The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul

Position Description: Director of Music/Organist

revised February 23, 2023

The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul (Presbyterian Church in Canada), a vibrant multicultural congregation in the heart of Montreal, seeks an exceptional Director of Music/Organist whose duties shall commence as soon as possible, but not later than August 1, 2023.

Anchored in the Reformed tradition, The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul has a long history of excellence in music and preaching. Sacred music is for us an indispensable medium for Christian witness, welcoming the community into warm Sunday morning worship, special services throughout the year, and reaching out to the larger world through recordings and broadcasts on social media.

The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion within its community, and values professional excellence coupled with a heart for Christian ministry through music. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

The principal working language at The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is English; French-English bilingualism is a strong asset, and fluent written and spoken communication skills in English are essential.

Summary of Duties

 The principal duties of the Director of Music/Organist are as follows:

• ·       1. To work closely with the Conductor and Ministers in support of the worship ministry by selecting, preparing and performing liturgically appropriate repertoire for Sunday morning services, special services, and concerts at which the choir's services are required;
• ·       2. To build upon the Church’s long-standing tradition of choral excellence, through recruiting, training and uniting volunteer and professional choristers in the Choir of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul;
• ·       3. To participate in regular rehearsals for Sunday morning services, special services of worship and concerts for volunteer and professional singers;
• ·       4. To engage with the congregation and the wider church community;
• ·       5. To maintain a welcoming and affirming environment, consistent with the music department’s goals of fostering equity, diversity and inclusion;
• ·       6. To collaborate with the Conductor and the Communications Committee in devising publicity and promotion strategies to raise the general profile of the Church's musical ministry within the broader community; and
• ·       7. To collaborate with the Conductor in fostering creative partnerships with ensembles and arts organizations in the region, in aid of point 4 above.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

 The Director of Music/Organist must have an appropriate balance of education and experience in organ performance at a high level. The Director of Music/Organist must have well-honed interpersonal skills, be comfortable working with church leadership, be accustomed to managing and leading high-profile projects, and be committed to enriching worship through music.

Reporting Structure and Responsibilities

 The Conductor reports to the Director of Music. The Director of Music in turn reports to the Minister and the Convenor of the Worship and Music Committee. In consultation with the Director of Music, the Conductor has primary responsibility for the recruitment, staffing (assisted by the Choir Manager), training, deportment, and performance of the Choir, while the Director of Music has primary responsibility for financial matters, publicity, the music library, keyboard playing and maintenance, general musical-liturgical planning, and other related duties. The Director of Music collaborates closely with the Conductor on all files, as has been the happy tradition to date; this collaboration is key to the music ministry's ongoing success. Both the Conductor and the Director of Music attend (nominally monthly) meetings of the Worship and Music Committee, and present reports addressing their respective areas of responsibility.

Compensation

 This part-time position requires an average seasonally-variable commitment of approximately 30 hours per week, remunerated in line with the RCCO’s Table of Recommended Salaries, incorporating the work as Director of Music, and dependent on the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

Process and Timeline

 Applications should be received by Friday, March 31, 2023. Please send the following materials to organist@standrewstpaul.com:

• ·       A one-page cover letter;
• ·       A detailed curriculum vitae;
• ·       A list of repertoires performed;
• ·       The names and contact information of three referees who can attest to your interpersonal and technical skills, and liturgical knowledge; and
• ·       Three links to videos of you performing.

Receipt of all applications will be acknowledged promptly, and successful candidates will be invited to an audition and interview to be held on a Sunday in April or May 2023.

Music in the Life of the Congregation

 Anchored in the Reformed tradition, The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul has a long tradition of excellence in music and preaching, with a history of liturgical performances of major oratorios going back to the late 19th century. Sunday morning worship is the cornerstone of musical activity at the Church, and music continues to play an important and unifying role in the life of the congregation, with Church School children, youth, students, the middle-aged, elderly and shut-ins, and a growing online community touched equally by various facets of the music ministry.

Music is an important element of the Church's outreach to the broader community, with thousands of Montrealers attending special services and concerts, such as the Good Friday choral/orchestral service, Carols by Candlelight, Christmas Eve, the summer Organ Recital series, and the annual benefit concert (together with members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra Players' Association) for the Maison du Parc, one of the province's last remaining AIDS hospices.

 With Martin Luther, the Church implicitly understands music and preaching are complementary. Music touches aspects of the mind and soul in emotional ways, while strong spoken and written exegesis of the Word builds practical understanding of faith and provides the foundation for Christian action.

The Church has a tradition of excellent musician-clergy relations, and warmly welcomes the new Director of Music/Organist to join that circle.

The Church organ is a four-manual 1932 Casavant (completely rebuilt in 1992, and meticulously maintained) with 112 ranks and 6,911 pipes spread over eight divisions, located in the chancel and the gallery. It is featured in two popular organ recital series and is in high demand as a teaching and recital instrument by the city's post-secondary musical institutions.

The Choir

The choir is currently composed of 30-40 members, volunteer and professional. The professional singers currently include 16 regular members, plus four to eight who are more flexibly scheduled. The auditioned volunteer singers are drawn from the congregation and the broader community. Normally, professional and volunteer singers are present at all calls requiring choral participation.

The choir is involved in significant community partnerships throughout the year, including the above-mentioned benefit concert for Maison du Parc, the Montreal Bach Festival, the Canadian International Organ Competition, the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, McGill University, Ensemble Caprice, the Montreal Choral Institute, the Quartier du Musée, and others. By placing substantial resources behind its music ministry, St. Andrew and St. Paul furthers a 2,000-year tradition of great sacred music in a way that no secular organization — and few other churches — can do. Many people have their first contact with St. Andrew and St. Paul through its music, which opens the door to their further involvement in other facets of church life. A well-developed music program is consistent with our Christian witness as a large downtown church in the heart of a bilingual metropolis.

Our current Conductor, Léa Moisan-Perrier, appointed in 2022, approaches conducting with sensitivity and dynamism, standing out for her versatility and the effectiveness of her communication on stage. Most recently, Moisan-Perrier has been invited to conduct various orchestras and is currently a finalist for the position of Artistic Director of the Orchestre symphonique de l'Estuaire.

Moisan-Perrier has enjoyed a successful career as a choral conductor. Artistic Director of the Chœur des enfants de Montréal since 2017, she leads the organization, through its ambitious and refined programs, to push its limits and to perform with diverse ensembles of professional musicians. Founder of the Les Voix parallèles de l'École de musique Vincent-d'Indy, Moisan-Perrier remained the Artistic Director until May of 2022.

In the spring of 2023, Moisan-Perrier will complete her master's degree in conducting at the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal under the direction of Jacques Lacombe and Jean-Marie Zeitouni. She is a graduate in piano from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, holds a Master's Degree in choral conducting from the Université de Sherbrooke, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in classical singing from the Université de Montréal. Moisan-Perrier is the recipient of a scholarship of excellence from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal in 2022, the 2016 Moulin Seigneurial scholarship, and the 2017 Iwan Edwards Prize awarded by Andrew Megill.

CONGREGATIONAL PROFILE

Mission Statement

 We, the congregation of The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, representing Christ in the intercultural city of Montreal, celebrate the love of God through

• ·       Inspirational worship;
• ·       Growing in faith together as a church community;
• ·       Being a church home for all people; and
• ·       Sharing God’s love with each other and the world around us.

Who We Are

The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul stands at the corner of Sherbrooke and Redpath Streets in the heart of downtown Montreal. The congregation was founded by Scottish-Canadian families, and over the years has grown into a thriving multicultural Christian family that welcomes everyone to share in the fellowship and mission of the congregation. Two congregations, St. Andrew’s, founded in 1803, and St. Paul’s in 1831, joined together in 1919 and began the building of the present Church in 1929 with a seating capacity of just over one thousand. We are blessed to worship within a beautiful sanctuary, which helps create an atmosphere of reverence as we seek to glorify God with our praise and with our lives.

The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul is known for its traditional worship and Communion services, and its excellence in preaching and music. Even though we are a large congregation, hospitality and a sense of belonging are important to us. We believe worship and mission are interconnected, and we seek to reach out to the community through various ministries both through committees of our Church and through the service of many members to organizations in the community.

The annual program of services includes those usually celebrated by the Presbyterian Church in Canada. As well, the congregation celebrates certain services each year which are special to St. Andrew and St. Paul. These include the Black Watch Church Parade, the Remembrance Day Service, the children’s Church School Christmas Pageant, the Carols by Candlelight Service, two Christmas Eve Services, a special Maundy Thursday Communion Service, and a Good Friday morning service. Two new services have been instituted recently – Celebration Sunday, where we celebrate the various charities supported by the congregation, and Heritage Sunday, when we honour the many countries represented by our members. Midweek Advent and Lenten Services and monthly Taizé services are held in the chapel.

Music of a high standard is an integral part of our worship services. In addition, the choir presents a major choral work within a worship context on Good Friday evening, and the Church hosts a series of organ recitals in the summer. From 1979 to 2019, the Church hosted the CBC Christmas Sing-In, a well-known and eagerly anticipated part of the Christmas season. Happily, the Sing-In tradition continues in a new, church-produced form.

Our Greatest Assets

We believe God blesses congregations in different ways and that congregations are most likely to grow when they work from the strength of these blessings. At St. Andrew and St. Paul, we believe God has blessed us through

• ·       meaningful worship services that include thoughtful sermons and prayers, inspiring music and a sanctuary that aids in reverential worship;
• ·       an excellent Church School program that reaches out to young families, teenagers, and college students in many ways;
• ·       a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, ages, professions and talents that are representative of our city;
• ·       the willingness of our congregation to be involved in our worship and work;
• ·       a strong and well-organized Session, which encourages and welcomes the ideas and leadership of the various committees;
• ·       a desire to grow in the mission to which God has called us;
• ·       an emphasis on Christian education for all ages;
• ·       a large faith community that continues to value hospitality and a place of belonging;
• ·       an endowment that provides resources to strengthen our mission;
• ·       the location of our congregation in the centre of Montreal; and
• ·       a desire to reach out to others, including the use of technology such as social media, a website, and YouTube, which allows us to minister to others through broadcasts of our services around the world.

Challenges and Opportunities

Like most congregations, The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul faces both challenges and opportunities, some of which come from within and some from without. Being a diverse congregation, we face the ongoing challenge of creating a common vision that keeps all our ministries aligned to that vision. As our congregation becomes more multicultural, we need to create a culture of authentic Christian fellowship that crosses demographic boundaries, finding creative ways of integrating new members. With increased growth come increased costs, so developing our stewardship is also an ongoing requirement.

We live in an increasingly secular age, which brings with it the opportunities and challenges of communicating the good news of Jesus Christ to a generation of adults and youth who are not accustomed to participating in church. Our location in downtown Montreal places before us both the challenge and opportunity to maintain a strong Christian presence in the heart of the city. Like most congregations, we face the challenge of using our resources to minister to both those within our community of faith and the larger community.

 

The Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul

3415 Redpath Street, Montreal, Quebec H3G 2G2

Phone: (514) 842-3431; Fax (514) 842-2433

E-mail: info@standrewstpaul.com

Website: https://standrewstpaul.com

Facebook, Music Department: https://www.facebook.com/MusiqueStAndrewStPaul

Facebook, Church: https://www.facebook.com/MusiqueStAndrewStPaul

Visit us on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram at standrewstpaul