Director of Music

About the job

Emmanuel, West Hampstead is seeking to appoint a Director of Music to develop our music and build an exciting music programme. We are looking for an innovative and creative leader who will lead our choir to enhance our worship and help us to use music to build even stronger links with our local community. 

Our current adult and children’s choirs offer an excellent foundation on which to build our music programme. Following a vacancy and with the arrival of a new incumbent, we are ready to take music at Emmanuel to the next level. In addition to conducting and developing our current choirs, the Director of Music will work with us to recruit new members from the congregation and from the schools and local community choirs in our parish.

The new Director of Music will be expected to nurture the musical talents and enthusiasm of our less experienced singers, both adults and children, as well as have the opportunity to work with more experienced singers. They will conduct the adult choir on a weekly basis at the 10:30 service and the children and adults together on the first Sunday of the month at our All Age Eucharist. They will lead a weekly rehearsal for adults and children. They will also work with the vicar to plan the hymns and music for our weekly service. 

In due course, we would like to offer monthly services of Choral Evensong and youth services, along with choir tours and cathedral visits for our children’s choir. The Director of Music would work with the vicar to help organise and execute these projects.

Our Organ 

We are very proud of our 1910 J.W. Walker and Sons Organ, which boasts among its early organists Martin Shaw, Henry Cope Colles and Harld Darke (who composed In the Bleak Midwinter while organist at Emmanuel). Having served the church well for over a hundred years, the organ is now in need of repair and we are just beginning conversations about how we will make it fit for the next half century. We would hope to involve the Director of Music in those plans. 

Emmanuel Church today

We are a diverse, multi-generational, international community. The celebration of the Eucharist lies at the heart of our understanding of who we are. Our Sunday services consist of three morning Eucharists (said at 8:00, children’s Eucharist at 9:15 and High Mass at 10:30) with an average Sunday attendance of 200 across the three services. In addition to the large number of families with young children, our congregations include a number of retired people and young professionals. Initially, we would be focussing the development of our music programme on our 10:30 Sung Eucharist. 

We believe God seeks the full inclusion of all people in every part of the Church’s life and ministry, irrespective of race, disability, gender, or way of life. We see our life together in terms of radical hospitality to all and infinite respect for one another as we recognise and celebrate the beauty of God’s image uniquely revealed in one another. We are a place of welcome for LGBTQ+ people and stand in the inclusive catholic tradition of the Church of England. 

Equal opportunities, anti racism and LGBTQ+: Emmanuel is committed to achieving equal opportunities in the way we deliver services to our community and in our employment terms and conditions. We expect all employees to understand and promote this policy in their work and to be committed to the flourishing of all people in our community. 

Safeguarding: Emmanuel is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of all children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects the same of all volunteers and staff. Everyone at Emmanuel, who holds a position of parish responsibility and authority has been appropriately vetted and has undergone safeguarding training relevant to their role. The Director of Music would be expected to do the same. 

Desirable skills and experience:

• An excellent music practitioner with experience of directing choirs
• Experience of leading and developing music programmes
• A good team player, but also able to work independently, take initiative and offer leadership. 
• An inclusive approach to fostering a love of music amidst a wide range of musical ability.
• Well organised – able to plan ahead for Sunday hymn choices and major festivals.
• Competent IT skills.
• Someone who is comfortable with our inclusive liberal catholic ethos.
• Commitment to respecting the safeguarding of all our members above all else.