Director of Music Application Pack +44 (0)1924 373923 [email protected] www.wakefieldcathedral.org.uk Application Pack – Director of Music Welcome from the Dean Thank you for your interest in the post of Director of Music at Wakefield Cathedral. This senior appointment is of huge significance for us as we begin to shape the next phase of our ministry in line with our new Strategic Vision Firm in Hope. As Dean I am absolutely resolute in my belief that the Church of England’s choral tradition provides a firm bedrock for successful and sustainable mission and outreach, and I am immensely fortunate to have stepped into such a wonderful inheritance at Wakefield when I was appointed in 2018. Be assured that the successful candidate will be joining a team of people who are fully committed to the flourishing of the cathedral’s ministry at the heart of our city and across the wider Diocese of Leeds. I hope that the pack stimulates you to consider applying, and we look forward to hearing from you. The Very Revd Simon Cowling Dean of Wakefield About this Role Wakefield Cathedral is at the beginning of a new phase in mission and ministry, following the launch of its new Strategic Vision. The Dean and Chapter seek to appoint a new Director of Music (DoM) who will be able to consolidate the choir following a period of disruption caused by the pandemic, and enable it to move confidently into the future, striving for the highest possible standards of music and worship. The successful candidate will work closely with the Canon Precentor and Assistant Director of Music (ADoM) to develop a sustainable structure and clear goals to enable the music department to play its part in the delivery of the vision and strategy of the cathedral. The DoM will be well-versed in the traditional and contemporary musical repertoire of the English cathedral, able to work creatively with different forms of musical expression and with a sensitivity to the role of worship in the ministry and mission of cathedrals today. They will be a persuasive and enthusiastic ambassador for cathedral music in general and Wakefield Cathedral in particular, welcoming opportunities to become involved in the musical life of the local community (including local schools), the Diocese of Leeds, and the region as a whole. As a cathedral our vision is to be a centre of excellence for choral church music and musical education within the city, diocese and region. We seek to bring people to the Christian faith through worship and music of a high quality, and the successful applicant will need to approach the role both as professional musician, and also as a significant member of the cathedral community. It is essential that they be a practising Christian, (whether a communicant member of the Church of England or another Christian denomination), with a concern for their own spiritual development. They will need to be a role model for choristers, with pastoral responsibility for those within the choir. They will exercise appropriate care for the choristers, upholding the highest standards of safeguarding, working to make the department a safe and supportive environment for the development of young musicians. The DoM will be an enthusiastic and proactive member of the cathedral staff team, supportive of colleagues and able to contribute to their own development, as well as encouraging the growth and development of those under their oversight. The cathedral team is a relatively small one, and although each member has specific duties and responsibilities it is vital that all are able to work collaboratively and relatively flexibly, as the cathedral reshapes its mission and ministry in line with the new Strategic Vision. If you would like an informal conversation about this role, please be in touch with Revd Canon Leah Vasey- Saunders (Precentor) [email protected]. The Dean and Chapter believe that the Anglican choral tradition is a distinctive gift which the cathedral offers first to God and then to the wider community, and they seek a musician of calibre who will share this conviction and strive for the highest standards. Wakefield Cathedral Joyful – Generous – Inclusive 2 Application Pack – Director of Music Wakefield Cathedral: Firm in Hope 2020-2030 Our Purpose To be a seat of the Bishop of Leeds, and a centre for worship and mission. Our Mission Wakefield Cathedral seeks to offer a distinctive setting for the worship of God by building on a living tradition that will engage and inspire present and future generations. We strive to be an outward-looking community of disciples of Jesus Christ, inviting others to walk alongside us to share God’s love with all the people of Wakefield and the wider Diocese of Leeds. We pray daily for our Bishop, our sister cathedrals in Bradford and Ripon, and for all the parishes of our diocese. Our Vision Wakefield Cathedral is: A safe and welcoming place where everyone can find space to encounter God and one another. A life-giving place where people expect to be nourished and cared for in life and in faith. An inspiring place from which people go out to celebrate the blessings and share the challenges of God’s world. Further Information Further information about the cathedral building, the staff, the current pattern of worship and the new cathedral strategic vision can be found on the cathedral website and in the Strategic Vision booklet. Wakefield Cathedral Joyful – Generous – Inclusive 3 Application Pack – Director of Music The Liturgical Tradition The cathedral’s pattern of worship has been established over many years, and Wakefield is known for its strong Catholic tradition. Within that tradition the pattern has gradually evolved and today embraces a wide range of authorised services and includes some experimental worship, an area in which we wish to continue to expand and develop, both for the sake of the cathedral’s mission, and in order to meet diocesan needs. The Book of Common Prayer is used for Evensong on weekdays (with the BCP psalms for the day) and on Sundays. On Sundays Common Worship, Order One (contemporary language) is used for the 09.15 Eucharist, with a congregational setting led by one of the treble lines. At the 11.00 Eucharist Common Worship, Order One (traditional language) is used, with a mass setting sung by the full choir. Incense is used at both Eucharists on Sunday morning, at Festival Eucharists and Solemn Evensongs. Great importance is attached to the careful execution of the liturgy and we are fortunate in our team of dedicated servers, who, with our musicians, make a vital contribution to the effectiveness of the services particularly at the Festivals and during Holy Week, and, indeed the whole year round. Pattern of services This pattern is currently suspended because of Covid-19. Sunday Service Times 08.00 Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer, said) 09.15 Sung Eucharist (contemporary language) 11.00 Sung Eucharist (traditional language) 15.30 Choral Evensong 16.30 Eucharist at the Chantry Chapel of St Mary-on-the-Bridge (BCP, said, 1st Sunday in the month only) Monday to Saturday Service Times 08.00 Morning Prayer and Eucharist 10.30 Eucharist (Wednesday & Saturday) 12.30 Holy Communion with prayers for healing (Thursday) 15.30 Evening Prayer (Saturday, Monday & Friday) 18.00 Evensong - Boys' Voices (Tuesday) 18.00 Evensong - Girls' Voices (Wednesday) 18.30 Evensong – Boys’/Girls' and Lay Clerk's Voices (Thursday) The pattern of services varies from time to time, and has to be adapted to take account of special duties or engagements, but the Dean and Chapter attach importance to the maintenance of this routine as far as possible. As one of the three cathedrals of the Diocese of Leeds, Wakefield Cathedral shares the regular round of diocesan and episcopal services with our sister cathedrals in Bradford and Ripon. We also regularly host civic services for the Wakefield Metropolitan District. Wakefield Cathedral Joyful – Generous – Inclusive 4 Application Pack – Director of Music Other special services are principally those of the liturgical year. The choir takes a leading part in processional or carol services: Advent Sunday, Christmas and Epiphanytide. There are Sung Eucharists on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension Day, Corpus Christi, All Saints and All Souls. We keep a full Holy Week, including a programme of Passiontide Music on Palm Sunday afternoon. The cathedral choir is involved in singing at diocesan services and on some civic occasions. This list is not exhaustive, and the precise deployment of the cathedral choir is something that is kept under regular review. Occasional Services The cathedral is regularly used for occasional services (weddings, funerals, services of thanksgiving) and services requested by voluntary groups (especially for school carol services during December). The of DoM, the ADoM or the Organ Scholar will normally be expected to play for these services. The Music Department The Canon Precentor is head of the music department. The DoM and ADoM run the department’s administration and are responsible for circulating the various schedules and letters that go out to parents and choir personnel. There is a small amount of administrative support for the music list and printing. James Bowstead, the ADoM, is currently Acting DoM. The ADoM is currently a part-time post but we hope to develop the capcity to make this a full-time role in the future. Robert Pecksmith is the Assistant Organist, a temporary post created to support the Acting DoM throughout the vacancy. This post will cease to exist on 01 October 2021. The success of the music department depends on a continuation of the good working relationship between the DoM and ADoM.