Altrincham Choral Society Chair's Report on the 2022-2023 season
Concerts
Our concert season kicked off with most of the shackles of Covid 19 hopefully behind us and with our first concert “Austrian Legends” with Jonathan Scott as organist on 12[th] November at St. Peter's Church. The programme included Hayden's Te Deum, Mozart's Missa Brevis in F Major K192 and a particularly challenging work by Bruckner, his Mass in F Minor. Some choir members were despairing of ever getting things right but two extra rehearsals on Wednesday evenings helped save the day and the concert ended up as a great success with many complementary comments from the audience.
For our annual “Carols with the Choir” on 17[th] December at Altrincham United Reformed Church we were pleased to welcome our guests Honley Male Voice Choir who performed 4 of their own pieces and joined with us to sing 5 other pieces including Sparklejollytwinklejingly and Schneewalzer. We enjoyed a full audience who also joined in singing a few favourite carols.
2023 got off to a great start with “Living Music” so named because unusually all 3 composers are still alive. and comprised of Rutter's Requiem, Jake Runestad's Let my Love be Heard and Will Todd's Jazz Missa Brevis. The latter was accompanied by a jazz trio of Cello, Bass guitar and Drums which allowed the choir to display their wild side. Lydia Bryan provided the piano accompaniment.
The Summer concert “Peace” performed at the RNCM on 8th July was a spectacular occasion. The first half included music and song by combinations of choir, piano, organ and the Carlton Main Frickley Colliery Band, one of the world's top 10 brass bands. The pieces performed Walking with Heroes by Paul Lovatt-Cooper (Band), Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams (Choir and Band), Wherever You Are by Paul Mealor (Choir and Organ), Oceans Away by Elton John (Choir and Piano), Nimrod by Elgar (Band and Organ), For the Fallen by Karl Jenkins (Choir and Organ), Schindler's List by John Williams (Band) and Jupiter-The Bringer of Jollity by Holst (Band and Organ). Jonathan Scott provided piano and organ accompaniment.
The second half saw Band, Organ and Choir combine for a powerful performance, especially in the light of ongoing war in Ukraine, of Karl Jenkins The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace which included a sequence of images as the performance proceeded. It was a wonderful, moving and poignant Concert with the audience giving us a standing ovation.
The Singing Day based upon Faure’s Requiem was held on 8[th] October 2022 at Altrincham United Reformed Church. It was quite well attended but would have benefited from having more participants from the choir. Many thanks to those helpers on the day and for the excellent cakes that were brought along.
ACS membership now stands at 113 and this includes the welcoming of 8 new members whose membership formalities are progressing.
Fees for the forthcoming season set as follows; Subscription £120
Our chosen charity for this coming year is the Hidden Treasure Trust which is based in Partington. It provides help and support for families who live locally.
ALTRINCHAM CHORAL SOCIETY END OF YEAR BALANCE SHEET 2022-23
| At end of: 2021/22 £ 8,532.38 41,012.78 1,307.36 50,852.52 1,084.00 49,768.52 49,768.52 26,426.45 23,476.07 _49,902.52 _ |
At end of: 2022/23 £ Current Assets at year end Barclays Bank Community account 1,668.94 Barclays Bank Business Premium 53,696.75 Items for next year already paid for 793.25 Total Current Assets 56,158.94 Current Liabilities October singing day fees received in advance 66.00 Total Currrent Liabilities 66.00 Net Assets 56,092.94 Net balance at start of year 49,768.52 Surplus or deficit for this year 6,324.42 Net balance at year end 56,092.94 Location of holdings Held in Florence Matthews bequest 26,426.45 Held in general fund 29,666.49 Total holdings 56,092.94 |
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These accounts were approved by the Trustees on
and are signed on their behalf by ………………………………………………. (Hon Treasurer)
Independent examiner's report on the accounts
Section A Independent Examiner’s Report
| Report to the trustees/ members of |
Charity Name Altrincham Choral Society |
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| On accounts for the year | 31 July 2023 | Charity no | 500729 | |
| ended | (if any) | |||
| Set out on pages | 1 - 3 | |||
| (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) | (remember to include the page numbers of additional sheets) |
I report to the trustees on my examination of the accounts of the above charity (“the Trust”) for the year ended 31 July 2023.
Responsibilities and As the charity's trustees, you are responsible for the preparation of the basis of report accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 (“the Act”).
I report in respect of my examination of the Trust’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 I have completed my examination. I confirm that no material matters have examiner's statement come to my attention in connection with the examination which gives me cause to believe that in, any material respect:
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the accounting records were not kept in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; or
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the accounts did not accord with the accounting records; or
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the accounts did not comply with the applicable requirements concerning the form and content of accounts set out in the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 other than any requirement that the accounts give a ‘true and fair’ view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination.
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.
Signed: RA Brougham
Date: 10 October 2023
Name: R A Brougham
Address: 86 Whitefield Road Stockton Heath Warrington, WA4 6NB
1
Oct 2018
IER