St. John’s Episcopal Church

Ithaca, New York

Position: Organist/Choir Director

Supervisor: Rector and/or Wardens

Compensation: $25,000 - 28,000 per year

Position Type: Part-Time (15 hours per week)

Position Summary: To weekly direct the choir, lead rehearsals, and play accompaniment for services, and provide education and work with the Rector to shape and deepen the music program at St. John’s. Performance will be reviewed annually.

Preferred Qualifications: Extensive experience (Bachelor of Music preferred) playing the Organ, directing choirs of various ages, directing a Bell Choir, a preferred experience with a broad range of music genres and an ability to work with a range of people. An enthusiasm to share music with the congregation as well as the community.

Duties:

Work with the Rector to shape a music program for St. John’s that:

Engages the parish and deepens the experience of worship at St. John’s for the entire St. John’s family.
Presents a diversity of musical offerings.
Is based on an understanding of the musical talents and needs of the parish.
Promotes greater involvement and inclusion of all members of the parish, including children.
Provide music programming that enhances spiritual growth for all ages represented in the parish.
Provide guidance to those arranging weddings and funerals on music appropriate to the liturgy. Act as a resource for the Liturgy committee on the musical aspects of service planning.
Provide music entries for the weekly bulletin and proofread these.
Provide organ music for Sunday services at 10:30 with choir, including major services such as Advent lessons and Carols, the observance of Epiphany, the services of Holy Week, the observance of All Saints’ Day, and the visits of the Bishop and without choir in the summer season, which is defined as the Sunday following Trinity Sunday until the first Sunday following Labor Day.
Provide organ music for additional occasions, including two services on Christmas Eve (both with organ, one with choir), Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday (with choir and organ), Good Friday (which may rely on alternate instrumentation), two services on Easter, weekday official visits of the Bishop, and others that may be mutually agreed upon.
Provide music for funerals and weddings, on a first refusal basis, (for which an additional fee, set according to a mutually acceptable fee schedule established by the Rector and the Organist, may be charged by the Organist).

In the event of a service schedule alteration, the Rector and the Organist will come to a mutually agreed upon method for providing music for the congregation.

Provide leadership for the Bell and Vocal Choirs:
Work with Parsons’ or other tuning and organ maintenance group to oversee the tuning and upkeep of the organ.
Report weekly music use to OneLicense and keep license up to date
Within the limits authorized by the budget;
Purchase all necessary music and music supplies
Hire instrumental and vocal soloists
Arrange tuning of organ and pianos
To communicate the needs and achievements of the music program to the parish and provide an annual report which describes the accomplishments of the program

Schedule and Vacations

The Organist is employed 15 hours a week. In consultation with the Rector, these hours shall include at least 2 Office Hours that coincide with the church office hours. Choir rehearsals, special services and private rehearsal time will be considered part of the 15 hours a week, the majority which will be conducted at St. John’s.

The Organist shall be entitled to four weeks per year as vacation with pay. Dates of vacation will be mutually arranged with the Rector. The Organist is entitled to two (2) Sundays of sick leave with pay per calendar year. Any personal leave without pay may be arranged with the Rector.

Continuing Education

St. John’s Church shall reimburse the Organist $100 annually for the expenses of attending music conferences, conventions, workshops or music lessons. Due to budgetary considerations, this annual amount cannot be carried over to succeeding years if any portion is unused in a given year.

Job Type: Part-time

Pay: From $25,000.00 per year

Expected hours: 15 per week

Benefits:

Paid time off
Professional development assistance

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person

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