Advertisement for a new Musical
Director
An abbreviated version of this advertisement
can be found at www.gerontius.net
Our thriving Choral Society (SATB), now with
more than 80 members is seeking a new, enthusiastic Musical
Director to take over from Christopher Bayston, who is relocating
this summer after 4 years of outstanding service. The quality
of the choir’s musical performance has been transformed under
his baton and the Society is looking to continue its improvement
into the future.
Profile of Choir
We are a friendly, non-auditioned choir but we work to very
exacting standards having achieved high praise in recent
concert reviews (see relevant pages on this website).
We employ excellent professional soloists, including for
significant orchestral roles, often alongside an orchestra
of student musicians of the Royal College of Music. Our
next concert, Elgar’s ‘The Dream of Gerontius’, in Chelmsford
Cathedral, will be accompanied professionally and the choir
itself will be augmented to over 100 members. We would
be looking for our new Director to continue ambitiously,
including venturing again from our home base. In Autumn
2007 we sang as part of the 700-strong Joint Hertfordshire
Choir in Berlioz’ Grande Messe des Morts at the Royal Albert
Hall. Nevertheless, the great majority of our concerts
would remain in Bishop’s Stortford. Our first concert
with the new Director has already been selected, as Mendelssohn’s
Elijah, which will be performed in All Saints Church in
Bishop’s Stortford. Please read other pages of this website
for more details of our repertoire over recent years.
Profile of Candidate
Our ideal candidate would be highly committed and able to
inspire and amuse at our weekly rehearsals (Thursdays,
8.00-10.00pm at Bishop’s Stortford College). In addition,
s/he needs to be tolerant of early transgressions of a
keen, but mixed ability group of amateur adults and thirdly,
and importantly, to be confident to manage a full orchestra,
choir and soloists at a final rehearsal in order to bring
out the best possible musical performance at the concert.
S/he would also be able to advise the committee on suitable
and interesting musical repertoire and to assist in sourcing
suitable musicians for concerts. Both keyboard skills
and vocal training experience would also be helpful at
rehearsals. (We currently employ an accompanist during
the second half of rehearsals leading up to a concert,).
Attendance at committee meetings would be greatly appreciated
as would support of any fund raising events, e.g. this
year we have a Summer Garden Party. Remuneration will
be discussed at interview.
Applications close 21st March 2008-
Interviews with selection sub-committee in mid April
Attendance at the performance of ‘The Dream of Gerontius’
on 26th April would be beneficial for short-listed candidates
to prepare for an audition with the choir on probably 1st
or 8th May 2008
Please send your application (include CV
and names of 2 referees):-
Electronically (preferably an MS Word document) to chair{@}bscs.org.uk
N.B. The brackets are for anti-spam security – please remove
to send email.
Or in writing to Chair, BSCS (phone 01279 718111 for address)
Any queries to chair{@}bscs.org.uk (remove
brackets as above))
