Hiring Notice: Director of Music & Organist

Are you a seasoned church musician, leader and collaborator with a passion for nurturing the role of music in the spiritual life of congregations and communities? Are you seeking a dynamic position in a very active organization working in a large urban centre?

If so, consider our full-time permanent opportunity to join the Ministry Team guiding Metropolitan United Church (MET) as Director of Music and Organist.

About Us

MET is a leader cathedral church within the United Church of Canada, with a 200-year history of excellence in preaching, music, community outreach and congregational care in downtown Toronto. We are a large, affirming, progressive and inclusive congregation of all ages from the local area and far beyond. MET has a strong, lay-led culture. Our rich and diverse music program is anchored by historic instruments of national importance, by adult, youth and children’s choirs and other musical groups, and features a variety of worship settings, public concerts, theatrical and other events, and community activities.

The Role

The Director of Music works as a member of our Ministry Team and community model to empower members and adherents to serve God and achieve our vision for the third century. This position is responsible for providing musical and pastoral leadership and working collaboratively with the ministers, staff, lay leaders, and volunteers to build an ever-stronger faith community that is uplifted by its music.

The full job description is available below (attached as a PDF at bottom) or in another format on request.

How to apply:

1. You must apply online - email musicsearch@metunited.ca

2. Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed six (6) pages.

3. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this position. We rely on the information you provide to us when considering candidates.

4. Read the job description to make sure you understand well the requirements of this position.

5. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please contact us to provide your contact information.

 

Position Description

Community of Faith: Metropolitan United Church, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Position Title: Director of Music and Organist

Position Profile: This is a full-time position as a member of the Ministry Team that also includes the Minister of Worship & Faith Formation and the Minister of Congregational Care & Outreach.

Deadline for applications: We are accepting applications for this position until January 31, 2022 or until a suitable applicant is found.

Start date: To be negotiated – earliest start date is April 20, 2022 and latest is September 1, 2022.

Position Summary

Metropolitan United Church (“MET”), a cathedral church in the downtown core, is an affirming, progressive and inclusive congregation of approximately 600 members and adherents from the local area and afar. The Director of Music and Organist works as a member of the Ministry Team and with the Director of Administration to build upon MET’s 200-year history of excellence in preaching, music, community outreach and congregational care. Each individual has defined roles and responsibilities, with this position having responsibility for providing musical leadership and maintaining the availability of high-quality music at MET, both for worship and public presentation. This position works collaboratively with the other ministers, staff, lay leaders, and volunteers to build an ever-stronger faith community that is lifted up by its music.

Leadership/Governance

MET has a strong, lay-led culture, and the Director of Music and Organist works within that community model to empower members and adherents to serve God and achieve our vision for the third century. There are four program Pillars in MET’s governance structure.

The Pillars are:

1. Spiritual Learning for Life

2. Integrated Arts

3. Congregational Care

4. Outreach

The Director of Music and Organist is aligned with the Integrated Arts Pillar.

Accountability/Decision-making:

The Director of Music and Organist is accountable to the Official Board and his or her performance will be reviewed regularly by the Ministry and Personnel (M&P) Committee.

Decision-making at MET is mostly collaborative, apart from the duties managed by a single individual. As a result, the success of the Ministry Team is a function of its members’ complementary skills, experience and styles, and of the quality of relationships among those members and the broader church staff team.

Principal Areas of Responsibility and Associated Duties

Provide leadership for the ministry of music and the music program including determination of the direction and priorities of the music ministry in collaboration with congregational leaders.

Worship and pastoral role

• Provide leadership for music for services of worship

• Play the organ and other instruments (continuo organ, piano) for worship services

• Provide music, if required, for weddings and funerals at MET

• Nurture the ministry of music in its pastoral role

• Support the theological position of the United Church of Canada, and specifically that of MET in its role as an affirming congregation that supports and respects members of the LGBTQ2S+, Indigenous, BIPOC, and other marginalized communities

Choirs and musical groups

• Supervise regular rehearsals of the MET Choir

• Recruit volunteer members for the MET Choir and MET children’s choir(s) and develop additional choirs when warranted with the assistance and advice of the choir executive and the Music CommitteeFoster child and youth engagement in the music program

• Cultivate participation in the musical life of MET by the Metropolitan Silver Band, the Handbell Choir and/or other musicians from the congregation or elsewhere

• Nurture and maintain a relationship of respect with and among the volunteer and paid members of the musical groups within the church and support the contributions of all participants

Music staff

• Recruit, supervise, and conduct annual performance reviews of the various music staff and contractors (organ scholar, carillonneur, soloists and section leads, conductors of other music groups)

• Provide supervision and mentoring for the organ scholar

Special musical events

• Mount special presentations of a seasonal nature (e.g., Good Friday concert)

Care of MET’s historic instruments

• Oversee the stewardship and care of the following instruments and assets at MET and make recommendations to the Music Committee regarding maintenance and repair.

o the organ (1930, 5 manual Casavant organ with 7900+ pipes in the Chancel and 400 pipes in the gallery)

o carillon (54-bell historic carillon, the first tuned carillon in North America)

o pianos (Steinway baby grand, Wagner baby grand and several uprights)

o handbells (3-octave Schulmerich handbells and hand chimes)

o music library (large choral library with over 1000 titles, plus large collection of cantatas/oratorios and orchestral parts)

Outreach

• Provide community outreach through music activities (e.g., noon concerts, school tours, instrument demonstrations)

• Foster community building within MET’s community and between MET and the wider community through events and programs (e.g., Music at Met concert series, musical theatre productions, K@MP summer arts program for children)

• Network with church musicians through organizations such as Music United, RCCO

Administrative

• Maintain ongoing communication with the Ministry Team and the MET administrative team, including keeping events and activities using the sanctuary or other spaces in the church building up to date in the calendar

• Provide advice on matters of sound quality and acoustics respecting the livestream system, and participate in sound checks as necessary

• Co-lead the Integrated Arts Pillar with the Music Committee chair

• Act in a leadership role for the Visual and Creative Arts Committee

• Sit on the Worship Committee

• Support and advise on issues of marketing for music events as necessary

• Participate regularly in personal professional development

• Other duties as required

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Minimum Masters degree in organ performance

• Minimum ten years' experience in church music leadership

• Extensive conducting training and conducting experience

• Experience in mixed professional/amateur choir leadership

• Utilize and enable others to use different styles of music

• Experience in children and youth engagement

• Experience in mentoring of students

• Ability to lead and teach congregational singing

• Experience with developing music programs for a congregation and community

• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills

• Planning and organizational skills

• Computer literacy and social media skills

Other Preferred Assets

• Advanced studies in Music (e.g., DMA)

• Willingness to become a congregationally designated Minister of Music

• Willingness to participate and nurture MET’s involvement in sacred music education

Salary and benefits

• Salary and benefits to be negotiated using RCCO scales