Diocese of Leeds Choral Director Post

[Diocese of Leeds]

The Diocese of Leeds seeks to appoint a Choral Director. This new post is to deliver a singing curriculum to children as part of a well established cathedral outreach programme, and to establish cathedral junior boys' and girls' choirs. This post is available from January 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter. Salary circa 20k plus full pension package.

An application pack is available from: Benjamin Saunders, Director of Music, Cathedral House, Great George Street, Leeds, LS2 8BE. Tel: 0113 244 8634 - Email: office@dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk. Website: http://www.dioceseofleedsmusic.org.uk.

Closing date: 6 October 2009"

[gwyn]

This is balm to my soul. Leeds is certainly blazing a trail.

[nazard]

That salary makes me glad I didn't study music. Has anyone any idea how much the CofE pay a full time organist?

[monty]

The salary does seem to be low. Wonder if they are expected to increase the income by private lessons?

[keitha]

It is described as a 'full time post' - whatever that may mean. I would have thought that the absolute minimum salary level should be the starting salary for a secondary school teacher (which many would say is too low anyway, but it is a bit of a benchmark) and that no regard should be had to the candidate's ability to earn extra money in his or her own time.

Whilst I applaud the initiative (in my view, anything that gets youngsters singing good music well is a good thing), I am a little uncertain as to how much this will benefit the parishes, but I hope it is a success and wish Leeds well.

[monty]

I know what you mean Keitha. After writing my last message I started to wonder whether children from these choirs do go on to be part of parish choirs when they are no longer children. After being in such a choir, is a week in week out regular parish choir too mundane for them?

But is that being unfair? Is it akin to wondering why all altar servers do not go on to be priests or deacons (or flower arrangers for the ladies)? (tongue firmly in cheek.)

Oh I could really bounce all over the place with this one!!!

[MaryR]

.... I started to wonder whether children from these choirs do go on to be part of parish choirs when they are no longer children. After being in such a choir, is a week in week out regular parish choir too mundane for them?

Leeds Diocese is doing what no other diocese seems to be doing - investing in musical training.

The same thought crossed my mind - about how many of these youngsters go on to sing or even run parish choirs, thus raising the musical standards in the parishes of Leeds Diocese - but if only one or two do each year, that's still a great achievement. And who knows how many might drift away, and then return in later years. I'm reminded of my frustration at sacramental preparation for Reconciliation and Holy Communion in our parish. The parish based programme seems to work really well but, once the sessions are over and the First Communion Mass done, I used to feel dejected at how few of the children and their families continued coming to Mass. But then I got to thinking that, if just one or two do, that's an achievement. As for the others, the seeds have been planted and they may lie dormant for many years but I reckon some will come to fruition eventually.

I suppose it's impossible to measure the success of what Leeds is doing in terms of how it might eventually benefit parishes, but giving so many young people access to choral singing can only be a good thing.

The salary is miserable, I agree, but at least Leeds is willing to stump up some money for music in the diocese.

[Southern Comfort]

but at least Leeds is willing to stump up some money for music in the diocese.

Leeds have a huge music staff, but most of the money that funds them comes from local education authorities in Yorkshire, not from the diocese. The choral directors go into schools and do choral music with the kids ─ this is how Leeds could afford to take on Chris McElroy in the beginning (don't know if he is still doing school work any longer) ─ and the LEAs pay (not handsomely, clearly, but they do pay) for their services.

I'm sure the diocese is putting in something as well (since they have a music department secretary, etc), but the bulk of the income comes from Bradford, Halifax, Keighley, etc, etc, and now it seems Leeds too. Having a core income on which to base other work such as private tuition (and of course music at the Cathedral) is very handy.

From what I hear, the kids have a very good time doing the singing, but it really only impacts the concert life of the schools and has little or no impact on the liturgical life of parishes in the diocese. If someone knows otherwise, it would be good to know.

Not sure if this needs to be cut and pasted into the new thread or not.

[Dot]

Wish I could be a kid again. I was brought up in the Diocese of Leeds and travelled to Leeds every Saturday for my piano lesson. There was nothing like this in my time.
Dot

[musicus]

Brownie points for what I think must be the first use of the green emoticon on this forum, Dot!
Perhaps there should be one for each of the Seven Deadly Sins

[Dot]

Well, I did wonder if it means "green with envy" or just "naive" (where's the umlaut when you need it?). Whichever it is, it fits.

Now return us to topic, Mr Bear.

Dot

[Merseysider]

where's the umlaut when you need it?

Option (or alt) U followed by the letter on which you want the umlaut!
eg: ä, ë, ï, ö, ü

[Southern Comfort]

where's the umlaut when you need it?

Option (or alt) U followed by the letter on which you want the umlaut!
eg: ä, ë, ï, ö, ü

Only on a Mac, I suspect. Alt-132, Alt-136, Alt-139, Alt-148 and Alt-129 on a PC.

[Merseysider]

Only on a Mac, I suspect.

Nope, even a PC should be capable of these basic functions. The code system is only really needed for the more unusual diacritical marks – if, for example, you're setting the Gloria in Czech.

[gwyn]

I've often wondered about these on a PC. such characters will be very useful when setting Latin, Welsh or text in other languages that require ornamented characters. Shall I start another thread to discuss how we can access these?
Yes. Why not?