St Paul's Cathedral - Bass Vicar Choral

Overview

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.

Introduction

There has been a choir at St Paul's Cathedral for over nine centuries. The structure of the present choir, including 12 professional adult singers (or Vicars Choral), was established in the last century when Sir John Stainer was Organist.  In addition to providing music for the daily liturgical life of the Cathedral, the choir also enjoys a world-wide reputation through its many recordings, broadcasts and tours.

Main Responsibilities

There are 12 Vicars Choral in the Cathedral Choir at St Paul’s – four altos, four tenors and four basses. At present their duties are as follows:

1. To sing at 60% of the statutory services throughout term time and their associated rehearsals.

              The current schedule is –

Monday           Day Off

Tuesday           1700    Evensong – Rehearsal 1630    Wk 1 Choristers only Wk 2 Full Choir

Wednesday     1700    Evensong – Rehearsal 1630    Full Choir

Thursday         1700    Evensong – Rehearsal 1630    Vicars Choral only

Friday              1700    Evensong – Rehearsal 1630    Full Choir

Saturday          1700    Evensong – Rehearsal 1630    Full Choir

Sunday             1015    Mattins – Rehearsal 0930       Full Choir

                                    1130    Eucharist                       Full Choir

                                    1515    Evensong – Rehearsal 1445    Full Choir
 

Vicars Choral are entitled to three days off in every two weeks, the days off currently being every Monday and every other Tuesday.

1. To sing at the following obligatory services (at which you and not a deputy must be present).

               Eucharist and Evensong on Christmas Day

               Mattins, Eucharist and Evensong on Easter Day

1. To sing at other feast days and at special services in the year as may be designated by the Chapter from time to time.
    
2. To sing or provide a deputy for the many extra services, weddings and memorials at St Paul’s, which carry extra fees and are detailed in the monthly Vicars Choral Diary. 
    
3. To sing or, in consultation with the Director of Music, provide a deputy for recordings, broadcasts, concerts and tours which Chapter agrees the Choir may undertake.
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4. To take responsibility for any solo verse which occurs at statutory services during the Vicar Choral’s verse week as delineated on the monthly music list.

The Ideal Candidate

Requirements

1.  Normally the Chapter will only appoint as a Vicar Choral an applicant who is a member of the Church of England, or of any church which is in communion with, or recognised by, the Church of England.
2. The post is subject to the receipt of an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure Barring Service.

The Person

The Cathedral Chapter are committed to finding a Vicar Choral who –

• is an exceptional singer, confident and adept at both choral and solo performance;
• displays an enterprising and imaginative approach to personal musical development;
• pays consistent and careful attention to the health and well-being of the voice;
• is able to work calmly, particularly when performing at high profile, pressured occasions;
• is able to work as part of a close-knit team in the Music Department and also engage with the wider Cathedral community;
• has an enthusiastic and positive demeanour;
• has a lively interest in and an awareness of the rich liturgical and musical heritage of the Church of England;
• has sympathy with the Christian values of the vision statement outlined earlier in this document.

About us

Our Mission Statement

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