Conductor - Surrey Youth Choir

The hourly salary for this role is £33.69 inclusive of 15.5% Holiday Pay. This equates to an annual salary of £4,087.27 per annum for working 3.37 hours per week term time only (121.32 hours per year). Initially, this role will be offered on a fixed 1-year contract starting in January 2024.

Are you passionate about young people singing and creating music together? Do you want to work with some of the most advanced youth singers in Surrey? Would you enjoy being part of an organisation with like-minded musicians and teachers who put students and inclusive practice first? 

Surrey Arts is the lead youth music organisation in Surrey, and we provide music lessons, instrument hire, out of school music centres, activities, and ensembles for young people.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity for an inspirational choral director to join our talented team of experienced and committed teaching staff. The Surrey Youth Choir (SYC) is a full SATB (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) choir comprising of singers between the ages of 12 and 21 from all parts of Surrey. The SYC perform an eclectic repertoire, both sacred and secular, ranging from early to contemporary, from baroque to romantic, including the major 'standard' choral works of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert. They also commission pieces for specific performances.

As the Musical Director, you will primarily be involved with leading and conducting inspirational musical activities with children and young people. As the creative lead for the ensemble, you will work closely with a diverse team of music tutors. Responsible for organising rehearsal and concert schedules, you will ensure the voices of your team and all participants are valued and embedded into decision making.

You will be responsible for preparing and teaching an exciting, diverse and appropriate repertoire, and sharing this with audiences at a range of performances. You will also work closely with the Youth Activities Co-ordinator and the Teaching and Learning Senior Lead (Out of School Provision) to ensure the smooth and inspirational running of the ensemble. There is also the opportunity to build a teaching portfolio with Surrey Arts within the Guildford and Woking area.

You will join a team dedicated to "changing lives through world class arts". Surrey Arts is an ambitious and forward-thinking organisation that places young people at the centre of our work. We are committed to developing Surrey Arts as a genuinely inclusive organisation, and one that meets the needs of the whole diverse community of Surrey.

Work hours, location and contract

The Surrey Youth Choir rehearses for 36 weeks each academic year during term time, on Wednesday evenings from 18.45-21.00. The choir is situated at Westfield Primary School, Woking.

The choir performs 3 times a year either on a weekday or at the weekend (one a term) at a range of public venues, often in collaboration with other Surrey Arts or external ensembles. In addition to the 36 teaching weeks, an additional 6 sessions are paid for the 3 concerts (2 sessions per concert day for both the rehearsal and concert). 42 sessions (2.25hrs per session) in total are paid for each academic year.

As Musical Director, you will also be paid an additional 50% of your weekly session time for planning and preparation.

About you

We are looking for a creative, innovative and experienced Choral Director with a passion for sharing the power of music with children and young people. You will be as equally passionate about sharing your knowledge and skills as you are to reflect, listen and develop your own practice.

To be considered for interview, your personal statement will clearly evidence: 

• Specialist music knowledge and experience related to the role and performing or creating music to a high standard
• An outline of your conducting experience and choice of repertoire when working with similar ensembles
• Experience of working with children and young people in school, youth, or community settings in the UK
• Experience of building strong relationships with students, parents, schools, and colleagues
• Willingness to build a teaching portfolio in the local area, in addition to the role
• Strong IT, administration and organisational skills with ability to meet set targets
• Willingness and ability to travel around the county to meet the demands of the role

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 22nd November 2023.

Interviews will take place on 29th November at Westfield Primary School, Woking. Interviewees will be asked to take a brief rehearsal with the SYC and the music will be provided in advance.

An Enhanced DBS 'Disclosure and Barring Service' check for regulated activity (formerly known as CRB) and the Children's Barred List check will be required for this role.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit. 

Benefits

You will benefit from a generous local government salary related pension, My Staff Shop discounts, as well as the option to join our car lease scheme. For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our website.

Our Commitment

Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:

• The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
• The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form

Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.

We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.