There is an opening for a new Director of Music, beginning in September 2007. We have lots of great music going on at St Thomas’s and this is an excellent opportunity for the right person. Music forms an important element in the outreach to our community. This year we have been led by a student of conducting at the Royal Academy of Music, Rachel Coward, a singer and clarinettist. We enjoyed performing “Messiah” on Good Friday, with a small orchestra.

The Director of Music is a part time post.

On Sunday morning our main service is at 10.30am. There is usually a mixture of music group and organ leading of the congregational singing. Songs (which are currently chosen by the Vicar) come from a wide variety of sources, with a number coming from EMU music in Australia. The senior choir, or a soloist, quite often sing an anthem on Sunday morning, but not usually on the first Sunday of the month, which is an all age service. Once a month the service is Holy Communion: anthems may be sung during communion, and a version of the Gloria may be sung. On Sunday evening different informal groupings of musicians lead the service.

The current senior choir has 7 sopranos, 3 altos, 2 tenors, and 5 basses. The current junior choir has 15 children. At present the Director of Music trains the junior choir from 6.15-7.15pm, and the senior choir from 7.30-9.15pm on Friday evenings.

There is a fine two manual pipe organ with electronic action, in good condition (see www.st-toms.org.uk/storgan.html for specification). There is a Roland electric piano, near an input box for guitars, voice etc, for our 24 channel mixing desk. There are also two upright pianos for practice.

The church seating plan is very flexible. For Good Friday we usually turn all the seats around and erect a stage at the back, beneath the organ, and have an augmented choir of around 70 people, to perform parts of Messiah, or Stainer’s Crucifixion. These occasions are usually standing room only, with over 250 in the congregation. We also do an excellent Carol Service, and have done an annual Choral Evensong. The junior choir usually lead a song on Sunday morning, but have also performed works like “Captain Noah and his Floating Zoo”, and “Jonah-man Jazz”. A number of the children are also learning instruments such as bassoon, violin, flute, trombone, piano and recorder.

There are a number of competent musicians in the congregation who regularly take part in leading music, including 1 organist, 5 pianists, 4 violinists, 3 bass players, 4 electric or acoustic guitar players, 3 drummers. A Youth Band plays once a month in the evening, otherwise groups take part informally. We would hope the new Director of Music would co-ordinate the musicians required each week, but it is not necessary for him or her to attend on Sunday evenings.

There are not many occasional offices in the church – perhaps one wedding a year, and maybe a couple of church funerals, for which the organist would be paid an additional fee.

As Vicar I would be open for our music to go in new directions, and value suggestions of new songs etc. As we have a fine organ I would be keen that our new Director of Music can play the organ, but if the applicant has other strengths, we may be able to work round that.

To chat about the post, feel free to speak to Christopher Hobbs, 020 8360 1749, or email christopher.hobbs@london.anglican.org

The current salary is £4000 per annum. Annual leave is 5 Sundays. Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau procedures will be necessary.