CHORAL ACCOMPANIST / ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR -STROUD CHORAL SOCIETY

ACCOMPANIST AND ASSISTANT MUSICAL DIRECTOR - STROUD CHORAL SOCIETY

Stroud Choral Society in Gloucestershire seeks an Accompanist from September 2020, in succession to Simon Bell, who has been appointed as the new Musical Director of the choir.

We are a mixed choir of 140 members with a long and proud history.  Our four annual concerts draw on a wide range of music encompassing the classical, modern and operatic choral repertoire.  For our two main Spring and Autumn concerts, usually held in St. John Baptist Church Cirencester and Tewkesbury Abbey respectively, we employ professional soloists and orchestras, such as Canzona, the Bristol Ensemble and the Regency Sinfonia.  For our lighter Christmas and Summer concerts, performed locally, we are joined by our Children’s Choir or Youth Choir and local talented young soloists.  We rehearse on Monday evenings in Marling School Music Centre in Stroud with breaks at Christmas, Easter, the Summer and bank holidays.

We are seeking an experienced rehearsal accompanist to work closely alongside the Musical Director.  Candidates should have a broad knowledge of choral repertoire with the ability to play in a variety of musical styles and significant experience of accompanying large choirs on the piano in a rehearsal situation.  It is preferable that the post holder should also be a proficient organist, who is able to accompany the choir to a high standard in both the Christmas and summer concerts.  The accompanist needs to be able to score read parts fluently from the vocal score, and also, with due notice, be able to transpose a score down a semitone to baroque pitch.  It is desirable that the rehearsal accompanist should also be able to deputise for the Musical Director and conduct rehearsals on an occasional basis.

The Accompanist & Assistant Musical Director will be paid a generous rate for a weekly 2-hour rehearsal.  The society prides itself on employing musicians of a high calibre, and the remuneration offered to the new accompanist will reflect this.

Concert engagements will attract additional fees.

Applications should take the form of a curriculum vitae, along with a covering letter which outlines your suitability for the post.  The names of two referees should be supplied, one of whom should be a professional musician with whom you have worked recently.

Please send applications to the SCS Chairman, Timothy Brain at timothy.brain@btinternet.com.

Closing date is Friday 13 March 2020 and auditions and interviews will be on Monday 23rd March & Monday 30th March 2020 at our rehearsal venue, Marling School Music Hall, East Campus, Downfield Road, Cainscross, Stroud, GL5 4HE.