The Clergy Wellness Commission

Position Description
Organist

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Church of the Good Shepherd, Raleigh, North Carolina

May 1992

Objective

To provide appropriate organ accompaniment for regularly scheduled services, in order to encourage the congregation in worship that is vital, attractive, and dignified.

Dimensions
$_____ per annum budget for "Music Department" includes:

• $_____ - Routine Piano and Organ Tuning and Maintenance
• $_____ - Music, Supplies, Instrumentalists, Vestments
• $_____ - Substitute Organist

 

• September through May:
• 9 am Sunday: Accompaniment for hymns, Junior Choir and service music
• 11 am Sunday: Accompaniment for hymns, Senior Choir and service music
• One Choir rehearsal each week; short rehearsals with choirs before services.
• June through August:
• 10:30 am Sunday: accompaniment for hymns and service music, and soloist or Organ Offertory each week, with rehearsals as needed in preparation for services.
• No more than seven "Major Extra Services" during each year.
• Includes accompaniment for hymns and service music on Christmas Eve, Good Friday, All Saints' Day, a "Parish Festival", Bishop's Visitation.
• No more than fifteen "Minor Extra Services" during each year.
  • Includes accompaniment for hymns and service music on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Easter Eve, Ascension Day, Annual Parish Meeting, Lenten Evening Services.
• Two extra rehearsals for children's programs at Christmas and Easter.
• Extra rehearsals for with parishioners who will play instrumental music during services throughout the year.
• Remuneration in special circumstances:
• $125 per wedding; presence at rehearsal expected.
• $ 75 per funeral (only for non-parishioners).
• Four weeks vacation per annum.

 

Nature & Scope

The Organist functions under the direct supervision of the Rector, at whose pleasure s/he serves, working collegially with the Choir Director. With the Choir Director, who oversees the parish music program, the Organist exercises the Rector's canonical authority in the area of music, which is delegated by the Rector, and subject to the Rector's review.

The Organist, in coordination with the Choir Director, has the musical instruments and music library of the parish at her/his disposal, as well as, through the Rector, the sup-port of the parish secretarial staff. S/he works directly with volunteer choir personnel and volunteer and paid instrumentalists. S/he also serves as a re-source person to the Vestry and its committees, and when called upon, to the Worship Committee.

The Organist participates in diocesan musical activities, and attends conferences, workshops and seminars for continuing education for professional growth and the benefit of the congregation.

The chief challenges of the position fall into three areas:

• Team Work, first with the Choir Director and Rector, and secondarily with Good Shepherd's professional ministry team and support staff.
• Personal Relations, through which choir members are supported and retained, and the people of the parish are enabled to work with the Organist.
• Liturgical Sensitivity, through which music is planned for the changing seasons of the Church Year and adapted to the formularies of the Church's worship.
• Musical Technique, through which the congregation is encouraged to fuller participation in worship and the choirs find satisfaction, growth, and self-expression.

Accountabilities

To achieve the Objective of this position, the Organist, within the limitations imposed by the part-time nature of the position:

1. Select preludes, postludes, and instrumental service music, planning one liturgical season (at least six weeks) ahead, so that adequate review and preparation may be achieved.

2. Accompany weekly choir rehearsals (in season), so that the choirs may make their offering in worship to the best of their abilities.

3. Confer with the Choir Director and Rector on a regular basis, for an average of one-half hour a week, so that they may work smoothly as a team and so that the Rector may provide supervision.

4. Arrange for substitutes on his/her vacation (at parish expense) or for personal leave (at his/her expense) or for weddings and funerals at which s/he chooses not to serve (at fee-payer's expense).

5. Support musical endeavors of parishioners who are instrumentalists, so that they are enabled to offer the gift of their talents.

6. Encourage members of the congregation to join the choirs and maintains such personal contact with choir members as time permits, so that the choirs are maintained and, if possible, grow.

7. Participate in Good Shepherd's professional team ministry, so that the congregation fulfills its mission and reaches its goals.

May 15, 1992

Prepared by Interim Rector and Organist for Personnel Committee review and submission to Vestry.

This position description follows the form and models contained in Called To Work Together, a handbook available from the National Church. The first draft was composed by the incumbent Organist, and revised by the Interim Rector.

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