Director of Music and Cathedral Arts

Job Description

The Director of Music and Cathedral Arts is a full-time benefitted position responsible for the music at all regular worship services, recruitment and training of choirs and other musicians and management of the Cathedral Arts program. The Director of Music and Cathedral Arts will be involved as a pastor, educator, and principal musician, and will represent the Cathedral in the Burlington arts community. This position reports directly to the Dean & Rector.

Responsibilities, Challenges, and Opportunities

Responsibility

Plan for and provide (or cause to be provided) music and musical leadership at all Sunday services, Holy Days, Major Feasts, the services of Holy Week and Christmas, Evensong, weddings, funerals, all major diocesan events that take place at the Cathedral such as ordinations and convention services, and other services as agreed upon with the Dean and Rector.

Challenges and Opportunities

o We like to hear and sing a wide variety of music and enjoy learning about lesser known composers, especially women and persons of color. We are open to new music yet still love the more traditional Anglican corpus.

o Although we have historically had a youth choir trained in the Royal School of Church Music curriculum, we are open to reimagining how children can be involved in the musical life of this place (including reaching out beyond the Cathedral). This choir has traditionally sung at our 9:00 family-oriented service.

o We have an all volunteer adult choir that sings at our more formal 11:00 service. This choir is dedicated and hard-working. We have had choral scholars in the past and are currently able to invest in a small choral scholars/paid singers program.

Responsibility

• Administer the music budget to include maintenance of musical instruments and any other expenditures related to the music program.

Challenges and Opportunities

o The Cathedral has a decent choral library (maintained largely by volunteers) and supports fully the exploration and purchase of new music.

o We maintain two Steinway pianos – one in the Nave and one in the Choir room.

o The Vedder Van Dyck Memorial Organ – a tracker organ with 24 stops, 32 ranks,1,558 pipes, and two manuals – was built in 1973 by Karl Wilhelm of Mont St.-Hilaire, Quebec, and is in excellent condition.

o The Cathedral has a small Music Endowment to assist in the purchase of music and maintenance of the instruments. Additionally, the music program is well-supported by the congregation through generous gifts for particular occasions/purposes.

Responsibility

• Assist in liturgical planning and other works for the life of the Cathedral and the Cathedral parish through regular attendance at weekly staff meetings, off-site planning days, other staff gatherings, and regular meetings with the Dean & Rector.

Challenges and Opportunities

o We have a small staff of mostly part-time positions. We work collaboratively and make most decisions/recommendations to the Vestry about the life of the Cathedral together.

o A small staff and a dwindling volunteer pool have helped us to be flexible and creative in planning events and services. It also means that we all pitch in when we can – from changing light bulbs to locking up to moving chairs to folding bulletins.

Responsibility

• Participate in the spiritual and community life of the Cathedral through regular attendance at coffee hour, community gatherings, and other scheduled congregational activities.

Challenges and Opportunities

o The Cathedral has a very healthy congregation that is serious about discipleship, worship, justice, and service.

o Members of the parish take good care of one another and are attentive to the needs of our small staff.

o We like to gather around worship, music, and food.

Responsibility

• Develop and maintain an arts and outreach program under the auspices of Cathedral Arts (a separate 501c3) to include: curating the annual program of concerts and other events with particular attention paid to underrepresented artists and new artists, new and underserved audiences, and a diversity of musical and other artistic offerings; seeking out and applying for grants to support innovative programming; working with a core group of volunteers to administer the program; and developing relationships with the greater arts community in Burlington and surrounds.

Challenges and Opportunities

o The Cathedral has enjoyed a prominent place in the Burlington arts community; indeed, a vibrant arts program was part of the vision when this Cathedral was built. There have, since then, been years of great success and years of fewer fruits. The congregation is supportive of having a vibrant arts programs but finding a steady group of volunteers willing to do all the work has been a challenge. This will be the first time that the program will fall under the direct guidance and responsibility of a member of the staff. What Cathedral Arts will mean into the future is as wide open as our imaginations.

o There is an opportunity to explore the feasibility of developing and training a semi-professional Cathedral Chamber Ensemble (from within and outside the current Cathedral choirs) with the eventual goal of semi-annual fundraising concerts, perhaps in collaboration with another downtown church.

o There is also great potential within Burlington and surrounds to start something like a city-wide youth choir to sing both sacred and secular music. We hope that such opportunities can be fully explored, seeking community partners and support.

o The Cathedral Arts program is not directly funded through the Cathedral’s operating budget and is not, therefore, intended to be a “money maker” in and of itself. Our hope is to generate both appreciation for the arts and connection to the community through becoming a mission hub for the arts.

Other Expectations

• Maintain on office on site and be mostly present in the buildings and facilities of the Cathedral during office hours (T-F 8:30 – 12:30)

• Comply with all Diocesan safe-church requirements

• Participate fully in the life of this Cathedral

• Exemplify the Christian spirit in all work and interactions

Benefits

• Annual salary paid biweekly, eligible for annual cost of living increase and subject to occasional comparative salary reviews

• Full medical and pension benefits

• Annual vacation of four weeks to include five Sundays

• Annual conference/education leave of five days

• Education allowance of $500 per year

• Use of Cathedral facilities for teaching and performance outside the scope of this job description

• Right of first refusal for funerals and weddings

• Several days paid time off in the weeks after Christmas and Easter

• The Cathedral leadership will endeavor to support the professional development of the Director of Music and Cathedral Arts to include support for participation in recitals, publication of original works, performance of original works, and regular participation in the work of the Association of Anglican Musicians and/or other professional organizations

Additional Information

• Upon mutual agreement of employment, the Cathedral will execute a Letter of Agreement to include this full job description (with any changes agreed upon in the hiring process) as well as specific terms of compensation, processes for conflict resolution, a fair means for termination of the Agreement in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Association of Anglican Musicians, and any other terms mutually agreed upon in the call process.

Qualifications

• Masters of Music with high level of competence as an organist, pianist, and choral conductor

• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills; healthy sense of humor

• Thorough understanding of Episcopal liturgy and the Anglican music corpus and willingness to explore music outside of the traditional realm

• Experience in curating concert/arts programs preferred

• Spirit of imagination, vision, and heart for the mission of this Cathedral

• Willingness to work as part of a larger team to further God’s work in Vermont

Please send full resume and links to performance/services/other pertinent works to The Very Revd Greta Getlein by email.

Application closes: May 1, 2024