Harrogate Male Voice Choir
Minutes of Committee Meeting at Woodlands Methodist Hall
10.00 am on Tuesday 24 th June FINAL
Present – David Bayne( DB) , Chris Dunn (CD), Ian Ibbotson (II), Tony Goodall (TG),
Lawrie Coulthard (LC), Stuart Berry (SB), George Cross (GC), David Healey (DH) Copy to Richard Kay (RK)
Item Action
1 TG welcomed David Healy as co-opted member without portfolio. The minutes of the last
meeting were approved and signed off and will be posted on the members section of our
website by RK, as will all future approved minutes
TG
2 Treasurer’s report
It Is accepted that 2 members who could not attend rehearsals this year will not pay subs.
The projection for year end 2024-25 with 36 rehearsals (1 cancelled due to snow), 3 Sing
Out school visits, 9 concerts and 3 socials and festivals is: subs £5817, hall hire £1560,
music team £7040
One choir member has proposed subs for next year at £160 with £10 increase per year
thereafter but the committee will formulate their proposal for the AGM after further
consultation. II once again indicated his wish to stand down as treasurer if a suitable
qualified member can be nominated in his place. We have an ample stock of choir ties
and any member wishing to replace theirs can buy one for £15.
II
3 Concert secretary report
The concert at West Park URC on 14 th June was another success with some 24 members
performing (see feedback from LC)
The final school visit to Oatlands primary school on 17 th June also achieved its objectives
in rehearsal with their choir
Sing Out concert, Harrogate High School 5 th July
Green rooms have been allocated to all 3 choirs. Schools will bring their own
refreshments and we will offer fruit juice to the audience.
Advance ticket sale have been poor, but it is hoped that many parents will pay on the
door and the card reader has been checked for card payments. After we go to rehearse,
2-3 of our ladies will take over the door and ticket sales.
Approval has been granted to use the playground at the rear for parking and there is
ample parking space also in front of the school. CD has offered to direct traffic.
Volunteers are needed to set out chairs at 3pm and to put them back after the concert.
We will rehearse with the school choirs at 6pm so members are asked to arrive by 5.45.
Boston Spa Methodist Church, 27 th February. Joint concert with the Rodilian ladies choir.
GC and LC will visit on Friday 4 th July to discuss arrangements.
So far, no other concert offers have been received.
IB
4 Members Secretary Report
SB now submits figures for attendances by each section of the choir for the period of 8 th
April 2025 to 1 July 2025. That period is 11 weeks excluding bank holidays etc. although
the Tenors 2 and Baritones appear to have only recorded 10 weeks.
Suffice to say the attendances
by Baritones 63.84% of all available dates
by Bass 47.72% “ “ “ “
by Tenors 1 77.27 % ” “ “ “
by Tenors 2 73.63 % “ “ “ “
This compares with the previous period January to April 2025 of 80.4% for Baritones,
64.46% for Bass, 88.63% for Tenors 1 and 77.68% for Tenors 2
SB has excluded a member from the calculation for baritones who made no attendances
in the period, and does not know if he was resigned or is long term sick.
Bass figures include 4 members who did not attend at all during this period but are
presumed to be returning eventually. The bass figures were also perhaps made to appear
worse by the absence of one member who attended only once up to the end of the
period. However one looks at it there has been further decline in attendance by all
SB
sections in the April to July period as set out above.
A potential top tenor has attended 2 rehearsals and hopes to join in September. Updated
member details have now been collected and a new table of contacts will be available to
first aiders for the re-start in September.
After the meeting, we received the sad news that David Millar has passed away.
5 Marketing and promotion
LC produced a shortened programme programme for the concert on 14 th June at West
Park, including a refence to Duncan Goodwin who performed brilliantly, and his wife
Fran. LC has also produced the usual programme for the Sing Out concert which will be
printed on 26 th June. Posters will be available to members this evening for distribution in
the Harrogate area and LC has provided a total of 550 tickets, 320 of which have been
issued to the 2 schools. 30 tickets have been retained for choir member.
LC and GC will meet representatives of Boston Spa methodist church on 4 th July about our
proposed concert on 27 th February 2026.
LC
6 Social Prescribing update. TG will meet the new co-ordinator for North Yorkshire later in
July. The responsible person has changed twice since our offer was made. DB has
attempted to contact the nominated person for Linking Leeds in Wetherby and has even
offered a complimentary ticket to Sing Out but there has been no response. DB will
follow up with the organisation in Leeds. No referrals have yet been made from either N.
Yorkshire or Leeds and now we have indicated that we have a break until September.
TG/DB
7 Website update
RK reports that he continues to “tinker” with the website and change photos. He has a
slight issue with the header picture when viewing it on mobile phones – it just seems to
display the 'Risen' webpage theme image instead of our header. He is trying to work out
how to fix it, but if not he will ask Josh Gribby if he will help.
The minutes of the last meeting have been posted on the members’ section of the
website and will be replaced by these minutes when finalised.
8 Sing Out 2026
TG has confirmed arrangements for Pannal primary school and Brackenfield prep school
to participate in Sing Out 2026.
TG
9 Competitive festivals 2026
We have been contacted by Harrogate Competitive festival for support in participating
next year, as the financial future of this festival is in doubt. It was agreed that we should
support our local festival and prioritise it over other events on the same day. Eskdale
festival also has financial difficulties and no announcement has yet ben made for the
Harrogate Choir Festival (Royal Hall)
10 Committee members 2025/26
DB, II and TG are all up for replacement at the AGM as their terms have expired. DH’s
membership will also have to be confirmed. DH has expressed an interest in marketing
the choir and will work with LC until the post id confirmed.
11 Date of choir re-start
The re-start will take place on Tuesday 2 nd September. DB will remind members 2 weeks
before the first rehearsal
DB
12 Sources of finance.
CD explained that councils have “locality budgets” which can be used to fund local
causes. CD will investigate his local council and committee members are asked to look
into the budgets of their local councils.
13 Next Meeting. Tuesday 2 nd September, 10.00 am at Woodland Methodists
