St Paul's Cathedral - William and Irene Miller Organ Scholarship 2019-2020

Overview

The Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral wish to appoint an Organ Scholar for the academic year from September 2019.  The scholarship presents an exciting opportunity for post-graduate candidates, or exceptional final year undergraduate students, who wish to pursue a career as a church musician.  The Organ Scholar will be part of a team of five musicians at St Paul’s and will be expected to play a full part in the musical life of the Cathedral.

The period of the appointment is from the beginning of September 2019 until the end of August 2020.

Introduction

St Paul’s Cathedral seeks to enable people in all their diversity to encounter the transforming presence of God in Jesus Christ.

Our Vision

• St Paul’s is seen primarily as a living Christian Church
• We will be a centre for welcome, worship and learning, and though our care and imagination, will inspire successive generations to engage with the richness of the Christian faith and its heritage.
• Working with the Bishop and Diocese of London and the wider Church, we will be a spiritual focus for people across London, the nation and a broader international audience.
• Our work will promote dignity and justice for everyone.

Our Values

Welcome – we all offer a warm inclusive welcome to everyone: our colleagues, volunteers and each and every visitor

Responsible – we are all responsible for each other and for part of the whole of the Cathedral’s work, not the whole of a part

Effective – we are professional and do what we say we are going to do

Nourish – we have a learning culture, not a blame culture

Main Responsibilities

The Organ Scholar will be expected to undertake the following duties:

·         accompanying the Cathedral Choir at Evensong at least once a week.

·         playing for some “non-choral” services - including the 6pm services on a Sunday.

·         providing 25 minutes of music before Sunday Evensong, or before the morning services, as a prelude to the liturgies.                                                                         

·         providing voluntaries after some services as required.

·         perform once a term ( 3 times in the year) in the Sunday organ recital series.

·         playing for visiting choirs on some weekdays and on some Sundays when the Cathedral Choir is on holiday (in rotation with the other organists).

·         greeting visiting organists and assisting them when required.

·         assisting the other Cathedral organists at the console for services.

·         assisting in the training of probationary and other choristers.

·         playing for Cathedral School assemblies (once a week during term time).

·         sharing in the administrative workload of the Music Department, including typesetting of manuscripts, assisting with the administration for visiting choirs, and attendance at the weekly organists’ meeting.

·         acting as Assistant Choir Librarian (approx 3 hours a week).

The Ideal Candidate

The Cathedral Chapter are committed to finding an Organ Scholar who:

• wishes to become an exceptional performer on the organ, both as soloist and accompanist;
• has a lively interest in and proven experience of working within the English choral tradition;
• is enthusiastic about working with children;
• has an enthusiastic and positive demeanour;
• has an awareness of the rich liturgical and musical heritage of the Church of England;
• is a graduate or will be a graduate by September 2019. Exceptional final year undergraduate students may be considered;
• displays an enterprising and imaginative approach to personal musical development;
• is able to work calmly, particularly when performing at high profile, pressured occasions; and is able to work as part of a close-knit team in the Music Department, and also engage with the wider cathedral community.

​The successful candidate will be in sympathy with, and in their work support, the Christian aims and mission of St Paul’s Cathedral.

About us

A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has overlooked the City of London since 604 AD and the current Cathedral was built between 1675 and 1710 by Sir Christopher Wren.

As the Cathedral of the capital city, St Paul’s is often the spiritual focus for the nation holding events of national importance as well as serving as a busy, working church.

This ancient heritage and purpose is enriched by the requirement in today’s society to engage with various constituencies as the Cathedral fulfils its mission. These may be characterised as (a) the Bishop and Diocese of London, (b) the City of London as one of the world’s business and financial centres (c) the United Kingdom as the Cathedral fulfils a national and state role and (d) the international context as it becomes an increasingly important icon of faith overseas.

For further information on St Paul’s Cathedral please visit www.stpauls.co.uk.