Organist and Choir Director

Organist & Choir Director Part-time Position

St. Paul’s Church By-the-Lake
7100 N. Ashland Blvd.
Chicago, IL. 60626-2502

773-764-6514
organist-search@stpaulsbythelake.org
Stpaulsbythelake.org

St. Paul’s Church by-the-Lake, the Episcopal Church in Chicago’s Rogers Park
neighborhood since 1882, seeks a permanent part-time Organist and Choir Director. We are a diverse and vibrant parish known for traditional Anglican liturgy and music beloved by its congregation. We have a small but dedicated volunteer choir for the 10:30AM Sung Mass on Sundays and occasions such as Holy Week and Christmas. The choir chants the minor propers of the English Gradual and sings the Ordinary as well as traditional hymns from the 1940 Hymnal and other sources. We rehearse briefly prior to Sunday’s Sung Mass and may use a limited number of extra singers and instrumentalists for major feast days or special occasions.

The ideal candidate will be a talented and dedicated musician who places a high value on the spirituality of music and worship, make appropriate and high-quality music selections, including for special Masses and holidays, and be able to adapt to the style of our Mass with necessary flexibility as needed.The part-time Organist and Choir director for St. Paul’s Church By-the-Lake will lead all aspects of the music program, including music selection, organ playing, directing the volunteer choir and occasional hired musicians for worship services that support a classical Anglican/Episcopal worship musical tradition. Key responsibilities will include:

1) Plan for and play the 10:30am Sunday Sung Mass each Sunday, which includes:
· Organ Prelude
· Select hymns from Protestant Episcopal Church 1940 Hymnal, Lift Every Voice Hymnal, and other music selections in coordination with the Rector
· The Ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus, Agnus Dei), various settings
· The Minor Propers from the English Gradual sung by Choir/Cantor (Introit, Gradual, Offertory, Communion)
· Occasional anthems, solos, and other special music, at times instrumentalists
· Closing Voluntary

2) Prepare and Rehearse Voluntary Choir (starting at 9:30am on Sundays, prior to the 10:30a Mass from September through June):
· Recruit and encourage choir participation
· Hymns, mass setting, minor propers, occasional anthems, solos and transitional music, and other special music, at times instrumentalists
· Communicate and coordinate with the choir for rehearsals, coverage and special music via emails and texts
· Recruitment of additional paid musicians for special concerts and occasions

3) Music for Principal Feasts and other observances:
· Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with small concert before Christmas Eve Mass
· Holy Week evenings: Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil
Easter Day, with a small concert before
· Weekday masses for Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Ascension Day, and All Saints

4) Other Services throughout the year:
· Stations of the Cross with Benedictions on Fridays evenings in Lent
· Occasional Evensongs (2-4x per year)
· Bishop’s Visitations (1x per year, at most)
· Right of first refusal for weddings, funerals and other special occasions held at St. Paul’s, with honorariums from organizers

5) Other General Responsibilities:
· Identify substitute organist coverage for Sundays or other services away for vacation, illness, etc.
· Coordinate organ maintenance, tuning & repairs for the primary and tracker organs
· Oversee organization of the music library

Compensation:
$20,000 per year
Three Sundays off per year, with substitute organist paid by the church
Right of first refusal for weddings, funerals and other special occasion services held at St. Paul’s