Organist / Choir Director

Belong Ottawa; Smiths Falls; On-site; CAD 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church in Smiths Falls seeks an Organist/Choir Director to lead worship, direct the choir, and support a contemporary music group.

The role involves planning weekly worship, major festivals, weddings, and funerals, with a one-year renewable contract and a three-month probationary period. The successful candidate will play the organ at services, lead choral music, and collaborate with the Incumbent to grow the parish music program.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in organ performance across varied styles.
• Experience leading a church choir and congregational singing.
• Familiarity with Anglican liturgy and Revised Common Lectionary.

Responsibilities

• Lead Sunday worship and major liturgical occasions with choir and congregation.
• Coordinate music budget, licensing, and instrument maintenance.
• Direct the church choir and Beginnings group, and recruit volunteers.
• Plan weekly worship with the Incumbent and music leaders.
• Archive choral/organ music and manage music library.

Skills

Organ proficiency

Choral leadership

Anglican liturgy

Job description

Organist/Choir Director

St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Smiths Falls, is looking to appoint a new Organist/Choir Director.

Summary

The successful candidate will be expected to: lead choral and congregational singing; play the organ at congregational services; support the contemporary music group; and work with the Incumbent to plan weekly worship, major religious festivals, ecumenical services, weddings, and funerals. This position will be based on a one-year, renewable contract, including a three-month probationary period to start.

Hours:

negotiable (expected to be approximately 10 hours per week, including practice time, rehearsals, music selection, meetings, and other planning requirements. Travel time to or from St. John’s will not be compensated.)

Compensation:

Negotiated based on RCCO scale.

Reports to:

Incumbent and Churchwardens.

Start Date:

earliest date of availability or by September 01, 2026.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in various styles of music for organ (piano/keyboard proficiency considered assets)
• Experience in choral music leadership (a broad range of musical knowledge and ability considered assets)
• Familiarity with the Christian tradition and Scriptures, and a commitment to supporting the Church in worship (knowledge of the Anglican liturgy and the use of the Revised Common Lectionary considered assets)

Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone with strong leadership skills, including the ability to teach and encourage choristers. The successful candidate should have strong interpersonal skills and be able to build a team. Openness to suggestions, recommendations, and guidance (where appropriate) is anticipated. We are looking for someone to help us grow in musical worship and leadership.

Responsibilities of the Organist/Choir Director

The Organist/Choir Director at St. John’s coordinates the parish’s music team. Emphasis is on music for Sunday worship, major festivals and other liturgical events and celebrations (especially during Advent and Holy Week). From time to time, the Organist/Choir Director is likely to be asked to perform music for special events including weddings and funerals.

In addition, the Organist/Choir Director:

• consults with the Incumbent (or Priest-in-Charge) to plan and implement the worship music and selects pieces to reflect a variety of styles, genres, and instrumentation.
• Coordinates the music leadership team to develop and expand the music ministry at St. John’s, including:
  • Encouraging congregational singing.
  • Encouraging congregational musical participation.
  • With special effort to engage our children and youth.
• instructs and directs choir members and supports “Beginnings” (a contemporary music group made up of volunteers from the congregation).
• in conjunction with the Incumbent and Wardens, establishes a music budget and oversees appropriate expenditures, including:
  • music purchasing.
  • Necessary licensing.
• oversees archiving of choral/organ music (music library).
• coordinates the maintenance/repair of all instruments.

Music at St. John the Evangelist

St. John’s follows the liturgical year with music chosen to compliment the Christian calendar. There is special attention to the Advent-Christmas and Lent-Easter cycles. Music for worship at St. John’s is anchored in the Anglican choral tradition of hymns and occasional anthems and incorporates a range of contemporary compositions and styles. The organ and choir are situated in the chancel.

St. John’s choir is a small but dedicated group actively seeking to bolster its membership. Leading congregational singing is its primary function although it is available for funerals and other special services, as required. The choir embraces the opportunity to expand its repertoire. Weekly practice is the norm.

Beginnings is our contemporary church band consisting of 5 singers, plus a keyboardist and guitarist. They rehearse Mondays. The band provides worship support from the North transept.

St John’s has a:

• newly installed digital, three-manual Pheonix Organ. This organ has three voices (English, French, and German); 57 stops; 18 orchestral stops.
• Kemble Baby Grand piano located in Baptistry/North Transept.
• Yamaha Portable GrandDGX-640 keyboard; and
• complement of audio equipment to enable appropriate mixing and amplification of instruments and voices.

Sunday Worship Services at St. John the Evangelist

Sunday, 10 a.m. - Holy Eucharist

There is a weekly, sung Eucharist with choir, and supplemental support by Beginnings. The liturgy is drawn from the The Book of Alternative Services and includes hymns from the Anglican hymnal, Common Praise (1998) and St. John’s Sings! (2008), a parish hymnal. Additional choir and Beginnings pieces are supported by copyright licence. This service includes liturgical music, hymns, and a sung/chanted psalm. Occasionally, a choir anthem will be performed. The organist plays all music apart from selections provided by Beginnings.

Sunday, 8 a.m. – Holy Eucharist

This service uses the traditional liturgy from The Book of Alternative Services (p.230). The readings and homily are the same as those occurring at the 10 a.m. service. There is, however, no music.

Additional services occur throughout the year. These include but are not limited to: Service of Lessons and Carols; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; Ash Wednesday; and the liturgies of Holy Week. The organist, choir and Beginnings participate variously.

About St. John the Evangelist Anglican Church, Smiths Falls, ON

St. John the Evangelist is situated at the junction of George and Main Streets in Smiths Falls. The St. John’s family has been worshipping on its current site since 1849.

Guided by our baptismal covenant, we are a community of people who strive to follow Jesus in fellowship, prayer and the breaking of bread in the Eucharist. We are called to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Jesus Christ, seeking to serve Christ in all persons, striving for justice and peace among all people, respecting the dignity of every human being and working to safeguard the earth and the environment.