Director of Music

Dorchester Choral Society: Music Director

Dorchester Choral Society is seeking to appoint a new Music Director, to start in the summer of 2025 in succession to Colin Howard, who will be standing down after 10 very successful years in the role.

If you are interested in applying for the position, please take some time to explore the choir's website www.dorchesterchoralsociety.org to find out more about the choir and what is expected of its Musical Director. 

This is a remunerated position, with a fee rate competitive with other comparable posts, and depending on experience.

We ask for expressions of interest in this position by 11th March 2024:  please send a CV with details of 2 referees to dorchesterchoral@gmail.com, along with a covering letter outlining your recent experience, vision for the choir, and suggestions of possible repertoire for the 2025/2026 season.

Selected candidates will be asked to lead one of our regular rehearsals in early summer 2024, followed by a short interview. We hope to make an appointment before the end of the summer term.

Any further enquiries can be directed towards Kevin Rogers (DCS committee member) using the dorchesterchoral@gmail.com email address.

 Choir Profile

Dorchester Choral Society is an auditioned choir of 70-80 singers, all of whom can read music and sight-sing to some extent.  The choir has been in existence for over 60 years and has weathered Covid well.  It has built up a reputation for inventive programming and high quality performance which makes its strap line, “A top class choir in the heart of Dorset”, more than an idle boast!

The choir has flourished under the leadership of Colin Howard. He has decided to stand down from the role of Director of Music in the spring of 2025 when he will have completed 10 fruitful years with us.  We are, therefore, looking for his replacement from that point forward.

We are keen to maintain our high standards and we welcome input to improve our technique and musicianship.  We are also a friendly and sociable group.  So, whilst we relish focussed, consistent and challenging rehearsals we also want to enjoy our music and each other’s company.

Practicalities

The Society rehearses in the centre of Dorchester on Monday evenings in term time from 7.30pm9.30pm.  We employ an outstanding professional accompanist at rehearsals who is also able to lead sectional rehearsals.

Programming  

We put on 2 or 3 major concerts each year, normally using professional soloists and orchestral players.  As well as covering the standard classical choral repertoire, we have also tackled works less often performed, and we try to include a piece by a living composer in many of our concerts.  A resume of our programme over the last 10 years is at Annex A*.

Encouraging Local Music Making

We aim to use local professional singers and musicians wherever possible in our concerts.  We also support music making in schools by offering a scholarship scheme to sixth formers and by using children’s choirs in our performances from time to time.

Community Links

We are very much part of the community.  We fundraise for other charities, go carol-singing around our local hospital and care homes and we put on outreach concerts to take music out and about to the villages in the Dorchester area; we perform for free in a local park each Summer.

Twinning

The choral society has links with choirs in Dorchester’s twinned towns Bayeux (L’Orphéon de Bayeux) and Lübbecke (Kantorei St. Andreas).  We organise exchange visits and concerts regularly.

Challenges

Whilst the choral society is in good heart it is facing a number of challenges – most of which are common to choral groups outside large towns or cities.

• The demographics.  Dorchester is a popular retirement destination.  We benefit from experienced singers moving into the area but we would like – and need to - attract more younger people into the choir to secure its long term future, particularly in our Soprano, Tenor and Bass sections.
• The competition. There is a lot of music-making in and around Dorchester and audiences are discerning.  We have a niche position because we are the only choir in the area able to put on large scale choral works with professional support but this makes our concerts relatively expensive. As with the choir, we would like to encourage younger supporters.

• Our finances.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to put on concerts that break even or make a profit.  We have healthy reserves and our subscriptions largely cover our running costs. However, we cannot afford at every concert to use a full line up of professional soloists and larger orchestras.  We therefore need to programme creatively to attract audiences and to hold costs down in order to be financially stable.  

The choir believes that these challenges are surmountable.  We look forward to collaborating with our new Director of Music to help us to overcome these challenges and secure the long-term health of the choir.

Looking Ahead

Our aims are:

• To continue to tackle a wide ranging, predominantly classical, repertoire as well as exploring new works,
• To continue to support local music making and community engagement,
• To encourage younger singers and audiences,
• To maintain our international links,
• To keep up and develop our standards,
• To enjoy ourselves.

 Personal Profile of our new Director of Music

We are looking for a new Director of Music to lead the choir from the beginning of the Summer Term 2025.  This is a remunerated position, with a fee rate competitive with other comparable posts, and depending on experience.  The successful candidate will be someone:

• Who is an experienced choral and orchestral conductor,  
• Who has wide-ranging knowledge of the choral repertoire,
• Who has a good understanding of vocal technique and who can further develop the choir’s abilities in this respect,
• Who has good communication and interpersonal skills,
• Who is able to work collaboratively with the choir and its committee and willing to attend termly committee meetings.
• Who has good organisational skills, including planning for concerts and compiling rehearsal schedules.
• Who is enthusiastic and committed to the choir, with a good sense of humour.
• Who is able to join exchange visits in France and Germany.

Ideally, the individual will also:

• Have a broad knowledge of the classical choral music scene in the South West: able to advise on the sourcing of soloists and instrumentalists,
• Have keyboard skills to be able at least to lead sectional rehearsals from the keyboard,
• Be able to adapt and arrange shorter works to suit the choir.
• Have experience of working with children’s choirs/music groups.

 At a more detailed level, the expectations we have of a Director of Music are at Annex B* and the draft contract for this appointment is at Annex C* (this is based on the standard contract advised by Making Music).  These would be for discussion with the choir committee prior to appointment.

* Annexes are available on the choir's website www.dorchesterchoralsociety.org