing. In that context an increase in the surplus by £4,181 (to £47,348) is welcome as we look to the future with George.

Underlying this headline Vigure is a very material increase in box ofVice receipts (by more than 50% vs 2024 driven by understandable and touching support of Matthew’s Vinal concert). SigniVicantly increased orchestral and related costs were driven partly by the scale of Matthew’s Vinal concert. The increased costs of this concert exceeded the increased revenue although reduced soloist costs for 2025 compared with 2024 mitigated some of this. Overall our deVicit on concerts increased slightly to £20,133 (2024: £19,141). More positively income from Friends was marginally higher (excluding special gifts) and choir subscriptions were substantially higher, having been increased by 50% with effect from January 2025. The other major contribution to the recorded increase in surplus for 2025 is the increase in income tax repayment (Gift Aid), which was claimed for the tax year ended 5 April 2025. As explained in the notes to the accounts, part of this increase in Gift Aid relates to individual donations made towards concerts in 2024. Whilst this year’s Vinancial performance is a very welcome reversal of the recent trend it will be necessary to maintain strong budgetary discipline. I remain indebted to our excellent treasurer, Geoff Woodhouse, for his constant focus on this.

The choir has continued to beneVit from the generous support of our Friends - not least Richard Baker’s, mentioned above. It will be very obvious that it is the generosity of our Friends that allows us to bridge the majority of the gap between the receipts and costs of giving concerts. It is for this reason that I again express my deepest gratitude to each of you - many of whom are also members of the choir. Thank you.

I would also like to record my sincere thanks to Matthew Best, Max Barley, Sam Laughton and George Inscoe for leading us with such Vlair and imagination and to each member of the committee for the unstinting hard work of every single one of them. Much of this work goes unseen but it must never go unthanked. We continue to share the vision of making our choir the very best that it can be and through that to sustain a love of high quality choral music in our existing audience as well as to develop that same appreciation in those who have yet to discover just how enjoyable and rewarding it can be. This cannot happen without exemplary commitment and focus. Thank you.

Daniel Whitehead Chairman May 2026

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Income and Expenditure Account for theyear ended 31 December 2025 Income and Expenditure Account for theyear ended 31 December 2025 Income and Expenditure Account for theyear ended 31 December 2025 Income and Expenditure Account for theyear ended 31 December 2025 Income and Expenditure Account for theyear ended 31 December 2025
2025 2024
CONCERT INCOME £ £
Box Office and related income 12,496 (1) 7,918
Bar receipts(gross) 247 949
Donations 1,270 2,100
Surplus on special concert(2) 315
14,328 10,967
CONCERT DIRECT COSTS
Professional costs(3) 8,400 9,000
Soloists 2,400 3,300
Orchestra/Organist/Orch. Mgmt(4) 16,163 (4) 9,932
Accompanists 1,475 1,800
Instrument and Music Hire 1,209 673
Venue hire(rehearsals and concerts) 2,648 2,192
Refreshments 87 378
Posters,Programmes,Publicity 1,989 2,175
Travel expenses,PRS, pews,etc 90 659
34,461 30,108
DEFICIT ON CONCERTS -20,133 (4) -19,141
OTHER INCOME / -EXPENSE
Choir subscriptions 7,734 (5) 4,224
Friends' contributions 11,937 11,435
Income Tax repayment 5,046 (6) 3,536
Donations 1,600 250
Interest received 238 355
Website 0 -72
Fundraisingcosts -416 -219
Auditions -400 0
MakingMusic subscription -508 -492
Lights, publicityflags, photography -917 0
Misc.(SUMUP test transactions) 1 2
OVERALL SURPLUS / -DEFICIT for theyear 4,181 -121
SURPLUS brought forward 43,167 43,287
ACCUMULATED SURPLUS 47,348 43,167
Statement of Assets and Liabilities at 31 December 2025
Assets:
Cash at bank 17,348 12,417
Bank deposit 30,000 30,000
Prepayments 0 750
Liabilities:
Nil 0 0
ACCUMULATED SURPLUS 47,348 43,167
Fixed Assets:
Recordingequipment(7) 1,094 1,094
Lights 207
Feather flags 285
1,586 1,094

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Notes to the Accounts

These accounts are prepared on the Receipts and Payments basis under Section 133 of the Charities Act 2011.

(1) The increase in box office was much needed. It is largely due to one concert, Brahms’s Requiem , which was Matthew Best’s final concert with us. See also note (4).

(2) This concert, before an invited audience of friends and supporters of the choir, was funded in full, with the small surplus shown, by a bequest from a founder member. Details are below. They have been omitted from the front page of the accounts to avoid distorting the comparison with the previous year.

(3) Professional costs are the fees for the conductor and for concert management.

(4) The large increase in orchestral fees is due to the scale of the work and rising musicians’ fees. Thus, although the audience for the Brahms Requiem was a record, the overall concert deficit was still some £1,000 more than in 2024.

(5) Choir subscriptions were increased by £50 per year with effect from January 2025.

(6) Income Tax repayment is claimed for the tax year. Half of the increase of £1,500 recorded for 2025 relates to £3,000 of concert donations made in both 2024 and 2025. The other half relates to increases in choir subscriptions and Friends’ contributions.

(7) This equipment was purchased in two instalments, in December 2020 and January 2021, financed by matching donations of £582 and £548 respectively. The transactions were recorded in the accounts for the years ended 31 December 2020 and 2021, and mentioned in the notes. The equipment has been in use to record subsequent concerts, and is recorded here as a fixed asset, as a correction.

Account for special concert: Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Account for special concert: Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Account for special concert: Monteverdi Vespers of 1610, Account for special concert: Monteverdi Vespers of 1610,
January 2025, with comparison of costs with June 2022
2025 2022
Income £
Bequest 16,000
TOTAL income 16,000
Expenditure £ £
Professional costs 2,800 2,850
Soloists 3,900 3,000
Orchestra 5,265 4,630
Rehearsal accompanist 500 500
Instrument and music hire 477 444
Venue hire(includinglighting) 2,113 1,003
Programmeprinting 600 288
Ticket distribution(2025) /Publicity (2022) 30 1,132
TOTAL 15,685 13,846
Surplus 315

The costs shown above were for the same programme, performed at the same venue. Costs in 2025 were almost £2,000 higher, despite there having been no publicity costs in 2025.

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