Closing Date: 30th October

Salary: £6,600 | Location: Kent area | Hours: Part-time, 7 hours per week | Contract type: 2 year Fixed-term contract

About the Role

The Archdiocese of Southwark is seeking to appoint a Choral Director to
support the delivery of the Southwark Singing Programme, part of the National
Schools Singing Programme. Diocesan Choral Directors visit schools for 30
weeks of the year, establishing a long-term relationship with each school via a
Service Level Agreement, and working towards combined performances and
recordings with other schools. Working closely with the Director of Music and
other Choral Directors, the postholder will develop relationships with
individual schools across the Kent area, which extends from Tunbridge Wells
in the West to Broadstairs in the East. The successful candidate will be highly
organised, proactive and personable, with a genuine enthusiasm for the
educational and spiritual benefits that singing gives to young people.


The Music Department
The Diocesan Music Department consists of the St George’s Cathedral Choirs,
the Southwark Singing Programme, and the Diocesan Music Forum. The
Cathedral has five choirs for children and young people up to the age of 18,
including provision for babies and toddlers through the Small Sounds group.
Choral music is sung at all major Masses including the two principal Sunday
Masses. Eight professional lay clerks form the ‘back row’ of the choir, with
soprano lay clerks joining the choir on Solemnities. The Southwark Singing
Programme is the Diocesan music education and evangelisation programme,
part of the National Schools Singing Programme. The Diocesan Music Forum
organises workshops, training and events to support parish music leaders and
teachers across the diocese. Most Cathedral Choristers join the choir through
their participation in the Southwark Singing Programme. While this is
unfeasible for those who live in Kent, the postholder will be expected to
explore avenues for regular liturgical singing for local children, establishing
after-school choirs and other local opportunities.


The Archdiocese of Southwark
The Archdiocese of Southwark is a diverse, vibrant diocese covering South
London and Kent. As part of the Called to Bear Fruit renewal, we are seeking a
Choral Director who will help support and develop music as a vital part of the
Church’s mission. Music has a unique capacity to draw people into an
encounter with Christ, strengthen parish communities, and nurture the faith of
children, young people and adults. This role will contribute to the Archbishop's
vision of vibrant, missionary parishes by supporting the growth of our diocesan
music programmes, fostering collaboration between parishes, schools and the
Cathedral, and helping to ensure that the gifts of sacred music continue to bear
fruit in the life of the Church.


The role
Singing sessions are led by the Choral Director for whole classes and school
choirs. These sessions run during the school terms for around 30 weeks of the
year, covering a wide range of sacred and secular repertoire, and seek to
support the schools’ overall offer for music within the National Curriculum as
well as the wider spiritual life of each school. The majority of your hours will
be spent in diocesan schools running whole-class singing sessions with pupils,
leading from the keyboard, working in the same set of schools each week. This
will mostly be in primary education settings, with some secondary schools also.
Combining core musical literacy, vocal technique and performance skills you
will help to shape our model for liturgical singing in schools and enable schools
to collaborate with each other for massed performances at diocesan liturgies,
drawing on the curriculum resources and training provided by the National
Schools Singing Programme. Practical delivery of the programme takes place
during school terms, with time for planning and consolidation during the
school holidays. The Archdiocese of Southwark includes the whole of South
London and Kent, stretching from Richmond to Dover and including almost
170 schools in 14 Education Authorities. As such, this role will involve regular
travel and the role-holder will be expected to organise their sessions
geographically to maximise efficiency.


Through this role you will be expected to:
• Deliver weekly whole-class singing sessions in diocesan primary and
secondary schools in Kent, working in collaboration with the Director of
Music and wider music staff.
• Direct and manage an after-school choir for pupils at diocesan schools in
this area, liaising with local clergy to facilitate liturgical singing
opportunities.
• Identify, recruit, develop and maintain relationships with diocesan
schools in the Kent area who may benefit from membership of the
Singing Programme.
• Liaise with the diocesan staff and participating schools to implement a
Service Level Agreement which outlines the singing provision and
financial contribution sought from schools.

 

Closing date: Friday 30th October

This post is subject to an enhanced DBS check

To submit your application, please send your CV and Cover letter to recruitment@rcaos.org.uk