Trustees’ Report and Financial Statements
For the year ended 30" April 2015
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Contents
Page
Charity Information
Chairman’s Report
Trustees’ Report
Statement of Financial Activities
Balance Sheet
10
Notes to the Financial Statements
11
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Charity Information
Management Committee (Trustees)
The committee members (appointed at the June 2014 AGM) are:
James Garrow
Chairman
Jane Brookes
Hon. Membership Secretary
Simon Browning
Hon. Treasurer
June Windle
Hon. Secretary
Joan Thomas
Patrons Secretary
Jackie Alderton
Liz Durning
Lesley Scordellis
Hilary Trigg
Michael Dudley
Registered Office
9 Baldwin Crescent
Guildford
Surrey GU4 7XW
Bankers
CAF Bank Ltd
25 Kings Hill Avenue, Kings Hill
West Malling
Kent ME19 4)Q
Independent Examiner
Anthony Peter Garrood ACA
23 George Road
Guildford
Surrey GU1 4NP
Website
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Chairman’s Report for the Year Ended 30 April 2015
As Chairman of the Vivace Chorus | am enormously proud of the choir’s achievements
during the past year, one of the busiest and, arguably, most successful in our history.
Seven events during the year, in particular, stand out:
Performing 8 major concerts
Our sell-out performance at the Royal Albert Hall
A major concert tour to Italy
A growing membership base, now nudging 160
A Paris to London cycle ride
Performing alongside international violinist, Tasmin Little
Bach’s B minor Mass
Four choirs — Vivace, the London Philharmonic Choir and Twickenham and Wimbledon
Choral Societies numbering over 500 singers, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic
Orchestra - joined forces for our Verdi Requiem concert at the Royal Albert Hall in May and,
as with our previous promotion there of Mahler’s gt symphony, sang to a full house.
It takes a lot of confidence for an amateur choir from outside London to accept the
challenge of performing at the Albert Hall where costs incurred were around £68,000 but
Vivace pulled out all the stops and packed the hall to the dome. This resulted in a major
boost to our surplus for the year, contributing almost £36,000.
Vivace Chorus members are nothing if not enthusiastic towards publicising the concerts,
raising money for charity and having fun at the same time! In order to raise the profile of
our Verdi concert in London, it was suggested that we cycle from the Hotel London in Paris
where Verdi began to compose his Requiem, to the doors of the Royal Albert Hall where this
masterpiece was first performed.
11 cyclists aged between 16 and 80 set off by train to Paris on a Friday and returned to be
greeted by a brass band, our local MP, the Mayor and about 100 choir members in the
centre of Guildford, en route to the final destination on the Sunday. How much they
managed to draw attention to the concert is debatable but they certainly did well raising
around £14,000 for the Rainbow Trust children’s charity.
A quite excellent choir tour to Italy where the choir was based in Verona; they performed in
the Cathedral there and in Mantua as well as the exquisite Basilica dei Frari in Venice. There
were 102 choir members and partners on the trip which ended with a visit to a winery and a
cruise on Lake Garda.
In November we performed what is regarded by many as the world’s most stunning of
choral works: Bach’s B minor Mass in Guildford Cathedral. Wonderfully complex, it is a
4
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
challenge to sing, but Vivace rose to the occasion, performing alongside our favourite
London orchestra, the Brandenburg Sinfonia. With such a beautiful work heard only too
rarely, it wasn’t too surprising to see a packed house. Such a rewarding sight and equally
rewarding to perform.
We have now established ourselves at two Guildford venues at Christmas, and are invited to
sing carols for charity in GLive and for the Mayor’s charities in Holy Trinity. These are very
popular and well-attended events and it is wonderful to be able to raise much-needed funds
for other local charities.
In March we promoted a concert in the marvellous concert venue of GlLive, starring Tasmin
Little who performed the Mendelssohn violin concerto. The choir sang Delius’ Sea Drift and
finished the evening off with a performance of Stanford’s lively Songs of the Fleet. This was
well-attended being about % capacity and proved a popular concert with the audience.
So musically, socially, financially, culturally, in fundraising activities for charities and the
choir itself, membership numbers and in having a great time, the Vivace Chorus is in very
good fettle indeed.
James Garrow
Chairman of the Vivace Chorus
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Trustees’ Report
The Management Committee (Committee of Trustees) presents the Trustees’ Report and Financial
Statements for the year ended 30 April 2015. The accounts have been prepared in accordance with
the accounting policies set out on page 11 and comply with the charity’s constitution and applicable
law.
Objects
The Constitution which governs the Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working name: Vivace Chorus),
states that the objects of the charity are to advance public education and appreciation of choral
music in all aspects, in particular by the presentation of public concerts and by other such means as
the Committee of the Choir shall determine.
The Management Committee
The Constitution states that the management of the Choir is in the hands of a Committee consisting
of four officers and between four and eight additional members. All committee members are
trustees of the charity and are elected by members of the choir at the Annual General Meeting
(AGM) or co-opted during the year. A List of committee members is given on page 3. The full
committee meets at least six times a year.
A Music Director is appointed at each AGM meeting and is a non-voting member of the committee.
Suring the year the Music Director was Jeremy Backhouse. Professor Francis Pott was reappointed in
accordance with the Constitution as accompanist.
Financial and operating review
During the year the choir had a membership of around 160 members and produced three concerts.
The Chairman’s report describes the major achievements of the year, together with the Committee
plans for the future.
The choir’s direct income (fundraising, together with subscriptions from members and patrons),
funds the full cost of running the choir and makes a contribution towards covering the net costs of
concerts, as they generally make a small loss. There is a constant challenge of selling sufficient
tickets to cover the cost of a full orchestra and soloists in a major venue:
Income
Expenditure
Proft/(Loss)
Verdi’s Requiem (Royal Albert Hall)
£99,995
£64,877
£35,118
Bach Mass in B Minor (Cathedral)
£11,868
£14,345
(£2,477)
Delius & Standford Sea Songs (GLive)
£15,409
£22,589
(£7,180)
The net £30,122 unrestricted surplus for the year has been added to reserves.
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Reserves policy
It is the policy of the choir to maintain unrestricted funds, which are free reserves of the charity, at a
level which underwrites the next two years’ concerts, in addition to net management and
administration and support costs for those two years. This enables the choir to plan ambitious
programmes and to fund the cumulative associated cash flow outlays which take place well in
advance of concerts.
Risk Management
The officers have examined the major strategic, business and operational risks which the Choir faces
and are satisfied that systems have been established to address the identified risks.
Public Benefit
The Committee has paid due regard to the Charity Commission’s guidance on public benefit in
deciding what activities the charity should undertake. As confirmed by the information contained in
this report, the maintenance of a comprehensive website and in other ways, the officers actively
demonstrate, on a continuing basis, that the aims of the charity are carried out for the public
benefit. The discounted subscriptions of students and discounted concert tickets offered to schools
are example of this.
Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the accounts
Under the Charities Act 2011, requires the Trustees to prepare accounts for each financial year,
which give a true and fair view of the charity’s financial activities during the year and of its financial
position at the end of the year. In preparing these accounts, the officers are required to:
e
Select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;
e
Make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;
e
State whether applicable accounting standards and statements of recommended practice
have been followed, subject to any material departure disclosed and explained in the
accounts;
e
Prepare the accounts on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that
the charity will continue in business.
The Trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records, which disclose with reasonable
accuracy at any time the financial position of the Choir, which enable the Trustees to ascertain the
financial position of the Choir and to ensure that the accounts comply with the Charities Act. They
are responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charity and hence for taking reasonable steps for
the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.
Approved by the Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
James Garrow, Chairman
18 June 2015
/
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Independent examiner’s report on the accounts
Report to the Trustees/members of the Vivace Chorus (charity registered in the name of
Guildford Philharmonic Choir), on the financial statements for the year ending 30 April
2015.
Respective responsibilities of trustees and examiner
The Charity’s trustees consider that an audit is not required for this year (under section 144)
of the Charities Act 2011 (the Charities Act) and that an independent examination is needed.
It is my responsibility to:
e
Examine the accounts under section 145 of the Charities Act,
e
To follow the procedures laid down in the general Directions given by the Charity
Commission (under section 145(5)(b) of the Charities Act, and
e
To state whether particular matters have come to my attention.
Basis of independent examiner’s statement
My examination was carried out in accordance with general Directions given by the Charity
Commission. An examination includes a review of the accounting records kept by the charity
and a comparison of the accounts presented with those records. It also includes
consideration of any unusual items or disclosures in the accounts, and seeking explanations
from the trustees concerning such matters. The procedures undertaken do not provide all
the evidence that would be required ion an audit, and consequently no opinion is given as
to whether the accounts present a ‘true and fair’ view and the report is limited to those
matters set out in the statement below.
Independent examiner’s statement
In connection with my examination no matter has come to my attention which gives me
reasonable cause to believe that in, any material respect, the requirements:
1)
e
To keep accounting records in accordance with section 130 of the Charities Act; and
e
To prepare accounts which accord with the accounting records and comply with the
accounting requirements of the Charities Act have not been met;
2) To which in my opinion, attention should be drawn in order to enable a proper
understanding of the accounts to me met.
Signed:
Name:
Date:
Anthony Peter Garrood, 23 George Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 4NP
Relevant Professional qualification: ACA
8
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES FOR 2014/15
Note
Incoming Resources
Unrestricted
Designated
Total
Total
Funds
Funds
Funds
Funds
2014/15
2014/15
2014/15
2013/14
£
£
£
£
23,807
23,807
56,093
129,308
129,308
32,778
8,702
8,702
5,939
Investment income (interest) 1,026
1,026
1,145
Miscellaneous Income (ASC)
1,500
1,500
1,500
Total Incoming Resources
164,343
164,343
97,455
804
804
Donations, legacies and
Similar incoming resources
Income from activities in
Furtherance of objectives
Income from activities for
Generating funds
Resources Expended
Costs of generating funds
Costs of activities for
118,555
5,854
5,015
124 409
61,175
Charitable objectives
Support Costs
6,765
6,765
3,828
Management and
2,243
2,243
1,334
Administration
128,367
5,854
134,221
71,352
34,976
(5,854)
30,122
26,103
Total Funds Brought Forward
65,949
40,452
106,401
80,298
Total Funds Carried Forward
101,925
34,598
136,523
106,401
Total Resources Expended
Net Incoming Resources
For the Year
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Balance Sheet As At 30TM April 2015
Note
2015
2014
Unrestricted
Unrestricted
Funds £
Funds £
Stock
1,739
1111
Debtors & Prepayments
6,831
43,026
Cash at Bank and in hand
134,718
107,722
Total Current Assets
143,288
151,859
6,765
45,458
Total Net Current Assets
136,523
106,401
Unrestricted income funds
101,925
65,949
Designated funds(Enid Weston
34,598
40,452
136,523
106,401
Current Assets
Creditors: Amounts falling due
Within one year
Legacy)
Total Funds
Basis of preparation
These accounts have been prepared under the historic cost convention on an accruals basis
and are based on the Statement of Recommended Accounting Practice for Charities 2005
insofar as it applies to the accounts of unincorporated charities with up to £250,000 annual
income, and the Charities Act 2011.
Simon Browning
Hon. Treasurer
18 June 2015.
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
Notes to the Accounts
1.
Accounting policies
These accounts have been prepared in accordance with applicable accounting standards and
reporting by Charities Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP 2005) and the Charities
Act 2011.
Income from donations, grants and subscriptions is included in the Statement of Financial
Activities (SOFA) when the charity becomes entitles to the income and any conditions for
receipt are met. Tax claim income is included on the SOFA at the same time as the gift to
which it relates.
Stock is valued at the lower of cost or net realisable value.
Trustees and other related parties
No remuneration directly or indirectly out of the funds of the charity has been paid or
payable to any committee member or to any person known to be connected with any of
them.
All Trustees are choir members and as such undertake transactions with the charity common
to all members (e.g. payment of subscriptions, purchase of concert tickets, refund of
expenses incurred for the choir etc).
Donations, legacies and similar incoming resources
2015
2014
£
£
Subscriptions
17,957
17,250
Patrons
3,843
2,864
Tax refunds
240
4,169
Borough grant
-
2,640
Other donations
1,767
29,170
23,807
56,093
In 2014 other donations includes a very generous legacy of £29,094 from Enid Weston,
which is treated as designated funds as it has been decided to use the funds for specific
projects for the choir. This year’s gift aid tax rebate is yet to be submitted.
Miscellaneous Income
A number of years ago, the charity participated in a consortium, named the Association of
Surrey Choirs (ASC), which made a lottery bid for the purchase of performance staging for
Guildford Cathedral. The bid was unsuccessful. Nevertheless, the members of the
Guildford Philharmonic Choir (Working Name: Vivace Chorus)
Registered Charity No: 1026337
consortium then went on to contribute to the capital costs of the staging themselves, under
the umbrella of the ASC, and all users of the staging are charged fees for the use of it, by the
ASC. Vivace Chorus financed a £2,500 stake in the staging. This investment is now fully
written down, although the charity, as a founding member of ASC, has a continuing interest
in the staging and receives periodic dividends derived from charges for the use of it. A
dividend of £1,500 was received in 2015.
Stock
Stock consists of scarves, folders and tops which were sold to choir members for use at
concerts. These are held in stock and are issued as needed.
Debtors
2015
2014
£
£
Trade debtors
-
3,800
HM Revenue & Customs
-
7,837
Sundry Debtors
5,558
6,990
Prepayments
1,273
24,399
6,831
43,026
2015
2014
Cash at bank and in hand
£
£
Current account (CAF Cash)
34,815
23,139
Monmouth Building Society
84,934
83,910
60
60
CAF Gold Account
Metro Bank
14,380
0
Petty Cash
321
567
Librarian’s float
208
.
134,718
107,722
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
2015
2014
£
£
Accrued rehearsal costs
2,965
p i & |
Deferred Income — concert
3,800
29.532
Deferred Income — Italy Tour
-
12,472
Sundry Creditors
-
1233
6,765
45,458
The deferred income for concert comprises of income for tickets received for the May 2015
concert (2014 for the Royal Albert Hall - Verdi Concert May 2014). The Italy tour took place
in June 2014.
k¥