REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 10571468 (England and Wales)

REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1196048

SONORO

(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2026

Page

Report of the Trustees

1

to

4

Independent Examiner's Report

5

Statement of Financial Activities

6

Balance Sheet

7

Notes to the Financial Statements

8

to

12

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31 March 2026. The trustees have adopted the provisions of 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 (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

This report serves as both the Trustees Annual Report and the Directors' Report under company law for the Company's financial and operating period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. For the purposes of filing with Companies House and the Charity Commission, the financial statements for the Company are appended to this report.

The Trustees confirm that the Trustees Annual Report and the associated financial statements comply with the statutory requirements currently in force, with the charity's own governing document and in accordance with the financial reporting standards (FRS 102) applicable in the UK.

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Objectives

a) To advance the education understanding and appreciation of the public in music in general and choral music in particular for the public benefit through the holding of public concerts and events in which people gather to participate in music and by means of broadcasting, producing and/or distributing literature or such other means as the trustees think fit;

b) To promote the education (including social and physical training) of people of all ages but notably those under the age of 25 years through music in such ways as the charity trustees think fit;

c) To promote learning for pleasure by people including those not in full time employment through the continued development of their individual capabilities, competencies, skills and understanding in music in general and choral music in particular;

d) To promote research for the public benefit in all aspects of music education and to publish the useful results relating to that subject.

Significant activities

At the heart of Sonoro, and expressing its prime ethos, is its chamber choir, which has attracted attention for its warm tone, rich blend of colours and vibrancy in performance.

Its singers are drawn from the pool of the country's finest professional choral talent, who are also independent soloists in their own right.

The choir's unmistakably rich and full sound has been realised by allowing each singer to be free to use all of their voice, matched with careful blending, creating warmth and resonance. 'Sonoro' in Italian means 'sonorous - voices that are rich and full' and Sonoro lives up to that name as a choir with a distinctive and perfectly blended sound.

The principal activities described in the section Achievement and Performance below highlight how the objectives of the charity are being met, notably this year in the areas of advancing the appreciation of choral music in support of events run by other UK charities and in the preparation of a major project involving young voices scheduled for 2026 and beyond.

Public benefit

In planning the activities of the charity the trustees have had due regard for the Charity Commission's guidance on public benefit.

ACHIEVEMENTS AND PERFORMANCE

Activities

Sonoro has already earned a reputation as a body that produces a distinct and full sound by letting its singers make full use of their individual voices, whilst resulting in a blended resonance. Independent professional singers are attracted to this opportunity and new ones continue to apply to be added to Sonoro's approved list of partners. There are no singers as permanent members of the choir. Each project and event is resourced from a list of professional singers that has been drawn up following auditions for vocal compatibility.

It is this characteristic that is one of the reasons composers like to work with the Artistic Directors and also, potentially, facilitate the opportunities for recordings, leaving the Artistic Directors to select the most appropriate singers from Sonoro's list. Much of the second half of the year saw the Artistic Directors working closely with Youth Choral Worcs in preparation for the world premiere of a new Sonoro-commissioned work by Cheryl Frances-Hoad due to take place in late April 2026. This will involve the young singers performing alongside a number of Sonoro singers in the premiere in Worcester Cathedral.

Sonoro's Choral Inspirations projects continue to find opportunities for other choirs to explore the new repertoire created as part of these projects. This past year saw a workshop with Thanet Chamber Choir using examples from the repertoire. In addition, since their introduction, a number of the compositions have been used in several concert performances and liturgical settings by many choirs across the country and indeed beyond.

As part of its core education objective, Sonoro hosted two workshops - one focusing on choral conducting, the other on choral singing. The Conducting Masterclass worked with a number participants to highlight areas of development and improvement in how to interact successfully with a choir by clear communication through the efficient movement of hands and arms, as well as other visual techniques. It also included vocal production advice from one of Sonoro's singers who then joined seven other colleagues to form a choir directed by the participants. Additionally, provision was also made for interested parties to come and observe this for their own education. The second workshop enabled singers to work together with some Sonoro singers rehearsing Mozart's 'Great' Mass in C and how to improve the sound with vocal technique adjustments. These two activities have now become regular annual events.

Once again, Sonoro was invited to participate and lead the singing in the Christmas carol concert for the charity Supporting Wounded Veterans in central London, attended by many well-known names in the entertainment world. It has been asked to return for Christmas 2026.

Regretfully for the third year, Sonoro was not able to continue its close association and collaboration with Merton Music Foundation that allowed it to visit primary schools in the London Borough of Merton as part of Sonoro's educational outreach project, Sound Construction. Previously this highly successful project had been supported by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund distributed by Merton Giving. It would appear that Merton Giving has decided to reallocate most of its funding away from supporting education in music. It is very unfortunate that this appears to be a growing trend amongst some funding sources.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

A summary of the financial position of the charity is provided on the balance sheet which forms a part of these accounts.

Reserves policy

The charity has no employees. Any professionals engaged are on an ad hoc project by project basis only. The charity therefore aims to hold sufficient reserves to enable it to meet its financial obligations as they fall due over a three-month period, a duration considered sufficient to allow for a controlled closure of the company, should it be required.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Governing document

The charity is constituted as a company limited by guarantee, as defined by the Companies Act 2006, and its governing document is its Memorandum and Articles of Association adopted by a special resolution on 21st September 2021 and filed with the Charity Commission.

Recruitment and appointment of new trustees

The trustees have the power to appoint additional trustees, taking into consideration any specialist skills or aptitude that a potential trustee may possess that would benefit or widen the expertise and knowledge area of the trustees.

Decision making

The Trustees meet regularly to review the Company's operation, plans and financial status as stated and proposed by the operations team, led by the Artistic Directors, to which the day-to-day management of the Company is delegated.

No Trustee receives any fees, remuneration, financial benefit or benefit-in-kind for holding the role of Trustee and can only claim the reimbursement for any authorised expenses incurred subject to the terms defined in the Company's Articles.

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS

Registered Company number

10571468 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number

1196048

Registered office

4th Floor Tuition House

27/37 St George's Road

Wimbledon

London

SW19 4EU

Principal address

18 Bartholomew Close

Haslemere

Surrey

GU27 1EN

Trustees

Peter Hickson (Chair)

Phiroz Dalal

Neil Dennis

Melanie Hancox

Elizabeth Neale

Helen Wills

Independent Examiner

Hartley Fowler LLP

Chartered Accountants

4th Floor Tuition House

27-37 St George's Road

Wimbledon

London

SW19 4EU

TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT

The trustees (who are also the directors of Sonoro for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law, the trustees have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law).

Under company law the trustees must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

-	select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

-	observe the methods and principles in the Charities SORP;

-	make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

-	prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company 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 charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 17 September 2026 and signed on its behalf by:

Peter Hickson - Trustee

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Sonoro ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31 March 2026.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1.	accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2.	the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3.	the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act 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; or

4.

the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

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.

Jonathan Askew

Hartley Fowler LLP

Chartered Accountants

4th Floor Tuition House

27-37 St George's Road

Wimbledon

London

SW19 4EU

22 October 2026

2026

2025

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

fund

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Grants and donations

52,250

-

52,250

47,518

Charitable activities

Charitable activities

27,466

12,165

39,631

41,771

Total

79,716

12,165

91,881

89,289

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

Charitable activities

74,469

-

74,469

84,413

NET INCOME

5,247

12,165

17,412

4,876

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

5,365

3,425

8,790

3,914

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

10,612

15,590

26,202

8,790

2026

2025

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

Total

fund

funds

funds

funds

Notes

£

£

£

£

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

7

1,066

-

1,066

910

CURRENT ASSETS

Debtors

8

3,396

-

3,396

719

Cash at bank

13,026

15,590

28,616

15,475

16,422

15,590

32,012

16,194

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

9

(6,876

)

-

(6,876

)

(8,314

)

NET CURRENT ASSETS

9,546

15,590

25,136

7,880

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

10,612

15,590

26,202

8,790

NET ASSETS

10,612

15,590

26,202

8,790

FUNDS

11

Unrestricted funds

10,612

5,365

Restricted funds

15,590

3,425

TOTAL FUNDS

26,202

8,790

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31 March 2026.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2026 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

(a)	ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 17 September 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

Peter Hickson - Trustee

1.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) '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 (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Plant and machinery

-

25% on cost

Taxation

The charity is exempt from corporation tax on its charitable activities.

Fund accounting

Unrestricted funds can be used in accordance with the charitable objectives at the discretion of the trustees.

Restricted funds can only be used for particular restricted purposes within the objects of the charity. Restrictions arise when specified by the donor or when funds are raised for particular restricted purposes.

Further explanation of the nature and purpose of each fund is included in the notes to the financial statements.

2.	SUPPORT COSTS

Governance

Finance

costs

Totals

£

£

£

Charitable activities

531

4,447

4,978

Support costs, included in the above, are as follows:

Finance

2026

2025

Charitable

Total

activities

activities

£

£

Bank charges

531

598

Governance costs

2026

2025

Charitable

Total

activities

activities

£

£

Accountancy fees

3,457

3,227

Other professional charges

990

1,636

4,447

4,863

3.	NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE)

Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting):

2026

2025

£

£

Depreciation - owned assets

763

409

4.	TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

Trustees' expenses

There were no trustees' expenses paid for the year ended 31 March 2026 nor for the year ended 31 March 2025.

5.	COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES

Unrestricted

Restricted

Total

fund

funds

funds

£

£

£

INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM

Grants and donations

46,940

578

47,518

Charitable activities

Charitable activities

41,771

-

41,771

Total

88,711

578

89,289

EXPENDITURE ON

Charitable activities

Charitable activities

84,373

40

84,413

NET INCOME

4,338

538

4,876

RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS

Total funds brought forward

1,027

2,887

3,914

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

5,365

3,425

8,790

6.	SOFTWARE COSTS

Computer

software

£

COST

At 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

2,635

AMORTISATION

At 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

2,635

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 March 2026

-

At 31 March 2025

-

7.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Plant and

machinery

£

COST

At 1 April 2025

4,544

Additions

919

At 31 March 2026

5,463

DEPRECIATION

At 1 April 2025

3,634

Charge for year

763

At 31 March 2026

4,397

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 March 2026

1,066

At 31 March 2025

910

8.	DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2026

2025

£

£

Trade debtors

-

86

Other debtors

3,396

633

3,396

719

9.	CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2026

2025

£

£

Bank loans and overdrafts (see note 10)

-

334

Trade creditors

3,194

4,108

Accrued expenses

3,682

3,872

6,876

8,314

10.

LOANS

An analysis of the maturity of loans is given below:

2026

2025

£

£

Amounts falling due within one year on demand:

Bank overdrafts

-

334

11.	MOVEMENT IN FUNDS

Net

movement

At

At 1/4/25

in funds

31/3/26

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

5,365

5,247

10,612

Restricted funds

Special Projects

3,425

12,165

15,590

TOTAL FUNDS

8,790

17,412

26,202

Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

£

£

Unrestricted funds

General fund

79,716

(74,469

)

5,247

Restricted funds

Special Projects

12,165

-

12,165

TOTAL FUNDS

91,881

(74,469

)

17,412

Comparatives for movement in funds

Net

movement

At

At 1/4/24

in funds

31/3/25

£

£

£

Unrestricted fund

1,027

4,338

5,365

Restricted funds

Special Projects

2,887

538

3,425

TOTAL FUNDS

3,914

4,876

8,790

Comparative net movement in funds included in the above are as follows:

Incoming

Resources

Movement

resources

expended

in funds

£

£

£

Unrestricted fund

88,711

(84,373

)

4,338

Restricted funds

Special Projects

578

(40

)

538

TOTAL FUNDS

89,289

(84,413

)

4,876

12.	RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

There were no related party transactions for the year ended 31 March 2026.