Organist-choir Director Job Description

7/29/2019 Organist-choir Director Job Description

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St. Thomas' Anglican ChurchDescription of PositionFor

The OrganistJChoir DirectorAccountabilityThe OrganisdChoir Director shall be accou ntable to the Corporation of the parish of St. Thom asAnglican Church and responsible to th e Rec tor in day-to-day matters concerning the position. TheOrganisdCho ir Director together w ith the Rec tor and the Contemporary Music Leader shareresponsibility for the provision of suitable musical leadership of the corporate worship o f theparish and in working toward the music objectives of the parish.Corporation and Vestry shall represent the people o f the parish to the R ector and theOrganistIChoir Director in the general direction and shape of our worship and may appoint acommittee of the Vestry for this purpose.Role and Responsibility1. The OrganistIChoir Director will provide leadership in the music and to the musicians of the11AM Sunday service by:a) preparing preludes, interludes and postludes, accompanying the singing of hymns, psalmsand choir anthems, and liturgical responses;b) selecting music in cooperation with the Rector and/or the Corporation;

c) directing the 11A M choir in the p resenta tion of hymns, psalms, anthems, liturgicalrespon ses and special music;d) developing as high a quality of music possible given the parish resources;e) overseeing all musicians and singers participating in 11AM worship; which may includehandbells, junior choir and Sunday sch ool music;f) maintaining the rich tradition of Anglican music which we have received over thecenturies;g) encouraging a broad range of contem porary hymns, songs and liturgical settings whichgive expression to curren t developments in the Anglican Church.h) Encourag ing a high level of commitment, motivation and standard of dress for Choirmembers at Services, weddings and fbnerals.

2. The OrganistIChoir Direc tor will stren gthen the music of the parish by:a) exhibiting a standard of organ playing which qualifies for a professional organ certifica teor equivalent;b) recruiting members for the 11AM choir from outside and inside the cong regation;c) convening, teaching and providing opportunities for choir members to develop their ownskills;d) being responsible for the direction of the Choir and preparation of anthems and specialmusic;e) providing opportunities for a wide variety of parishioners to participate in the 11A Mservice by promoting the choir and encouragin g involvement of parishioners with o thermusical abilities;f) playing at special services such as: Ecumenical Mission, Advent Lessons and Carols, tw otraditional Christmas Eve services (currently at 9PM and 1 PM), Ash Wednesday,Maundy Thursday, Easter Vigil and othe r services as required and others, when requested

C:Roy's Files\personnel\OrganistChoir irector21 doc Revised: August 25,2004


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St . Thomas' Anglican Church - osition DescriptionMusic Director, Choir Director & OrganistReporting to the Rector, this part-time position (1 0 hours per week -- 10 months per year)provides the overall leadership for music ministry at St. Thomas' by:A. As the Organist, providing ~nusical upport for worship services:Play for the 1 lam Sunday services, hnerals and weddingsPlay for choir practices and special services (approximately 10 per year)B. As the Choir Director, providing choral support for worship:

Choose and arrange musicLead choir in practices and choral presentationsSelect appropriate music tbr special festivals throughout the year (e.g. Holy Week andChristmas)Provide leadership to develop the repertoire and vocal abilities of choir members.Administer a budget for the purchase of music

C. As the Music Director, providing overall leadership in Music Ministry:Lead any combined music program of the choir and TapestryCoordinate music for the various servicesLiaise with the Rector and the Liturgy CommitteeDevelop music progralns to involve both children and youth in worship (eg. liandbells,junior choir)Self development to keep current with church music and liturgyHave an umbrella responsibility for assisting the 9 o'clock service music gl-oup, 7ir/)~.s/ly.Assistance in this case would be requested by the Tapestry group on an "as required" basisfor such matters as sound, expression, breathing, etc.

approved by Vestry May 19, 1998


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2by the Rector and staff body, and if available;g) playing, in coopera tion with the Contemporary Music Leader, at combined services(Sundays at IOAM) such as: Welcome Hom e, Stewardsh ip, Christmas Pageant, 1"'Sunday after Christmas, Epiphany, Annual General Meeting, Congregational Meeting, andPatronal Festival;h) playing at weddings and kne ral s and memorial services, when able, or finding a suiiablereplacement;i) participating in ou treach projects such as playing at extended care facilities and caro lsmgmg;j) showing initiative in seeking opportunities to enrich our music life.The O rganist/Choir Director will provide internal and external communications, reporting andbudgeting services by:a) preparing reports for staff meetings, liturgical meetings and other meetings of the parish asrequired;b) writing reports for parish annual general meetings and congregational meetings asrequired;c) preparing newsletter and newspaper articles for S t. Thomas' Times, The Messenger,Anglican Journal and other media as required;d) maintaining the departmental budget for the choir, choral music purchasing and organ andpiano repair;e) reporting music usage for purposes of copyright and licensing.

4. The O rganistIChoir Direc tor will be aware of music developm ents within the Anglican Churchof Canada by:a) establishing collegial relationships with othe r church O rganists;b) participating in church-related workshops and seminars;c) seeking information from the Rector, the D iocese and the N ational Church.5. The OrganistIChoir Direc tor may participate in the whole ministry of the Parish as it seeks tobe faithfkl to the mission as stated by the parish by:

a) attend ing weekly staff meetings, quarterly liturgical meetings and any other meetings asneeded t o discuss and plan for the music life of the parish;b) supporting decisions of Vestry and Corpo ration with respect to directions and objectivesfor the parish;c) becoming an active member of the staff ministry team of the parish;

6. The O rganistIChoir Direc tor will oversee the use o f the parish's traditional music resourcesincluding the organ, piano and choral music libra-ry by:a) ensuring, in consu ltation with the Rector, that only qualified people have use of the

instruments;b) arranging for regularly tuning of the instruments;c) arranging for repairs as necessary;d) maintaining the parish's library of music.7. The O rganistIChoir Director will be responsible for providing hislher own transporta tion forrehearsals, staff meetings and Church services.

Revised: August 25,2004


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3Rights and Privileges1. Should the O rganistIChoir Director choose to use the facility for lessons, helshe is required tocarry hislher own persona l liability insurance which indemnifies the parish o f S t. Thomas '.Proof of this insurance will be provided to the parish before lessons occur.2. The OrganistIChoir Director has access to budgetary fbnds for the purchase of choral music tobe determined in consultation with the R ector and the Vestry.3 . The O rganistIChoir Director has the right to hire outside musicians for special occasions asper the current budget.

Remuneration1. The position of OrganistIChoir Director is based on a ten month position from S eptember 1 toJune 30, of approximately 10 hours per week of on-site work. This work is broken dow n asfollows:

Sunday ServicesChoir PreparationChoir RehearsalMeetingsPracticeSpecial Program s

2.0 hours2.0 hours2.5 hours1.0 hour2.0 hours.5 hours10.0 hoursIt is understood that some personal rehearsal time and preparation for the above on-site time willbe over and above the stated hourly exp ectations and may take place off site.2. Additional fees shall be paid by the families for such services as weddings and fbnerals at thecurrent RCCO Guideline rates. At the date of this agreement, current fees are as follows:Weddings $150Additional (Optional) Wedding Rehearsals $50Funerals $100Additional (Optional) Funeral Meeting w ith the Family $2 0Additional Soloist Rehearsals for W eddings $50Should the OrganistIChoir Director wish to be away from the parish, helshe will be responsiblefor hiring a replacement to serve in hislher stead and will pay the replacement at the currentRCCO rate (currently $75 for the service only o r $15 0 for choir rehearsal and service.).

Revised:August 25,2004


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EMPLOYMENT OFA CHURCH MUSICIANThe RCCO is pleased to announce that our flagship resource " The Employment of a Church Musician: A Guide orCanadian Churches" is now available in a revised second edition.This 50 page booklet contains thorough listingsof the skills required and the work that a church musician does. It also contains chapters on writing a jobdescrjption and where a church should advertise, interview procedures, starting and maintaining the relationship,exit interviews and ending the relationship. Appendices include the RCCO salary grid (shown below), samplecontracts, the RCCO position statement on the use of pre-recorded music in worship and anannotated reading list.While aimed at Canadian churches, most of the material is applicable in the United States and otherEnglish-speaking countries. This booklet is available for $7.50 CDN plus $2.50 CDN shipping and handlingcharges from the national office. The French translation will be available in the early fall 2000.

TABLE OFRECOMMENDED SALARIES (2000)

The following levels have been established for educational qualifications (these are specific combinations to

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illustrate the levels; equivalent diplomas and certificates should be treated appropriately):Level Qualification1 no diplomas2 conservatory diploma (e-g. RCT) OR CRCCO3 bachelor s degree OR ARCCO-j5;4 bachelor's degree with ARCCO OR master's degree OR FRCCO5 master's degree with ARCCO OR bachelor's degree with FRCCO6 master's degree with FRCCO OR doctorate7 doctorate with FRCCO

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Organist-choir Director Job Description