Director of Choirs

Church of the Holy Spirit; Scranton (Lackawanna County); On-site; USD 35,000 - 55,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Two weeks paid vacation

Paid substitute choral director when休

Job summary

Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton, PA invites applications for a part-time Director of Choirs. The role leads the Cathedral Choir and parish choirs, guides sacred music ministry, and collaborates with the Director of Music Ministries to shape liturgical music for major celebrations.

The ideal candidate will have a BA in music, strong conducting and vocal skills, and a pastoral approach to ministry. Background checks and diocesan requirements apply.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts degree in music required
• Strong choral conducting and vocal-teaching skills
• Familiarity with Catholic liturgical documents
• Ability to lead volunteers and pastoral music ministry

Responsibilities

• Direct the Cathedral Choir and other choirs and scholae as needed
• Maintain the choral music library of the Cathedral
• Re-Establish and oversee a Diocesan Festival Choir for Pontifical Masses and liturgies
• Establish a Diocesan Children’s Choir
• Direct Cathedral Choir at Sunday Mass, Pontifical Liturgies and major liturgical celebrations
• Oversee paid section leaders of Cathedral Choir
• Oversee, recruit & train choir members
• Assist Director of Music Ministry in planning choral music selections for liturgical celebrations
• Collaborate with Director of Music Ministries to select choral music, plan rehearsals, and set tempi with final judgement by Director of Music Ministries

Skills

Choral conducting

Vocal technique

Educate singing

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Arts in Music

Tools

Finale

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Canva

Job description

Cathedral of Saint Peter
Director of Choirs
Scranton, Pennsylvania

Director of Choirs

As The Cathedral of Saint Peter, Scranton, PA begins its search for a new Director of Choirs, this document will provide an understanding of the role of liturgical and sacred music in a Roman Catholic cathedral. The resources used to create this job description are taken from three documents that are considered both ecclesiastically and pastorally authoritative as they pertain to the position. Those resources are:

• Vatican Council II, “The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium” Promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, December 4, 1963.
• The National Association of Pastoral Musicians Director of Music Ministries Division, “The Director of Music Ministries in the Parish: Work and Remuneration”, July 4, 2001.
• The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship”, November 14, 2007.

These documents provide the theological and pastoral outline of the importance and role of sacred music and its corresponding minister in a Roman Catholic cathedral.

Sacred Music in General

The importance of sacred music in the life of the people of God was of foremost concern to the fathers of the Second Vatican Council. Participation in the sacred liturgy, where the Body of Christ gathers in praise and worship of God, is the immersion of the baptized into the life of the Triune God. The Liturgical reforms brought about by the Second Vatican Council facilitated a deeper understanding of the centrality of the sacred liturgy through a renewed emphasis on the active participation of the assembly. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, states, “For the Liturgy, ‘through which the work of our redemption is accomplished’, most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church.”

1 The liturgical reforms of Vatican Council II also stressed the importance of sacred music and its centrality to liturgical reform. Sacrosanctum Concilium states, “The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even that that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as sacred song united to the words, it forms a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.”

2 Sacred and liturgical music is essential to the participation of the assembly at mass because it is connected to the liturgical action. Especially at a cathedral, Sacrosanctum Concilium frames the obligation for pastors as well as lay ecclesial ministers responsible for liturgical and sacred music play a central and essential role. It states “The treasure of sacred music is to be preserved and fostered with great care. Choirs must be diligently promoted, especially in cathedral churches; but bishops and other pastors of souls must be at pains to ensure that, whenever the sacred action is to be celebrated with song, the whole body of the faithful may be able to contribute that active participation which is rightly theirs…”.

3 The liturgical reforms of Vatican Council II provide the backdrop against which the sacred music ministry at the Cathedral of Saint Peter is structured. All liturgical music is accompanied by the organ and other appropriate musical instruments. Sacrosanctum Concilium makes a clear preference for the organ as the central instrument for liturgical use. “Among all other instruments which are suitable for divine worship, the organ is ‘accorded pride of place’ because of its capacity to sustain the singing of a large gathered assembly, due to both its size and its ability to give ‘resonance to the fullness of human sentiments, from joy to sadness, from praise to lamentation.’”

4 While other instruments are certainly appropriate for liturgical use, it is the intention to maintain fidelity to the use of the organ at the Cathedral of Saint Peter, in faithful continuity to the preference of the liturgical reforms of Vatican Council II.
1 Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy: Sacrosanctum Concilium. Promulgated 4 December 1963, 2.
2 Ibid, 112.
3 Ibid, 114.
4 “Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship.” The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC. November, 2007, 87.

Responsibilities

The Director of Choirs at the Cathedral of Saint Peter is a part-time, twelve-month position and reports directly to the Cathedral Pastor and the Director of Music Ministries. Because the Cathedral of Saint Peter is central to the Diocese of Scranton and is the seat of the liturgical life of the Diocese of Scranton, the Cathedral music ministry has the responsibility to set a standard of musical excellence. Additionally, the candidate represents their ministerial colleagues, as well as various diocesan officials and clergy members. The following are the responsibilities and expectations of the Director of Choirs for the Cathedral of Saint Peter:

• Direct the Cathedral Choir, Diocesan Festival Choir and other parish choirs and scholae that may be established
• Become familiar with and maintain the choral music library of the Cathedral
• Re-Establish and oversee a Diocesan Festival Choir to participate in selected Pontifical Masses and liturgies
• Establish a Diocesan Children’s Choir
• Direct Cathedral Choir at Sunday Mass, Pontifical Liturgies, Major Solemnities, Holy Week, and other Diocesan liturgies as needed
• Oversee the paid section leaders of Cathedral Choir throughout the liturgical year as required
• Oversee, recruit & train choir members for the Cathedral Choir
• Assist the Director of Music Ministry in planning choral music selections for liturgical celebrations as needed.
• Collaborate with Director of Music Ministries to select choral music, plan choir rehearsals, and determine tempi for the execution of liturgical music, understanding that Director of Music Ministries has final judgement regarding tempi

General Requirements of the Candidate

First, the candidate must possess the ability to teach people how to sing, possess excellent choral conducting skills, and be able to effectively teach choral music from a variety of schools of music. The candidate must understand the pastoral dimension of music ministry, since the majority of choir members are volunteers, and understand and interpret the position as fundamentally mission-oriented and pastoral. The ministerial and mission-oriented dimension of the Director of Choirs includes the ongoing formation of the assembly and those members of the Christian Faithful who possess musical talent, as stated by The National Association of Pastoral Musicians document on music ministry will “engage the parish in an ongoing educational process regarding the place of music in worship; attend to the continuing spiritual and musical growth of parish music volunteers, and provide appropriate training for cantors and members of musical ensembles.”

5 Additionally, the candidate should be well versed in the entire tradition of sacred music.

The primary requirements of the candidate include:

• The candidate, even if they are not Catholic, must respect and accommodate the moral and social teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church
• Must successfully pass the required Pennsylvania background check and meet all requirements of the Diocesan Program for Child and Youth Protection prior to employment and maintain satisfactory background checks throughout the duration of employment and comply with all requirements and laws and policies of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Possess at least a Bachelor of Arts degree or its equivalent in music and must display specific proficiency in choral conducting and vocal technique, choral technique, and choral vocal technique
• Possess ability to conduct, direct, interpret from within the treasury of the Church’s Sacred and liturgical music including, but not limited to Gregorian Chant through Twenty-First Century
• Be able to understand sacred music from a pastoral and ministerial perspective
• Possess the ability to participate in the development of authentic liturgical music formation which encompasses Gregorian Chant to contemporary composition
• Possess familiarity with Catholic liturgical documents from the Holy See and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Interpersonal requirements include:

• Possess the capacity to professionally and effectively interact with the Director of Music Ministries and other parish and diocesan staff
• Possess effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Possess the ability to multi-task, exhibit initiative in a professional manner, be flexible and responsible
• Be able to carry out responsibilities throughout the entirety of the Church’s liturgical year, which includes weekends, evenings, and holidays
• Exercise considerable independence and judgment with confidentiality, sensitivity, and compassion
• Be able to organize and prioritize work, be proactive, take initiative, resolve complex problems, follow through, and simultaneously manage multiple priorities

Professional requirements include:

• Possess knowledge and familiarity with, but not limited to the following: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Finale, and Canva, as well as other technology platforms used by the Cathedral of Saint Peter
• Remain open to collaboration and integration of other existing parish music ministries following the implementation of Vision 2030
• Attend annual professional and ministerial development, for which The Cathedral will provide funds not in excess of $1,000 for ongoing and continued musical, liturgical, and professional development

Benefits and Compensation

• Two weeks paid vacation with the provision of a paid substitute choral director at the time of vacation or illness, to be arranged and scheduled with the Cathedral Director of Liturgical Music
• Salary to be determined by education, successful practical experience, artistic capacity and achievement
• Participate in a review with the Cathedral Pastor/Rector and the Cathedral Director of Liturgical Music following a six month probationary period