Music Director (Clemson, South Carolina)

Date Posted: 
February 3, 2024
Organization Name: 
St. Andrew Catholic Church
Contact Email: 
khensen@saclemson.org
Salary Range: 
Competitive and commensurate with experience
Job Description: 

Job Title

Music Director (vacancy due to retirement June 1, 2024)

Hours

Full-time, reporting to the Pastor

Parish

St. Andrew Catholic Church

209 Sloan Street

Clemson, SC 29631                                                                                                                                  

Parish General Information:

http://www.saclemson.org

http://www.facebook.com/saclemson

Application Submittal

Applicants should submit a letter of application that addresses the job description, your CV/resume and the names of three professional references, including their email addresses and telephone numbers, preferably in pdf format. Applications will be reviewed as received and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by April 1, 2024, will be ensured full consideration.

If emailing documents (preferred), please send to:     khensen@saclemson.org

If using the US Postal Service, please mail to:

St. Andrew Catholic Church

c/o Fr. Dan McLellan, OFM

P. O. Box 112

Clemson, SC 29633

Requirements

  • Master's degree in music and/or liturgical studies preferred; Bachelor's degree in music is required plus a minimum of 3-years’ experience as a church director of music and organist
  • Proficient keyboard skills on organ and piano
  • Knowledge of Catholic liturgy and music
  • Vocal/choral training with substantial experience in choral and instrumental conducting
  • Knowledge of a range of sacred choral literature and relevant major works
  • Establish strong collaborations and relationships with staff and parishioners
  • Collegial demeanor with strong communication skills, both verbal and written
  • Highly organized with a proficiency in computer, electronic and music software
  • Successful background and credit check

Basic Job Description and Benefits

  • The Director of Music will be responsible for the leadership and coordination of all musical ministries as described in the full job description.
  • This full-time position reports directly to the Pastor. Benefits include health insurance, disability, retirement contribution, paid vacation, holidays and sick days. The salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.

St. Andrew Music Ministry Overview

  • Our congregation loves to sing and actively participates in liturgical song. We use GIA Publication's Gather hymnals, 3rd edition.
  • We have an established 40-person adult choir: the SATB subset and the all-women's subset serve the two Sunday morning Masses. The Sunday evening Mass is led in song by the college students' choir. The choirs' schedules follow the academic calendar, active from around the end of August through early June with weekly rehearsals.
  • The 'joyful noise' of our children's choir was disrupted by Covid and needs rebuilding.
  • The chime ensemble (Hymn Dingers) rehearses and performs as needed, enriching the liturgical music experience.
  • We have a considerable pool of talented cantors and instrumentalists (guitar, violin, cello, oboe, clarinet, flute, trumpet, piano).
  • The Director of Music has the following instruments available for his/her use:
    • Main Church: Allen organ, Genisys G340 with 50 stops and 3 manuals, purchased for the new church
    • Main Church: Kawai Novus NV5 hybrid digital piano
    • Chapel: Clavinova and an older acoustic piano
    • Music Director's Office: Casio CGF700 (88 keys)
    • Malmark Choir Chimes (3 octaves)
    • iPad for use in uploading accompaniments for liturgical music
  • The music library is located inside the main church and houses choral and instrumental music and equipment such as music and microphone stands.

Specific Duties of the Music Director

  • Encourage and support congregational participation in liturgical song. Prepare user-friendly worship aids for use at all services.
  • Select music for all Masses – regular weekend schedule, Holy Days, special occasions (e.g.: Feast of St. Andrew, Festival of Lessons and Carols, etc.)
  • Provide leadership and organization for all choral and instrumental groups. Recruit, rehearse and direct choirs for regular and special services. Schedule additional rehearsals with cantors and instrumentalists as needed.
  • Accompany liturgical music for all Masses on organ and/or piano, allowing personal rehearsal time to ensure performance proficiency.
  • Collaborate with families in the planning of wedding and funeral music. Prepare worship aids as needed and prepare/rehearse with cantors as needed.
  • Maintain music library with volunteer assistance from choir members.
  • Supervise maintenance of the organ and keyboards, working with qualified and trained professionals.
  • Coordinate with audio technician to establish proper balance of sound sources, especially for the livestream Mass.
  • Arrange for a substitute keyboardist during any absence.
  • Be a good steward of the music ministry budget.
  • In addition to the preceding core job requirements, listed below are programs that have been a part of our parish history, ones that could possibly be continued depending on the candidate's interest and/or experience:
    • Taize prayer service – prepare and perform music selections for a one-hour monthly service held in the chapel
    • Campus Edge Concert series – an annual series of 2 or 3 one-hour concerts performed by regional musicians. An existing committee works with the Music Director in booking performers, promoting concerts and managing budgetary matters. This musical outreach is open to all surrounding communities.
    • Hymn Dingers chime ensemble – recruit, train and rehearse with this group for special occasions
    • Bulletin articles – write a few sentences pertaining to the music ministry for the weekly bulletin

Parish Overview

  • St. Andrew Catholic Church is in downtown Clemson, South Carolina and offers a small-town lifestyle benefiting from a major university culture.
  • Our facilities, built within the last three years, include the current church (seating capacity 480), a parish center and parish offices plus the on-site chapel built in 1935 (seating capacity 90). Additionally, the campus includes three renovated houses used for the Catholic Student Association meetings, special retreats, and religious formation.
  • We currently serve approximately 675 registered households – and are growing annually – plus around 600 college students.
  • We have a vibrant integration of college students in parish life through Mass attendance, the Catholic Student Association (Catholic Tigers), volunteers as religious formation instructors for the parish youth, various liturgical and music ministries, community service projects and more.
  • St. Andrew Catholic Church is on good financial footing enabling us to address Catholic social justice issues through weekly tithing to local, state, national and international organizations, food drives for our local food bank (Clemson Community Care), Christmas gifts for children in need and more.
  • We also foster ecumenical collaboration with our local churches. (e.g.: Musica Ecclesia, a choral concert performed by area church choirs benefiting local food banks)

Clemson and the Greater Clemson Area – a Great Place to Live

St. Andrew Catholic Church and Clemson University, the land-grant institution of South Carolina, are located midway between Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC in the 1.5 million-person Greenville-Spartanburg consolidated metro area. Clemson is a small town with one of the best Town and Gown relationships according to the Princeton Review. Greenville is one of the most highly rated communities to visit with an award-winning vibrant downtown – just 30 miles away.

Clemson is considered one of the best college towns in America to live and retire. The historic community of Charleston and two nationally prominent tourist destinations – Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach – are located along the South Carolina coastline. Recreational opportunities in mountainous, freshwater and coastal environments are plentiful and easily accessible from Clemson which is located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and on the shore of Lake Hartwell. The climate is relatively mild with four seasons and the quality of life is exceptional. As in many college towns, the public school system is excellent from elementary through high school.

Clemson University is nationally recognized as a Research I university and includes excellent fine arts and music programs. Well-known for its sports and family-oriented programs, Clemson has a diverse student body from around the world at 28,500 students. The nearby institutions of Southern Wesleyan University, Furman University and Anderson University also offer many fine art and athletic forms of entertainment. All are located just a short drive from Clemson.

Link to organization website