Registered Charity Number: 107810
Codetta Choirs Trustees’ Report For the Year ending 31[st] December 2023
Trustees’ Annual Report, 2023
Codetta Choirs
Registered as a charity with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, with Registered Charity Number 107810
Introduction
The Trustees of Codetta Choirs are pleased to present their report for the full year 2023. This report outlines the choir’s activities and achievements, with a particular emphasis on our objectives of promoting education, performance & engagement, and encouraging personal development through music.
Objectives and Activities
The charity “Codetta Choirs” exists to:
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Provide opportunities for musical education and advancement of choral
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techniques and musical knowledge.
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Provide platforms for performance including participation at civic and charity
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events.
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singing experiences.
These aims are pursued through regular rehearsals, performances and workshops. There is a subdivision of choirs within the organisation: Codetta, Codetta Youth, and Codetta Juniors, together comprising “Codetta Choirs”.
Achievements and Performance
1. Education
Codetta Choirs delivered:
• Weekly and monthly rehearsals with professional musical direction provided by the Artistic Director Dónal Doherty and Assistant Artistic Director, Margaret Ross, focusing on vocal training, theory, and ensemble performance across a range of repertoire.
Codetta Choirs - Trustees’ Annual Report, 2023
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Workshops and masterclasses on vocal techniques, performance skills, and
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discovering diverse musical genres.
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Noteworthy was the engagement in Mexico by Artistic Director Dónal Doherty with the music students in the Tecnológico de Monterrey, Guadalajara Campus, Jalisco, where he instructed the group and their choral directors in a session which included choral techniques, sound production and stylistic performance.
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2023 was a further year where members showed improved musical
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choirs.
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Codetta enjoyed a workshop with Siobhan Brown – a singer/songwriter,
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specialising in Soul music - exploring aural rote learning techniques, culminating in a performance of a six-part arrangement of “Hold Back the River”.
2. Performance & Engagement
The choirs continue to be of international repute but importantly also maintain a strong presence in the local community:
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The choirs performed at numerous community events, including:
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City of Derry International Choir Festival, which is a choral highlight each year taking place in Derry but with wide international reach and influence. Codetta Choirs’ contributions to the Festival included:
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members forming part of the Festival Chorus for a performance of Verdi Requiem on the opening night which was accompanied by the Ulster Orchestra;
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a performance of ‘Dreams’ (made famous by The Cranberries) in Guildhall Square;
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a debut performance of commission, “Hot Air” by Anders Edenroth.
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- Performances in Festival competitions, including the award of first place in the Youth Choir category for Codetta Juniors.
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A number of concerts in Christ Church in Derry, including Handel’s Messiah with the Ulster Orchestra, and Codetta Sings Christmas featuring each of the 3 choirs.
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A number of liturgical contributions including Christmas morning Mass in Derry
3. International Reach
Codetta accepted an invitation from the Beckmann Foundation to support the Choral Programme of the Tequila Music School, an initiative of the José Cuervo Foundation. They travelled to Mexico in April, 2023 to present two concerts. The itinerary included:
Codetta Choirs - Trustees’ Annual Report, 2023
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A performance of mixed sacred and secular repertoire including some music of
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Irish origin to a large audience in Parroquia Santiago Apostol in Tequila.
• Cathedral, in addition to Irish and Mexican lighter music, which received a rapturous reception.
There was representation from the Embassy of Ireland, Mexico at the Tequila concert and warm relations were established.
Picture: Codetta in Tequila, Mexico
Codetta participated in a BBC Radio 3 In Tune broadcast from the Magee campus of Ulster University, with presenter, Sean Ra�erty.
Governance and Management
Codetta Choirs is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees who meet regularly to oversee activities, ensure compliance with its charitable objectives, and manage resources responsibly. The chair of the Board of Trustees in 2023 was Dónal Doherty and the Trustees were Fiona Crosbie, Brendan Doherty, Grainne McAnaney, Grainne McGurk, Julia McIvor, Mairéad Nic Bhloscaidh, Colm Rainey and Rebecca Tennis.
Financial Review
Codetta Choirs - Trustees’ Annual Report, 2023
Conclusion
The Trustees wish to thank all members, supporters, and partners for their commitment and contributions this year. Together, we have continued to grow as choirs that perform varied music to high standards, enrich lives through education and performance and maintain engagement with our local community and international music fraternities.
Signed:
Dónal Doherty
Chair of Trustees, Codetta Choirs
9th September, 2024
Codetta Choirs - Trustees’ Annual Report, 2023