Chicagopresbytery is hiring : Music Director / Organist in Highland Park

Music Director / Organist - Highland Park Presbyterian Church - Highland Park, IL Highland Park Presbyterian Church (HPPC), in Highland Park, Illinois, is seeking a part-time Music Director / Organist to join our church team. The ideal candidate for this position is one who will play the organ at church services while conducting the church choir. The person in this position has primary responsibility for planning and coordinating programming of all musical activities which are a part of worship services at HPPC. HPPC has been a fixture within the Chicago North Shore community for more than 150 years. It is a medium-sized congregation with a variety of programs and mission outreach to meet the needs of a diverse membership. The Music Director / Organist reports to the church’s Pastor / Head of Staff, with oversight by the church’s governing board (Session), plans music for all worship services, plays the organ regularly, and leads a dedicated choir comprised of a core group of approximately 10 singers, including two paid soloists (soprano and baritone). Currently, music performed by the choir is traditional and typically in SAB format (Soprano Alto Bass), but there may be an opportunity to explore other styles. The person in this role also leads the bell choir which performs periodically throughout the year.

Job Duties

Prepare for the weekly Sunday worship services, including choosing music appropriate to the day / sermon, rehearsing and preparing the choir for worship service, and providing other music and instrumentals as appropriate

Plan and provide weekly prelude and postlude music for Sunday services

Plan and direct additional services, such as Ash Wednesday, All Saints Day, and Christmas Eve

Select anthems for the adult choir and lead 2 weekly rehearsals

Accompany the adult choir on the organ or piano

Lead the handbell choir

Communicate to the church office all music that is to be included in the Sunday bulletin

Maintain digital and paper music libraries

Recruit instrumentalists as needed

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

If you meet many, but not all, of the following attributes, we encourage you to apply anyway :

Ability to play the church pipe organ, a combination pipe and electronic digital organ built by Rodgers Instrument Corp. (world’s largest maker of digital organs) and distinguished pipe organ builders, Ruffatti Brothers of Padua, Italy. Installed Spring 2002

Ability to work with volunteer musicians of varying degrees of experience

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

A college degree in organ performance, choral conducting, or a related field

Experience developing a church music program in accordance with pastoral and congregational interests

Experience building a church music program that includes children in musical activities

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