St. Paul’s seeks to employ a part-time Organist and Music Director. In this ministry, the Organist and Music Director will be involved as a pastor, educator, and the principal musician of the parish. His/her pastoral concern and counsel for members of the choir are to be exercised within the context of his/her larger duty to the pastoral care and well being of the congregation corporately.
Qualifications
a bachelor’s or master’s degree in organ, sacred music, music education, or equivalent
competence and comfort in choral conducting while playing the organ
a love of music as a means of ministry
a heart for leading congregational singing and encouraging parish musicianship
an interest in exploring the Anglican musical tradition as well as high-quality Christian contemporary and world music
experience in liturgical worship
self-organization, a sense of humor, flexibility, and a willingness to think outside the box
the ability to work collegially with clergy and a worship committee, yet also feel called to
exercise thoughtful leadership of the musical life of the parish
Duties of the Position
The Organist and Music Director shall:
Provide music and musical leadership at the regular Sunday services of the parish, for the Christmas season, for Holy Week, and for additional services (such as funerals) as necessary. Â Play organ solo repertoire and accompany congregational hymns, service music, anthems, and other music as required.
Be responsible for participation in planning these services in conjunction with the Rector and such other persons as the Rector may include in the process of liturgical planning (such as the Worship Committee), and for the shared selection of music.
Provide or arrange for the provision of music at weddings and funerals scheduled to be conducted in the parish, and provide such consultation and advice to wedding parties or families of the deceased as is necessary to achieve the pastoral and liturgical aims of the services.
Be responsible for the administration and expenditure of the music budget and choir funds subject to the Policies and Procedures of St. Paul’s Church. The Organist and Music Director should be prepared at any time to provide an accounting of all music funds and their expenditure to the Rector, the parish Treasurer, the Wardens and Vestry, and any other financial officer of the parish authorized or designated by the Rector to receive such information.
Recruit, train, and rehearse the choir, ensembles, and singers of the parish and lead congregational training sessions as required, including weekly Thursday evening choir rehearsals.Â
Be responsible for the music library and the musical instruments of the parish. The Organist and Director of Music shall make any necessary arrangements for the care and maintenance of the instruments in the parish at the expense of the parish. He/she shall maintain the music library in an orderly and organized fashion and shall maintain, at parish expense, a suitable number of copies of musical pieces to enable performance by the choir and ensembles of the parish. He/she shall not engage in the unauthorized duplication of copyrighted materials by photocopying or any other means that would expose the parish to liability for penalties under existing or future copyright laws. In the event that photocopying of music becomes necessary for appropriate purposes, he/she must first obtain all necessary permissions and authorizations prior to any such reproduction of the copyrighted materials. We currently operate within the boundaries of our One License agreement.
Be responsible for the employment, at parish expense, of such other musicians as may be required to meet the musical needs of the parish, including but not limited to substitute organists and/or conductors, instrumentalists, and section leaders.
Attend the seasonally scheduled Worship Committee meetings (usually quarterly), and, upon reasonable notice, such other meetings as may be necessary for the conduct of the parish music program.
While being subject to the canonical authority of the Rector, the Music Director operates largely independently; the Rector mostly leaves music decisions to the Music Director.
Be engaged in the work of this position 15 hours each week.
On those occasions when the Organist and Music Director is absent from parochial duties, it shall be his/her responsibility to obtain the permission of the Rector for such absences, and to obtain appropriate substitutes to perform the duties and obligations of this Agreement until his return. He/she shall consult with the Rector in advance concerning the arrangements, and shall see that persons performing substitute duties are competent, informed as to the liturgical needs and routines of the parish, and rehearsed in those duties. When absence is occasioned by approved personal leave, the Organist and Music Director shall ensure that substitute organists are compensated (at parish expense) in an amount suitable to obtain the requisite level of competence for the particular duty or service delegated. Â
The Organist and Music Director, in consultation with the Rector, shall examine regularly the possibilities for musical outreach to the wider community. Examples might include, but not be limited to, a seasonal series of concerts and recitals.
Section II. Duties of the Parish
In consideration of the faithful performance of the duties listed above, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church agrees as follows:
The Organist and Music Director will be compensated in line with AGO standards.
As this position is less than 1,500 hours per year, St. Paul’s does not provide medical or dental benefits for the position.
The Organist and Music Director shall receive four weeks of vacation annually (and no more than four Sundays), as approved by the Rector, and shall also be entitled to five days of paid sick leave per year. Â
Excused absence will be granted should the Organist and Music Director be summoned as a juror. The parish will pay the regular salary. In the case of bereavement, three days paid leave will be given.
The Organist and Music Director of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is an at-will employee. Either the Organist and Music Director or the Rector may terminate the Organist and Music Director’s employment at any time for any reason. The Organist and Music Director shall provide a formal notice in writing, at least two weeks in advance of resignation.
This job description constitutes the entire statement of our agreement. There are no oral agreements or understandings, or any other written agreements, which directly or indirectly affect the employment relationship between the Organist and Music Director and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
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Please submit resumes and cover letters to:
The Rev. Robert Bacon, Rector
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
127 Summer Street
Lynnfield, MA 01940
Cell: 617-699-7918
E-mail:Â rbacon@stpaulslynnfield.orgÂ