Associate Choral Director

Associate Choral Director -  Huddersfield Choral Society

Start Date: September 2025

Applications are invited for an Associate Director to join the HCS Professional Team of Greg Batsleer, Ellie Slorach, Daniel Gordon and Joyce Tindsley. After six wonderful years as Associate, Ellie Slorach’s role with the choir is changing in response to her growing commitments as a conductor, and we are seeking a candidate with the qualities to follow in her footsteps.

Huddersfield Choral’s purpose is to promote and deliver life-changing choral experiences for singers and audiences across West Yorkshire and beyond. With a thriving membership of over 140 singers, it is one of the UK’s most celebrated choral ensembles. Hudderfield Choral is the flagship choir within a family of choirs which also includes the Huddersfield Choral Society Youth Choirs and HCS Voices. Please note that HCS is also currently inviting applications for Music Directors in both these choirs.

About Huddersfield Choral

Choral-Artistic Director Gregory Batsleer

Vocal Coach Joyce Tindsley

Artistic Adviser Martyn Brabbins

Visiting Conductor Ellie Slorach

Deputy Chorus Master and Accompanist  Daniel Gordon

Huddersfield Choral performs five times a year in its own season at Huddersfield Town Hall, collaborating with leading orchestras. soloists and conductors. Recent highlights include:

Beethoven Missa Solemnis with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Monteverdi Vespers with His Majesty’s Sagbutts and Cornetts

Mozart Requiem with Manchester Camerata

Handel Messiah with the Orchestra of Opera North

Imogen Holst, Fauré, and Vaughan Williams with the Royal Northern Sinfonia

Beyond its main season, the choir regularly appears as a guest ensemble. Recent engagements include a tour to Canada, performances at the BBC Proms, and its debut with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius. The choir is also committed to commissioning and performing new music, premiering works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Daniel Kidane, Kristina Arakelyan, and Ben Rowarth.

The Role

The Associate Choral Director will be contracted for an initial two-year term and will lead at least 30% of the choir’s work each season. Working alongside the Choral-Artistic Director and Vocal Coach, they will become a key member of the choir’s professional team. The Associate Director will be expected to act as a year-round advocate and ambassador for the choir.

Responsibilities include:

• Rehearsing the choir in preparation for performances
• Acting as chorus master at concerts when required
• Conducting performances when opportunities arise
• Assisting in auditioning/ re-auditioning members
• Supporting the vocal development of the choir and individual singers

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will be:

• Passionate about the performance of Choral Music
• A Highly skilled musician
• An engaging communicator
• An experienced conductor, having worked at a high level within the choral world
• Skilled in training choirs in particular for orchestral performances
• Knowledgeable about choral repertoire and vocal technique
• Educated to degree level in music or possess equivalent experience

How to Apply

Applicants should submit a CV and letter of application addressing the headings in the person specification, by 25 April 2025, to

Huddersfield Choral Society, Revenue Chambers, St Peters St, Huddersfield HD1 1DL

or info@huddersfieldchoral.com  using the subject line ‘Associate Choral Director’

If you have any questions about the role please email using the address above, giving a contact telephone number, or call Alison Shaw on 07864 591844.

Interviews for shortlisted candidates are scheduled for the week commencing 5 May 2025. For selected candidates the opportunity to meet and work with the choir in rehearsal is scheduled for 13, 20 or 27 May.