Contact:
Alec Corio
Email:
administrator@stmaryseastbarnet.org
Address:
Our welcoming and inclusive parish church in north London is seeking to appoint a collaborative and entrepreneurial choral musician as Director of Music.
You will work closely with the Rector to...
Locality:
London
Postcode/Zip:
EN4 8XD
Musical Requirements:
It is essential that you
• Are an able musician, able to play piano to a high standard as a soloist and accompanist
• Are an able conductor, able to train and direct choirs of all ages
• Are supportive of the Inclusive Church identity and central to Liberal Catholic worship style of St Mary’s, East Barnet
• Share a compelling vision for the important place of music within the church, and in its priorities for mission and growth
• Have the ability to recruit, motivate and manage a team of volunteers
• Are a collaborative worker
• Have excellent communication and inter-personal skills
• Have excellent organisational skills
• Are reliable
• Have the ability to work independently and be self-accountable for the use of your work time
• Can effectively safeguard your time off
• Have a right to work in the UK
It is desirable that you
• Are an accomplished organist, able to play the organ to a high standard as soloist and accompanist. If you are not already a good organist, then you will be expected to take lessons and improve your playing
• Are an experienced choral musician, with a proven ability to recruit to, train and direct choirs of all ages
• Have a recognised qualification as an organist, or in voice or choral direction
• Have experience coaching choir members through the RCSM scheme, or similar
• Have experience working with schools
• Have experience working within the church
• Can demonstrate the skills in self-reflection to improve your practice, and to coach others
You must be available to work flexibly, to attend events and services including on Sundays. Working on Sundays will be a regular requirement of the role, and there will be occasional requirements to work on week day evenings. Beyond this, the church is supportive of flexible and home working to meet your needs.
You must have a right to work in the UK. This appointment is subject to the completion of a DBS check, confidential declarations, and completion of all required safeguarding training courses.
Other details:
St Mary’s, East Barnet, is seeking to appoint a collaborative and entrepreneurial choral musician to serve as Director of Music.
The post is intended to build up the church’s ministry of music by:
• Choosing appropriate congregational and choral music, in consultation with the Rector
• Expanding the breadth of liturgical music that is offered, in consultation with the Rector, in order to improve schools links and deepen the atmosphere of worship
• Playing before and after regular and seasonal services, and accompanying congregational music at these services to a high standard
• Recruiting to choirs. At present St Mary’s has a small junior choir (c 6 children) and a small adult choir (SAYTB, 4-7 adults)
• Training and directing choirs. At present the junior choir rehearses on a weekday afternoon and the adult choir rehearses before services at which they will sing
• Deepening the value of music to the mission of the church in other creative ways, to be discerned in consultation with the Rector
• Playing before and after occasional offices, and during occasional offices (weddings and funerals) if available. This will be remunerated separately
• Applying for external grant funding to establish choral or organ scholarships, in collaboration with the Rector, to establish a firmer foundation for choral music at St Mary’s
St Mary’s wishes to evolve the priorities for this role, and creative choices about the way those are discharged, in consultation with the successful candidate. It is to be expected that these will relate to the other priorities that the church council has set for growth, especially in relation to ministry with children and schools, and in congregational size.
Our schedule of services at which the Director of Music will be expected to play or direct includes:
• 10am Sunday morning service (every Sunday) varying between an All Age Messy Eucharist, Parish Eucharist, and Festal Sung Eucharist with different settings for each
• 4pm Contemplative Eucharist (third Sunday of the month only)
• 6pm Evensong (first Sunday of the month only)
• Advent and Christmas carol services, at present accompanied by brass and a chamber orchestra, and attended by c500 people in 2024
• Triduum and Easter services, at present accompanied by brass or strings
• An annual memorial service at All Souls
For scheduling choir rehearsals and other regular events, St Mary’s will seek to adapt to the successful candidate’s other work schedule where reasonable. The successful candidate will be expected to attend regular team meetings. Again, for meetings St Mary’s will seek to adapt to the successful candidate’s other work schedule where reasonable.
St Mary’s has an excellent acoustic, and an impressive parish church organ. It is regularly maintained for ordinary use; however at present there is consultation on the costs of repair to the diapason. St Mary’s has also recently taken ownership of a baby grand piano. The new Director of Music will be expected to consult on the maintenance of the instruments. St Mary’s has previously held concerts and arts series as part of its wider engagement.
Your skills as a conductor and accompanist will be assessed at interview.
To apply please send a cover letter and CV demonstrating your suitability to the Rector at administrator@stmaryseastbarnet.org by 13 March.