The Bury Bach Choir Friends Association is a group of people and businesses who support the activities of the Choir by making a financial contribution to Choir funds. This support is vital to the future of the Choir.

Why are the Friends so important?

It costs a lot of money to present three concerts each year with professional soloists and orchestra.

A concert including a popular work such as Handel's Messiah with four soloists and a small orchestra costs in the region of £9000.

An audience of 500 brings in £9500, thus giving a small profit of £500.

A concert which requires a large orchestra and four soloists such as the Verdi Requiem costs in the region of £17500.

If we manage to fill the cathedral with an audience of 700, this brings in £12500 leaving a shortfall of £5000. This shortfall must be met from members' subscriptions and sponsorship.

The annual subscription for a singing member is £182 (2022/23). In setting this subscription we have to set it low enough to keep the singers we need to perform large scale works, and high enough to pay for rehearsal facilities and to support our concerts.

In choosing the works we perform we have to balance popular works, which bring in money, with less popular works, which give variety both to our singers and audience.

We cannot continue to present concerts of the variety and quality which we have achieved in the past few years without the support and sponsorship of the Bury Bach Choir Friends' Association.

Bury Bach Choir is registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in England and Wales, under its full original title, Bury St Edmunds Bach Society. Our registered charity number is 1181842.

How can I become a Friend?

You can give your financial support to the Choir in one of four ways.

• Become a Friend or Benefactor
• Become a Jubilee Member
• Become a Sponsor
• Become a Corporate Sponsor or Corporate Patron