Church on the search for new director
ONE of the borough’s busiest parish churches is in need of a musical director and organist.
St Catherine’s Church in Burbage is advertising the vacancy nationally in a bid to find an experienced musician with the commitment and knowledge to help lead the church’s worship and to build its musicianship in the future.
The position will be paid in line with Royal School of Church Music (RSCM) rates, with additional payments offered for weddings and funerals.
No fewer than 30 weddings have already been booked to be held in the church this year.
An advert has appeared in Church Music Quarterly and is also to be published in the Anglican newspaper Church Times.
It reads: “We are looking to appoint an experienced musician as director and organiser building upon the long history of choral tradition of the church so that it becomes a more beautiful and varied expression of worship.
“The right individual will lead, develop and promote high quality contemporary and traditional music. Key parts of your role will be to develop with the Rector a recruitment and sponsorship process for the future along with a strategy for recruiting and training organ scholars, and to develop links with local schools and the wider community.”
Churchwarden Martin Mellor is one of 15 choristers at St Catherine’s who continue to help lead worship at Sunday services at 10.30am and 6pm.
He says that, without a musical director, it is difficult to recruit new choristers, especially young people.
The position, which would require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, would also cover St Peter’s Church in Aston Flamville.
St Catherine’s previous musical director, Simon Westmancoat, left more than a year ago to fulfil his childhool dream of becoming an airline pilot. Anyone wanting to find out more about the vacancy is asked to call the Rector of Burbage, Father Andrew Hall on 230512 or to email andrewdavid@btinternet.com