Sestina Music
Trustees. Annual Report
for the Year Ended 31 Decembor 2024
The Directors are pleased to present their annual report together wrth the financial statements of the Charity
for the year ended 31 December 2024 which are also prepared to meet the requirements for a Directors.
report and accounts for Companies Act purposes.
The financial statements comply with the the chanb.es Act (Nl) 2022, Companies Act 20C6, the Memorandum
and Articles of Associats'on. and Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice
applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard
applicable in the UK and Republic Of Ireland IFRS102) (effective 1 January 2019.)
The company is govemed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association dated 14 November 2013. The
company number is Nl 621437 and the registered office is The Acom Centre, Culmore Road, Dery BT48
8JB. The company is a registered Northem Ireland Chanty - referen￿ NIC 100067.
DlrectOTS
The directors of the charitsble company (the Chanty) are the trustees for the purpose of Charity Law. The
trustees dunng the year and at 31 December 2024 were as follows..
David Black (Chair)
Irene Kingston
James Kelley
Karenanne Coughlan-Pierse
Maurice Kelly
William IpNin Thompson {Resigned 11 January 20241
Trustees. Report
Sestina Music has continued to be challenged during 2024. The year opened with the business of the Charity
in the care of temporary administrator. the renowned ￿lI1$t and administrator of the Cork Internab'onal
Festival, Norah O'Leary. who stccrtJ down in October 2024.
Our Director of mus￿, Mr. Mark Chambers has also notified us of his intention to stand down from his post at
the end of the season 2024-2025. The impact of this decision for the group cannot be overemphasised. Mark
is a wonderful musician and has been an inspiring role-model for the young members of the group. His tenure
of the post for 14 years has pr(yJuced excellent perfomances of superb music throughout Ireland and latterly
in England. Most significantly, he has furthered the careers of many young musicians, the majority from these
shores. The many young Sestinas include already established classical soloists, a BBC Radio Thr￿ producer
and numerous people now teaching and perfomiing in the Arts. This was the primary Charitable Objective of
Sestina Music- the nurturing of outstanding young perfomiers and Mark has been exemplary in doing this.
The Directors thank him most sincerely and acknowledge that he will be greatly missed.
The Arts Councils of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have continued to support Sestina Music
with the extraordinary granting of our applications. a testsment to the success and achievements of the
Charty The Next Generation work with young people has been actively supported by the Contsnuo
Foundation and the Board continues to meet regularly to set the direction of Sestina Music and provide
necessary support to our staff.
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Sestina Music
Trustees, Annual Report
for the Year Ended 31 December 2024
Our purposes and aetivitles
The purposes of the Charity are to promote the perfomiance and study of music, in particular early music and
contemporary repertoire in. though not exclusively in, Ireland and in doing so, to actively seek and develop the
skills of young artists while supporting and encouraging the development of interest in music, particularfy early
European and contemporary music.
In shaping our objecb'ves for the year and planning our activities. the directors have considered the Charity
Commission's guidance on public benefit requirement IPBR1). We endeavour to encourage a wide range of
young people and children to tske advantage of our expertise and promote all within our community to lake
part in our activities and to attend our performances
We have put these strategies into action through vanous perfonnances and courses as outlined in the
Chairman's Report and in our programme for the coming season. This programme of activities focuses very
much on bringing classical music to the community and in fostering the development of those who will be
among the foremost artists of the future.
Achievements and performance
Following the successful "Carols at the Museum" recitals during December 2023, Sestina's "In Praise of St.
Cecilia" Easter programme was very well received with above expected levels of sales at the recital in
Fisherwick Presbyterian Church Belfast and a sell-out in Thomastown Concert Hall in Kilkenny. EX￿lIent
feedback was received from both online and survey research and it was parb'culady pleasing that all the
players and 75 % of the singers were from I￿land. A further feature of this prc4Jramme was the "Sing with
Sestina" workshops in both venues with the full ensemble and members of the public enthusiastically taking
part. 18 Children attended the "Kids Sing" element of the recitals.
Our Next Generation Programme, the audition process and promotion of an annual cohort of young people
through our rehearsals and perfomiances, led to 8 emerging young professional singers progressing to stsge
2 of the scheme, which was most satisfying Mark Chambers has continued to work with Cork, University
College Dublin and the Royal Irish Academy of Music to encourage young singers to be involved in Sestina
Music's programmes.
The September 2024 "Lux in Umbra" perfomances in FisheTwick Presbyterian Church. Belfast were well
received and attended. Regrettably due to funding contstraints we were unable to PrO￿ed with our Carols
Concert in December 2024. The NexL Generakn'on webinars and workshops continued throughout December
with sucess.
Financlal review
During the year the Charity received grants of £60.301, donations of £5.279, box office receipts of £8,683 and
bank inlerest of £172. resulting in total income of £74.435 Artist and production costs were £40,619 and
administration overheads were £22,777. This resulted in a surplus for the year of £11,039 which when added
to opening reserves of £19,658, left reserves of £30.697 at the year end.
The Directors were pleased with the results for the year At the year end unrestricted reserves were £38,247
and restricted reserves were £-7,550 as tranches ￿0 and three of grants will be released during the
remainder of season 2024-25 lends July 31st) following mid-season reports.
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Sestina Mu8lc
Trustees. Annual Report
for the Year Ended 31 December 2024
Reserves pollcy
The officers have reviewed the reserves of the organisation. This review encompassed the nature of the
income and expenditure streams, the need to match vanable income with fixed commitments and the balance
and nature of the reserves themselves.
Reserves are needed to bndge the gap befvieen the spending and receiving of income and to cover
unplanned emergency costs. Due to the nature of the activities of the Chanty no material unplanned costs are
expected. The onty major costs are artist fees, production costs, venue hire and publicity for events bul the
directors would not undertake a major event unless reserves were already in place or funding was secured to
cover the costs of the event. The Directors in consultation with Arts Council Nl consider that a satisfactory
level of reserves is three months unrestricted administratson costs which would currently be in the region of
£10,000. At the year end the Charity has £38,247 of free reserves.
Risk management
The officers have examined the major strategic. business and operational risks which the Charity fa￿S and
confirm that systems are in pla￿ to ensure necessary steps can be taken to lessen these nsks In particular,
the officers are paying especial care to the future needs of the Charity as it f￿$ major changes in Season
2025-26.
Volunteers
The Charity continues to be very involved in the communty, relying on substantial voluntary help to assist its
excellent professional staff. As part of our new "Next Generatson" audib'on and involvement programme, we
continue to encourage the successful youngsters to be involved in front-of-house and concert management
operatsons of our performances
Plans for future periods
Plans are well-developed for the Easter Programme "Concert Spirituel" in collaborative self-funding
perfOrman￿S in Belfast, Kilkenny and Wexford. As before. this project includes the Stage 2 Mentoring
Course of the Next Generation Programme. "Sing with Sestina" workshops and a Harmony Hub innovative
event.
The Board are currently considering the future of Sestina Music and will be assessing the Charity's future over
the coming months.
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Sestina Muslc
Trustees. Annual Report
for the Year Ended 31 December 2024
ststement of Trustees. Responsibilities
The Charity Trustees (who are also the directors of the Sestina Music for the purposes of company lawl are
responsible for preparing a Trustees, Annual Report and financial statements in accordance with applicable
law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom.Generally Accepted Accounts'ng Practice).
Company law requires the Trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true
and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the profit or loss of the company for that
year.
In preparing these the Trustees are required to..
select suitable accounting policies and apply them consistently.,
- observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;
make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent.,
state whether applicable accounting standards have been followed, subject to any material departures
disclosed and explained in the financial statements.
prepare the financial statements on the going con￿rn basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the
organisation will conts'nue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose wth reasonable accuracy
at any time the financial position of the organisation. They are also responsible for safeguaiding the assets of
the organisation and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detecbon of fraud and other
irregularrties.
This report has been prepared in accordance with the special provisions for small companies under part 15 of
the Companies Act 2006.
This report was approved by the Board on 28 February 2025 and signed on its behalf by
James Kelley
Director
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