Soprano Choral Scholar

London & South East

Organisation: St Mary's Church, Chelsea

St Mary's Church, Chelsea (SW3) is seeking to appoint a SOPRANO CHORAL SCHOLAR from September 2018 to support the current voluntary choir who sing each week at the 1130 Solemn Mass.

The current choir of volunteers is made up of singers, drawn from all over London, who have made St Mary's their place of worship. Repertoire consists of music from a variety of styles including 8-part polyphonic motets by Palestrina and Victoria, accompanied masses by Mozart and Haydn, and contemporary works by Philip Stopford and Ola Gjeilo. The choir occasionally performs at other venues - in 2017, the choir gave a concert at Arundel Cathedral and, earlier in 2018, they sang for Mass at St George's Cathedral, Southwark.

The Choral Scholarship

The Soprano Choral Scholarship was introduced at St Mary's in January 2017. It has proved to be a highly successful initiative that has helped to enhance the choir and support its members. The scholarship also provides opportunities for solo work - in addition to weddings and funerals, there are a number of services throughout the year that require a soloist or cantor. Generous extra fees are paid for all these engagements and the Choral Scholar has first refusal on all such events.

It is expected that the Choral Scholar will work alongside the Director of Music to provide appropriate choral support for the rehearsals and services each Sunday and at other special events when appropriate. While there are no restrictions on age or employment status, it is envisaged that the Choral Scholarship will best suit current university students, gap year students (pre- or post-university) or recent graduates. As a result, the commitments of the Choral Scholar can be tailored to fir in with University terms and vacations as and when necessary.

Person Specification

The Ideal Candidate is likely to be:

Typical Weekly Commitment

There is no service on Christmas Day, though attendance is expected on Christmas Eve for a service at 2200. The Choral Scholar is not required to sing during the Summer Vacation (usually from mid-July to the first weekend in September) and six further weeks of holiday are permitted (no more than two weeks in any one month) during the course of the year. 

Remuneration

Scholars are paid a basic annual honorarium of £750 plus generous extra fees for weddings/funerals as available through the year. Though the number of such services is not fixed, the post holder could expect to earn a considerable supplement from solo work. There were roughly 10 extra services in 2017/18 - the same number in 2018/19 would bring the total honorarium to no less than £1,500.

Application

To apply, please send a CV, covering letter and contact details of two referees (to be contacted after short-listing) to the Director of Music, Jack Thompson, by email to directorofmusic@smlmc.org.uk 

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Sunday 1 July 2018. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to sing with the choir at the 1130 Mass on either Sunday 8 July or Sunday 15 July, and to attend a short interview and audition with the Director of Music on the same day. The successful candidate will commence their studies on September 1 2018.

For further information, or to request a full application pack, please contact the Director of Music, Jack Thompson, at directorofmusic@smlmc.org.uk

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