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The Cathedral Church of St. Philip, Birmingham

The appointment of a new Head of Music

BACKGROUND

Thank you for your interest in the role of Head of Music at Birmingham Cathedral.

The cathedral building demonstrates daily its attraction as a house of prayer to the people of

the city and its international visitors. Alongside daily worship the cathedral hosts diocesan,

regional and national events and is responsive to immediate community needs for celebration

and lament. With growing confidence and a newly refurbished interior the cathedral has a

clear vision and strategy. The published five-year plan focusses on Living Worship; Growing

Disciples; Connecting Communities, supported by care for the building, sustainable financial

growth and good order. With the recent appointment of a new Dean, Birmingham Cathedral

has a clear sense of direction and confidence.

The cathedral is the seat of the Bishop of Birmingham and plays its part in promoting the life

and mission of C of E Birmingham, as mother church. The cathedral enjoys close working

relations with diocesan clergy and staff and the cathedral clergy and staff share offices with

diocesan support staff at 1 Colmore Row. C of E Birmingham is at an exciting stage with the

‘Growing Younger’ initiative, part of the Transforming Church plan. The cathedral is playing a

full part in this important and innovative work.

The cathedral is blessed with a choir of adults, boys and girls of the highest standard and offers

unrivalled opportunities for music in this great city. After over 30 years outstanding service

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as Director of Music, Canon Marcus Huxley retired in August 2017, which gives the cathedral

an exciting opportunity to recruit a successor.

We are looking for a colleague who is excited by these opportunities and wishes to work

with people, liturgy and music to the glory of God. You will be joining a friendly and growing

cathedral team who will support you to learn new skills and reach your potential.

We hope that this pack, alongside the supporting documents gives you a good briefing, please

do not hesitate to contact the Chief Executive (Cathedral Administrator) for more

information at anna.pitt@birminghamcathedral.com.

Please be assured of our prayers as you make your discernment about the next stage of your

ministry.

THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT

The Head of Music leads the Music Department, which includes the Assistant Head of Music,

Organ Scholar, Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks.

The Assistant Head of Music and Organ Scholar are responsible to the Head of Music for the

playing of the Organ and for deputising for the Head of Music when necessary, including

conducting of services and rehearsals, and attending meetings.

The current Organ Scholar is a student at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire. He has held

the position for approximately six months. The cathedral enjoys a good relationship with the

Organ Department of the Birmingham Conservatoire, with many past Organ Scholars

graduating to successful appointments in churches and cathedrals around the country.

There are two librarians working with the Head of Music, and a singing tutor, doing

approximately four hours a week of teaching. A Liturgy and Administration Officer is also in

post.

THE CHOIRS

“He who sings, prays twice” Martin Luther

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In an average week, in the region of 50 – 80 people take part in leading the worship through

singing in the cathedral, with an age range from 8 – 75.

There are currently five choirs at the Cathedral: The Boys’ Choir, the Girls’ Choir, the Lower

Voices, the Schola Philippi and the St Philip’s Singers.

All the members of the Choirs (with the exception of the Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks)

are voluntary. The boys and girls are drawn from a variety of schools in the area. The Head

of Music is responsible for recruitment into the choirs.

Tours and recordings have been an important feature of the Cathedral Choir, with recent

visits to the Thomaskirche in Leipzig, Notre-Dame de Paris, Chartres Cathedral and Durham

Cathedral. Recent recordings have included the CD After the Sabbath (2017), and A Song of

the Light. The Cathedral Choir have also done recent broadcasts on BBC Radio 3 Choral

Evensong in 2014 and 2016.

The Cathedral Choir is currently made up of 18 boys, 24 girls (including one soprano

Choral Scholar), and four lower voices (3 Lay Clerks and 1 Choral Scholar). The Lower Voices

are also regularly augmented by deputies, and most of the Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks

have recently studied at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire or the University of

Birmingham.

The choir sings five services a week, and have additional rehearsals. For midweek services,

the choir sings a shortened form of Choral Evensong. This includes the preces, psalm(s), one

canticle, the Lord’s Prayer and Amens from the responses, and an anthem.

The current Music Department schedule is as follows:

Monday: Boys’ Choir rehearsal and music theory session.

Tuesday: Girls’ Choir rehearsal and Shorter Choral Evensong (either Girls and Lower Voices or Lower Voices alone), followed by a Lower Voices rehearsal after Evensong.

Wednesday: Boys’ Choir rehearsal and Shorter Choral Evensong (usually Boys’ only, but

sometimes Boys and Lower Voices), followed by a rehearsal after Evensong.

Thursday: Girls’ Choir rehearsal and singing lessons.

Friday: Boys and Lower Voices sing Full Choral Evensong, followed by a rehearsal

afterwards.

Sunday: Choral Eucharist and Choral Evensong, alternating between Girls’ and Boys’ Choirs with Lower Voices (Girls and Lower Voices for Eucharist, Boys and Lower Voices

for Evensong, alternating every week).

There is no choir school. The vast majority of singers in the Girls’ Choir currently come from

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls. The Boys’ Choir have members from a variety of

different schools, including King Edward VI Boys’ School, West House Preparatory School,

Bishop Vesey Secondary School, and the Blue Coat School. All the children are educated

locally and maintaining links with these schools is essential.

The Schola Philippi are a chamber choir made up of the Lower Voices and senior members

of the Girls’ Choir, as well as being augmented by extra singers based in the West Midlands.

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The Schola often perform more challenging music and don’t have any rehearsal time prior to

the day, so often sing at weekday feasts such as Candlemas, Ascension Day, All Souls’ Day

and Corpus Christi.

The St Philip’s Singers are a voluntary choir, led by the Head of Music and the Organ

Scholar. They rehearse on a Wednesday lunchtime, and sing in the Book of Common Prayer

Holy Communion Service once a month.

INSTRUMENTS AND FACILITIES

The Cathedral Organ was built by Nicholson’s, and thanks to the great generosity of the

Bigbury Trust, it was possible to commission Nicholson’s to have the organ rebuilt in 1993.

They have now had care of the organ for over 100 years. New stops added in the rebuild

include a Great 4-ft. Flute, Tierce and two Mixtures; Swell Oboe, 2ft. Flute and Mixture; Choir

Larigot and Mixture; Solo 8-ft. Flute; Pedal 32-ft, Trumpet and upperwork. The Sesquialtera

has moved from Choir to Swell, where it is useful both in a "solo" combination and as a

constituent of an English "Full Swell". The Trompeta Real now has a bottom octave and the

Cor Anglais has reverted to 8-ft. pitch. The stops that have made way are the Swell 1-ft, the

Great 5 1/3' and the Pedal Open Wood. More information about the specification of the organ

can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register page:

http://www.npor.org.uk/NPORView.html?RI=D02703

There is a Song School in the undercroft of the cathedral. The Song School consists of a song

room (which can accommodate up to around 40 people) with an electric piano for taking

rehearsals. There is also a grand piano in the nave of the cathedral, allowing separate

rehearsals with probationers and individual singing tuition to take place. The Song School also

has a kitchen area for choir teas, the choir library and its’ own toilets. The cathedral library is

well stocked, with a modest annual budget to purchase music.

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FUNDING AND THE FUTURE

Music is a vital part of the mission and outreach of Birmingham Cathedral, and a significant

proportion of the cathedral’s financial resources are directed towards the work of the

Department. Nevertheless, the huge increase in scale and scope of the Music Department

activity in recent years has made the sourcing of additional funding essential.

The Parents of Birmingham Cathedral Choristers (POBCC) is a group of parents who work

to raise funds for tours and organise social activities for the choristers. The Music Department

has also been very fortunate for the continued generosity of the Friends of Cathedral Music,

who regularly grant money for special projects and regular costs.

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

The Head of Music is appointed by the Chapter of Birmingham Cathedral. The Canon

Precentor is the Chapter representative in the Music Department and as such is the line

manager of the Head of Music. Together with the Canon Precentor, the Head of Music is

responsible to the Dean for all music in the cathedral, whether liturgical or non-liturgical.

The Head of Music manages and appraises the professional staff in the Music Department: the

Assistant Head of Music, the Organ Scholar, the Choral Scholars and Lay Clerks, the singing

tutor and the choir librarian.

MAIN DUTIES

The principal task of the Head of Music is to plan and realise music in Birmingham Cathedral

as a significant part of its liturgical life and, both within and without this context, to place the

cathedral’s music at the heart of the wider community.

Within that framework, the main duties of the Head of Music may be outlined as follows:

to recruit and train members of the cathedral choirs in order to ensure the high

standard of performance expected;

to play the organ to a high standard;

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to manage the departmental budget in consultation with the Canon Precentor;

to oversee the Music Outreach Programme;

to administer the department efficiently, working with the Liturgy and Admin Officer;

with the Canon Precentor, to take part in the pastoral oversight of choristers and

staff;

to prepare and create the music lists and calendars, having agreed choir holidays with

the Canon Precentor to be approved by the Dean;

to work closely with the Canon Precentor in order that the music and liturgy of the

cathedral can be effective in partnership;

to attend meetings - such as the Dean’s Executive meeting – on an ongoing basis;

to be responsible for arranging or giving the ‘in house’ concerts and other

musical/choral events, including the bi-weekly Monday Lunchtime Recital series;

to have responsibility for the recruitment, preparation and participation of visiting

choirs in consultation with the Canon Precentor;

to act as line manager to the Organ Scholar, Assistant Head of Music and other staff

as appropriate;

to take an active part in the musical life of the diocese, acting as a resource for the

Bishop and ambassador for the cathedral and its music;

to manage the Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy of the cathedral and ensure

that it is implemented and adhered to by all staff and volunteers in the department;

to be responsible for the implementation, where applicable, of the policies and

procedures contained in the Staff Handbook;

to plan and execute successful choir tours which will help strengthen relationships

with other cathedrals and grow the reputation of Birmingham Cathedral on the

national and international stage;

to provide a rota of duty organists from the departmental staff for every Sunday and

also at occasional offices during choir holiday periods;

to ensure that the cathedral’s organs and other instruments are maintained and tuned;

to be a member of the Parents of Birmingham Cathedral Choristers Committee.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

The applicant must be able to demonstrate the following criteria through their application

Criteria Essential Desirable

Education, Qualifications and Training:

Degree in Music or equivalent performance diploma √

Postgraduate or equivalent performance qualification √

High level ability as a choral conductor √

Thorough knowledge of the Anglican liturgy, and the annual cycle

of the Church’s year

√

Familiarity with English and Latin international church music

repertory, from the late middle ages to the present day, including

Gregorian Chant, Viennese Masses and contemporary choral

music.

√

An accomplished organist √

FRCO or equivalent √

Knowledge of orchestral conducting √

Skills as a composer and/or arranger √

Ability to manage and deal with children and adults and their

safeguarding

√

Work and other relevant experience:

Proven record as a choral conductor with adults and children √

Experience conducting a choir of men and boys √

Church music professional √

Experience of working in a voluntary environment √

Familiarity with Cathedrals and/or greater Parish Churches √

Experience in planning service music √

IT literate √

Experience in recruiting children and adults to choirs √

Management skills √

Working in a team environment √

Personal Qualities:

In sympathy with the ethos and values of the Church of England √

A communicant member of the Anglican Church or a member of

CTBI

√

Excellent communicator by word and gesture √

Flexible and enthusiastic, able to motivate staff and volunteers √

Shows flair, vision and imagination in his or her work √

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CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Salary: £33,000 p/a

Hours: 37 per week. Working pattern to be agreed with your line manager and may be varied

to meet the needs of the cathedral. The cathedral may require you to work at any times that

the cathedral is open to visitors or for services or events, including early mornings, evenings

and weekends.

Holiday Entitlement: 28 days p/a plus bank holidays

Pension: The cathedral operates a contributory pension scheme, which you will be enrolled

into following three months service. Employer contribution is 8%; additional voluntary

contributions may be made.

Review: The post is subject to a three-month probationary period. You can expect regular

supervision time with your line manager and an annual appraisal to support your professional

development.

Location: Birmingham Cathedral, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2QB, and associated offices

at ONE Colmore Row, Birmingham, B3 2BJ.

This position is subject to enhanced DBS clearance.

APPLICATIONS

Please submit your application by means of a completed application form and covering letter

sent either electronically to: recruitment@birminghamcathedral.com or by post (marked

‘confidential’):

FAO: Anna Pitt

Birmingham Cathedral

ONE Colmore Row

Birmingham B3 2BJ

We are an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons.

However, as those from minority ethnic groups are currently under-represented in our staff team, we

would particularly welcome applications from those groups.

RECRUITMENT TIMETABLE

Deadline for Applications: Friday 6th April 2018

Shortlisting: Monday 9th April 2018 Interview: Saturday 12th May 2018

Expected start date: start of September 2018

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2017 MUSIC REVIEW

Context of review

2017 has been a year of significant change at Birmingham Cathedral. Canon Marcus Huxley

retired as Director of Music after more than 30 years in office, a new Dean has been appointed

and a new Canon Liturgist (now known as Canon Precentor) has taken office. The cathedral

chapter therefore felt that this created an opportunity to reflect on the role of music past,

present and future at Birmingham Cathedral, both within the cathedral and in the context of

the city before embarking on recruitment of a new Head of Music.

Purpose of review

The review was intended to take an independent look at the current situation, the

opportunities and challenges in the future, and give an outline of available options for

continued development in the pursuit of excellence in every aspect of the cathedral’s musical

life.

Credentials

Jeffrey Skidmore was commissioned to undertake the review. Jeffrey is the Artistic Director

and Founder of Ex Cathedra, a Birmingham-based professional classical choir. Jeffrey sang as

a boy chorister and Lay Clerk at the cathedral; he has taught music in schools and is a lecturer

at Birmingham Conservatoire. He has developed Ex Cathedra into a world-class musical

resource for the city and region, and as such has an established knowledge and understanding

of the role of cathedral music and the context of music in the city.

Current situation

Birmingham as a city is culturally rich and diverse, and the musical context is unique. The city

is benefitting from the current emphasis on funding arts in the regions and a number of arts

organisations are being encouraged to relocate from London to Birmingham to broaden the

reach of and accessibility to the arts. Birmingham is in a changing place of music in the city,

and a leading centre of musical and artistic innovation. The cathedral is well placed both at

the physical and spiritual heart of the city to engage with the musical richness of the

community and region.

Music at the cathedral is in an exciting period of transition following the departure of the long-

serving Director of Music, Canon Marcus Huxley. This gives the cathedral an excellent

opportunity to assess its musical needs and abilities, examine its current praxis and envisage

its future direction.

Review Process

The process involved consultation over some months with various stakeholders, including

many members of the cathedral community, current and former choir members, senior clergy

and other external parties such as the CBSO and the Conservatoire.

Cathedral priorities

Music at Birmingham Cathedral cannot be considered in isolation as a standalone activity but has to be considered in the context of the cathedral priorities –

Living Worship, Growing Disciples, and Connecting Communities.

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Strengths

The report highlighted that the Music Department at the cathedral has significant

strengths, including:

A strong and long tradition of performing choral music to a high standard;

A healthy team of talented and dedicated musicians;

A good standard of choral music consistently performed on a weekly basis;

A desire to move forward and positively develop the cathedral’s musical tradition with confidence and creativity.

Challenges

The report also highlighted that the Music Department at the cathedral currently faces

some challenges, including:

The retention of choristers, deputies and lay clerks (pay rates, vocal coaching,

opportunities)- the turnover of choir members is fairly high;

The depth of resources required to meet singing commitments (rotas, team size and mix) – and the ability of the music budget to realistically resource the

desired standard and scope of music at the cathedral;

The comparative limitations of rehearsal time available due primarily to the

lack of a choir school;

The challenge of how to better engage with a mixed economy of worship and music styles which represent the cathedral community and city more broadly;

A limited historical ability to attract and retain social diversity (partnership

working).

Opportunities

The report suggests that the following opportunities present themselves for the future:

The ability to play a larger and wider role within the diocese (making links outwards) – including a role in other diocesan churches and contexts.

Embryonic work in this area has already begun with choir exchanges and visits.

The potential to build on the boys’ and girls’ choirs – widening the net

(including a greater outreach to schools and churches). Recruitment is possibly

the strongest it has been in many years, and this could be built upon.

Exploring other genres (possibly as distinct delivery opportunities rather than mixing a number of genres within one service); there is some desire to explore

alternatives to choral music for various contexts and occasions.

Developing participative engagement in cathedral music (through, for example,

congregational singing, workshops).

Developing wider partnership working, with particular emphasis on collaborative partnerships with other music groups across the city and region,

both sacred and secular.

Using music as a tool to create inter-faith dialogue. This could be particularly

exciting and fruitful in a diverse a context as Birmingham city centre.

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What next?

The appointment of a new Head of Music presents an opportunity to build on the strengths

of the past, embrace Birmingham and where it is now musically, and develop music for the

future within the wider context of cathedral priorities

To that end it is the opinion of the Cathedral Chapter that the new Head of Music should:

- Maintain the choral tradition and excellence of Birmingham Cathedral;

- Uphold the standards for which we are recognised and regarded across the city and region;

- Recognise the role of cathedral music in delivering the wider cathedral strategy;

- Have a broad vision of choir in the city and how creative and enterprising partnerships can be established;

- Stretch and surprise us.

Five initial action points to consider

1. Enhance the cathedral’s relationships with schools in the diocese and broaden

recruitment to reflect a more representative mix of socio-economic contexts;

2. Develop the musical resources available to deliver services and events of a different

musical emphasis, perhaps with a broader use of instruments and more contemporary

artistic styles;

3. Initiate the building of creative and sustainable partnerships with other large musical

organisations and institutions in the city;

4. Explore issues around choir retention; examine how this can be improved and how

consistency in delivery can be achieved on a long-term basis;

5. To identify ways in which the cathedral’s music and choirs can be used creatively as a

resource-generating asset to enable some level of financial self-sufficiency within the

department.

The new Head of Music needs to be a first-rate musician with strong leadership

qualities. They will need to bring creativity and imagination to the role and an

openness to team working. This is a unique context which holds the potential to

be a particularly rewarding, creative and innovative role for the right person.

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