Choral Director Post - Diocese of Leeds

[Leeds Cathedral]

The Diocese of Leeds has an approach to liturgical music centred around its young people. The music programme currently involves 4 childrens choirs at the cathedral and 15 in Bradford. We wish to develop this outreach work from the Cathedral to more schools and as a result a new full time position is available which may be of interest to SSG members. Please see http://www.leedscathedral.org.uk

Claudine Tat, Music Department Administrator

Diocese of Leeds Seeks Choral Director
To work with the Bradford Youth and Leeds Cathedral Choirs alongside the Director and Assistant Director of Music from September 2006. The post is supported by a funding partnership of Bradford Catholic Primary Schools.

circa £19.5k plus full pension package

An application pack is available from: Benjamin Saunders Director of Music Cathedral House Great George Street Leeds LS2 8BE Tel. 0113 244 8634 Email: music@leeds-diocese.org.uk Website: http://www.leedscathedral.org.uk Closing date: 22nd March 2006

The post of Choral Director in the Diocese of Leeds

JOB SPECIFICATION

Background

The Diocese of Leeds has one of the fastest growing and largest programmes of choral music for young people in the United Kingdom. It includes two boys’, three girls’ and a professional adult choir with eighteen choral scholars. During the past 12 months the choirs have broadcast seven times (BBC Radios 2, 3 and 4) and produced three commercial CD recordings.


The Bradford Youth Choir Programme

The Diocese covers a large geographical area including Leeds, Huddersfield, Wakefield, Harrogate, Halifax and Ripon. Bradford and Keighley have enjoyed special musical provision since 2003. A consortium of high schools in this area has entered in a funding partnership with the Diocese to offer an exceptional level of choral provision to their students. The Assistant Director of Music carries delegated responsibility for the delivery of this programme.

The current holder of this post, Christopher McElroy, has led the individual school choirs to early competition success over the past eighteen months. All our three participating high schools were finalists in the Yorkshire Schools Choir competition and St Joseph’s Primary School won outright the Robertshaw Festival of Music. The programme benefits from timetabled rehearsal slots for the choirs during the normal school day. In essence, this means that the children can develop beyond the level of many school choirs because they rehearse in school time rather than being dependant on parental commitment for after school rehearsals.

In addition to the school choirs, a Bradford Boys’ Choir has been developed from auditioned children from the feeder primaries of the partner high schools. Founded in February 2005, these eighteen boys rehearse weekly after school and have already made a first CD with the choirs at Leeds Cathedral. In April 2006 a similar auditioned Bradford Girls’ Choir will begin rehearsals. In 2007 the Youth Choir will be formed from auditioned senior members of the Bradford Boys’ and Girls’ Choirs.

The repertoire of the choirs is an even mixture of secular and sacred. Concerts and competitions are an important part of the year, as is the liturgical function, singing in churches and at Leeds Cathedral.


Leeds Cathedral Choirs

The Cathedral has its own programme of four dedicated choirs which perform in rotation. The building is undergoing closure for a sixteen month restoration period and once this work is completed in November 2006, musical provision will be enhanced and extended. The choirs will sing Choral Vespers and Mass every weekday (except Friday) alongside the two principal Sunday services.

Places in the choirs are open to all; however these are subject to an audition, interview, perfect attendance record and good sight reading skills. The boys largely attend a special arts status college and the choral scholars are mainly music students at Leeds University. The girls and junior choirs attend many different schools across West Yorkshire. Notable national BBC broadcasts during the past 10 months have included Midnight Mass, Choral Vespers live on Radio 3 for the election of Pope Benedict XVI, Mothering Sunday and the anniversary of the attacks on 9/11. The cost of all choir tours is subsidised in the region of 50-90% by a choir parents fundraising group.

The cathedral pipe organ has been removed to Germany by Klais of Bonn and a new four manual Phoenix organ will be used until its restoration is complete. The pipe organ is to be enlarged and reorganised to accommodate the new central position of the choir in a reordered sanctuary. This complex work benefits from the advice of the cathedral organ consultant, David Sanger. The song school also houses a grand piano and further pianos are available in other rehearsal areas.

The first Diocesan Director of Music was Joseph Cullen, appointed in 1988, and now well known nationally as the chorus master of the London Symphony Chorus and Huddersfield Choral Society. The notable composer Stuart Thompson, now Head of Music at Caterham School, succeeded him, establishing the first girls’ choir in a catholic cathedral. Benjamin Saunders was appointed in 2002 after holding posts at Downing College Cambridge, St Giles’ Edinburgh, Blackburn and Chester Cathedrals.


The new post of Choral Director

This post is designed primarily to enable the further development of the Bradford Youth Choir programme, particularly with younger voices of primary school age. A secondary responsibility will cover some cathedral music provision, including developing music for a weekend evening mass. The day to day leadership of one of the cathedral choirs is also possible once established in post. The post is funded as a partnership between the Diocese of Leeds and Bradford Schools.

The Choral Director position is suitable for an ambitious and creative musician with exceptional gifts in working with young voices. Previous leadership experience is useful, but not as essential as a proven ability as a children’s vocal trainer. Our choirs are well resourced, high achieving and over subscribed by applicants – the time is ripe for growth.


Post Title: Choral Director

Time commitment: Full time

Date of commencement: 1 September 2006

Purpose of post: To develop music within the Diocese of Leeds

To whom responsible: The Assistant Diocesan Director of Music in the first instance (line manager), with the support of the Director of Music and a Management Committee

Employer: The Diocese of Leeds Trustee

Remuneration: In the region of £19.5k. Mileage allowance in Fixed Profit car scheme. Contributory pension scheme available after six months of employment.



Duties:

• Bradford Youth Choir

The Choral Director will work with the Assistant Director of Music in devising and delivering a comprehensive choral curriculum to all schools involved in the Bradford Youth Choir Initiative. This may include singing classes in schools, directing school choirs and directing or assisting the Bradford Boys’, Girls’ and Youth Choirs. This is a well-resourced programme and is performance driven.


• Leeds Cathedral – In liaison with the Director of Music and assisted by the music staff, he/she will be responsible for:

(i) Assisting in the Direction of the Boys, Girls, Junior and Adult Choirs

(ii) Organising music provision a weekend evening mass


Resources available: Music Department secretary; part-time assistant cathedral organist; eighteen choral scholarships; organ scholarship; choral conducting scholarship; composition scholarship; parental choir support group; three girls’ choirs; two boys’ choirs and one mixed voice professional adult choir

In service training: Encouraged, offered and arranged as appropriate

Faith commitment: Sensitive to the Christian ethos and worship of the Diocese. Applications are welcome from non-Catholics.

Conditions: Appointment to, and continuation in this post is conditional upon the satisfactory outcome of initial and periodic checks with the relevant statutory bodies to comply with child protection procedures


PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualities required:

• The ability to develop mature, and harmonious working relationships
• An excellent communicator skilled in consultation
• Ability in public speaking
• A willingness to take initiative and think strategically
• Ability to prioritise and manage time efficiently
• An outstanding trainer of young voices, with the ability to motivate and inspire singers
• The ambition and energy to achieve the highest possible standards of performance and recognition
• Excellent keyboard skills, especially as an accompanist on piano and/or organ


Qualifications: A thorough education at University, Conservatory or equivalent in any subject.

Experience:

• The successful candidate will have had leadership experience as a choir trainer within an educational, secular or cathedral/church type institution
• Proven success at working with and relating to young singers
• Knowledge of child protection issues
• An understanding of the use of the media in promoting musical performances – computer skills advantageous
• A grasp of the importance of teamwork in creative leadership roles

The successful candidate will also need a full UK driving licence/transport to travel between schools and the cathedral.

APPLICATIONS

Applicants should return the completed application form together with a covering letter indicating their interest in the position. Any supporting materials may be included in the application. These should be sent to:

Benjamin Saunders
Director of Music
Cathedral House
Leeds LS2 8BE
Tel. 0113 244 8634

Informal discussions or visits can be made by contacting the Director of Music.

Closing date: Wednesday 22nd March, Short listing: Thursday 23rd March
Interviews: 5th-6th April 2006

[musicus]

Following a complaint about one of the replies to this post, I am taking the unusual step of temporarily removing all the replies to it (and parking them safely elsewhere) while I take advice and consider our response. This topic is now locked. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience.

[musicus]

I am restoring one on-topic message and the reply to it, and removing one off-topic message and the reply to that. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

No liturgical experience required?

Liturgical experience is certainly an advantage, however in service training will be provided and encouraged to develop the successful applicant's own skills set. Please contact me if you wish to be sent an application pack and full details.

Claudine Tat (PA to Benjamin Saunders)