Music Director (New London, NH)
Date Posted:
December 11, 2019
Organization Name:
St. Andrew's Episcopal Church
Contact Email:
Salary Range:
$21,000 - $43,000
Job Description:
Description:
We seek a Music Director to cultivate joyful, prayerful worship that integrates contemporary and traditional styles. You will conduct a small but strong adult choir and provide organ and piano accompaniment at our 10 o’clock Sunday service. You’ll join a dynamic team (rector, missioner, youth music leader) that has attracted national media attention for its creative intergenerational worship (Something extraordinary is happening). And you’ll be up for a challenge: New Hampshire is the least religious and one of the whitest states in America!
A picture postcard town surrounded by lakes and mountains, New London is renowned as a retirement community, but St. Andrew’s has embraced all age worship where children have the same claim as adults on the style and content of worship. Traditional hymns and anthems are complemented by music from the world church, from the Iona and Taizé communities, from African-American traditions, and from contemporary composers.
Our recent All Saints’ Sunday provides a good example of the variety of music prepared by the choir and enjoyed by our congregation. For our morning Eucharist with Baptism, the choir sang anthems by Ralph Vaughan Williams (“O taste and see how gracious the Lord is”) and Bob Moore (“For all the saints who’ve shown your love”) as well as the Beatitudes with a congregational refrain. The choir led the congregation in singing two traditional hymns (“For all the saints who from their labors rest” and “Jerusalem, my happy home”), a Sanctus from Argentina, and a rousing version of “O when the saints go marching in” to conclude the Eucharist. In the evening’s reflective Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, the Choir sang Psalm 43 to a plainsong setting, a motet by Carl Schalk (“Blessed are the dead”) and led four traditional hymns (“O gracious light,” “Abide with me,” “The day thou gavest,” and the neglected “He wants not friends”). The organist teamed up with flutist Nicole Densmore to provide two musical meditations — his own composition Requiescat and “Nimrod” (from “Enigma” Variations) by Edward Elgar. Nicole teaches music at the local elementary school and, as St. Andrew’s Youth Music Director, leads a children’s choir during six-week periods before and during the Christmas and Easter seasons. In addition to flute, Nicole plays the djembe and will be a big asset to the incoming Music Director.
The church is equipped with an Austin five rank organ (Opus 2471). We have pianos in the sanctuary, in the choir rehearsal room, and in the parish hall.
The Music Director will support the gospel message through song and challenge the church to live this message more fully. This is an exciting opportunity for seasoned musicians. It could also launch a young pacesetter into a fulfilling career.
Requirements:
- Experience and competency directing choir(s)
- Skilled accompanist on the organ and piano
- Ability to work effectively with all ages
- Pastoral heart and sensitivity to choir and congregational needs
- Energy, creativity, flexibility and patience
- Ability to sing and advance skills of choir members through hands-on instruction
- Willingness to develop liturgical awareness
- Commitment to ecumenism and to drawing on the best music in other traditions
An academic degree in music or church music would be a plus, as would experience of the Episcopal Church and of leading instrumental/mixed ensembles.
Benefits:
This is a salaried job of 17 hours per week with an annual range of 21,000 - 43,000 dollars in line with experience, training and skills. Although a part time position, it could be paired with a vacancy at our partner church, Epiphany in Newport, where basic housing is also available. The compensation package includes four weeks of paid vacation leave. The Music Director will oversee a music budget of $7,600. There is a separate annual allocation of $750 for the Music Director's professional development.
Application:
By 31 January 2020, please apply at our entry on workable.com: https://apply.workable.com/j/40B6E8FE8C