The choir is run by its trustees, with the mission to put on three concerts of choral music each year in major venues in Bury St Edmunds, often accompanied by professional orchestral players and soloists. We also do a Christmas concert.
Large amateur choirs and choral societies such as ours are one of the key foundation stones of classical music. Their role is to encourage and enable people from all backgrounds to sing together to a very high standard, to provide opportunities to the public at large to enjoy listening to live classical music, and to employ music professionals, thus providing them with the opportunity to build a career in classical music making. Unlike orchestras, who can gain significant government funding through a tax rebate scheme, no government funding is available to choirs and choral societies.
The choir’s main expenses are our rehearsals (paying for venue, music director and accompanist), and our concerts (paying for venue, conductor, orchestral players and soloists).
The choir’s main sources of income are member subscriptions (at just under £200 per member), fund raising, ticket sales revenue, and sponsorship. In broad terms, rehearsals are funded from member subscriptions and fund raising, and concerts from ticket sales revenue and sponsorship. Our concerts are very well attended, with ticket prices between £25 and £30, but ticket sales can only ever cover part of the cost, and the generosity of our sponsors is vital in enabling us to continue our mission.
The role of Major Sponsor of Bury Bach Choir, undertaken by Rougham Estate Trust, is the key element of our sponsorship structure and crucial to our continuing success as a choir. Beneath this position, we have several Corporate Sponsors and Corporate Patrons, and a Friends Association. Together they enable us to cover the ever-increasing costs of mounting our concerts.
Our season runs from September to June, with concerts in November, December, March and June. During our 2024/25 season we have performed a programme of Holst and Fauré in The Apex concert hall in Bury St Edmunds, a Christmas Celebration in Lavenham, Bach’s St Mark Passion in The Apex, and Mozart’s Requiem in St Mary’s Church, Bury St Edmunds. Our total audience has been 1260. During the coming season we will be performing two concerts in The Apex and one in St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
To book our venues and our professionals, we must start planning our concerts three seasons ahead. The sponsorship from Rougham Estate Trust enables us to do this with ambition and confidence.
Mike Heywood, choir member
