SEEKING ORGANIST AND CHOIR DIRECTOR

The Organist and Choir Director should be an accomplished musician with the ability to play the organ and piano. He/she will plan the choral selections, conduct rehearsals, and direct the singing. The selected music should coincide with the liturgical calendar and, as much as possible, enhance special services (baptisms, confirmation, mother’s day, etc.) She/he plays for Sunday morning services, Christmas Eve Services, Blue Christmas Service, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, and the Ecumenical services of Thanksgiving and Good Friday in rotation with the participating churches. When an Ecumenical service is scheduled at the Gilead Church, the Organist/Choir Director takes the responsibility for coordinating a combined choir and informing the participating churches about the schedule for rehearsals.

The Organist/Choir Director will develop programs and activities to enhance or expand the music program. She/he is also responsible for music programs for children and youth, and encourages participation in these programs. He/she either leads them or selects and oversees a music coordinator who will, in turn, organize and lead the music program for children and youth in conjunction with the Sunday School program. The Organist/Choir Director will also work with and advise Liturgical Dance groups regarding appropriate music. She/he will also be available to work with Instrumental Groups.

The Organist/Choir Director will work in cooperation with the Pastor. He/she will set the tone for worship with instrumental pieces on the organ (or piano) during the prelude, offertory and postlude. She/he will also play the hymns as selected by the Pastor and responses sung in worship. The Organist/Choir Director will provide the titles of music selections for worship to the Pastor by Wednesday of each week to be included in the bulletin.

The Organist/Choir Director is responsible for setting the calendar of rehearsals for the Choir (usually from the first Wednesday after the Hebron Harvest Fair in September through the first Wednesday in June). He/she is also responsible for coordinating music during the summer months as soloists and instrumentalists are available. She/he orders new choral music according to the available budget and submits bills to the church Treasurer for payment. Non-choral organ and piano music purchases are the individual responsibility of the organist and remain his/her personal property. The Organist/Choir Director maintains the music in an orderly fashion in the provided filing cabinets in the Music Room.

This position includes 4 weeks of paid vacation per year. The Organist/Choir Director should alert the Pastor when he/she will be away and assist with obtaining a substitute musician. The Treasurer should also be alerted in advance, so that the substitute will be paid promptly. The Organist/Choir Director is also responsible for communicating the music selections to the Pastor for the bulletin when away.

The salary of the Organist/Choir Director will be reviewed annually and an evaluation and review will be conducted biannually by the Board of Deacons.

The Organist/Choir Director should also arrange for the Church pianos to be tuned along with organ maintenance (generally prior to Thanksgiving and Easter).

The Organist/Choir Director should also oversee the music portion of the church budget and make appropriate recommendations for the next year regarding the budget to the Board of Deacons annually (typically in late August/early September).

The Organist should be available for weddings and funerals and work with the Pastor when these events are scheduled. When the Organist is not available, he/she will assist the Pastor in finding a substitute. The salary for this position does not include weddings and funerals. The fees for these are set by the Organist in consultation with the Pastor.

Organist/Choir Director Search Committee
c/o Gilead Congregational Church
672 Gilead Street
Hebron, CT 06248
gileadchurchucc@earthlink.net).