ORGAN SCHOLARSHIP 2020-2021 - Christ Church Cathedral

ORGAN SCHOLARSHIP
                                        2020-2021

                                                                    CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL

The oldest standing building in Dublin, early manuscript dates Christ Church Cathedral to its present
location, at the heart of Dublin’s historic city centre, around 1030. Dúnán, Norse king and the first
bishop of Dublin and Sitriuc, founded the original Viking church, and by 1152, it was fully incorporated
into the Irish church. It was due largely to John Cumin, the first Anglo-Norman archbishop, that the
Hiberno-Norse cathedral was replaced with the Romanesque and later Gothic cathedral. The cathedral
as it exists today is heavily Victorianised due to the extensive work carried out by the architect George
Edmund Street at the expense of a Dublin whiskey distiller, Henry Roe, who gave £230,000 (over £23m
today!) towards restoration and renovation.

MUSIC IN THE CATHEDRAL

Christ Church Cathedral Choir traces its origins to the choir school founded in 1480. The choir was
always highly regarded in Dublin’s musical life and took part in the first performance of Handel’s
Messiah in Dublin in 1742. The cathedral’s principal choir of today is constituted as a mixed ensemble of
22 professional singers.

The choir’s repertoire is extensive, covering more than five centuries, and includes many specifically
commissioned works. In addition to the full part it plays in the worship in the cathedral, the choir
enjoys an enviable international reputation, enhanced by concerts, tours and regular broadcasts on
both the RTÉ and BBC networks. The choir has toured extensively all over the world, most recently to
the U.S.A in 2019, where they sang in Washington D.C., Boston and New York City. A tour to Bergen,
Norway, is planned for September 2020.

The Cathedral Girls’ Choir was established in 1995. Consisting of around eighteen choristers aged
between nine and eighteen, the choir is now an integral part of the five hundred year-old tradition of
music in Dublin’s oldest cathedral. The choristers rehearse twice weekly, sing Evensong every
Wednesday and frequently join forces with the Cathedral Choir. The Girls’ Choir regularly gives concerts
in the Cathedral and other venues in Dublin and around the country. It has also performed on RTÉ
Television and at National and International Choral Festivals.

ORGAN SCHOLARSHIP

The Dean and Chapter of Christ Church Cathedral seek to appoint an Organ Scholar from September
2020. The Organ Scholarship is a full-time position, tenable for one year but with the possibility to apply
for a second year, and is open to suitably qualified and experienced candidates aged 18 or over on 1st
September 2020. The scholarship provides an opportunity for a talented musician to build on their skills
in a supportive environment, while contributing significantly to the musical life of Christ Church
Cathedral as an integral part of the music team. There are many opportunities to accompany choral
services and conduct the cathedral choirs. The Organ Scholar may receive tuition in organ performance
and accompaniment from the Director of Music and the Organist.

                                        Duties of the Scholarship

The duties allotted to the Organ Scholar will depend on their particular skills, aspirations, and areas for
development. It is anticipated that they will undertake the following tasks, which include but are not
limited to:

Organ playing and accompaniment
    to play for Cathedral services in liaison with the Director of Music and the Organist. Across the
      year there will be a broad range of opportunities provided at the appropriate level for the
      successful candidate, encompassing opportunities to play for the full Cathedral Choir.
    to play organ music before special services and Sunday services, as required
    for the right candidate, to occasionally play for special services or events, for which extra fees
      may be payable

Choir training and directing
    to assist in the training of the probationer choristers under the direction of the Director of
        Music.
    to assist in training the full choristers. This may include work such as helping prepare solos and
        rehearsing with groups of the girl choristers
    occasionally to direct rehearsals and choral services. It is anticipated that the Organ Scholar will
        either direct or accompany the Cathedral Choir for Choral Evensong on Saturdays.

Administration
   to assist the Director of Music in the general running and administration of the Music
      Department
   to assist the Choir Librarian with managing the choir’s extensive music library

                                                                                           THE ORGAN

The cathedral’s Grand Organ was designed and built in 1984 by Kenneth Jones and Associates of Bray,
county Wicklow, Ireland. It was commissioned to complement the major restoration of the building,
which had been completed in 1982. The instrument has been described as the most significant new Irish
cathedral organ in history, and it has gained an impressive international reputation particularly through
its central role in the Dublin International Choral and Organ Festival. Its flexibility and comprehensive
specification enable the performance of a wide range of repertoire as well as the fulfilment of an active
role within the cathedral liturgy.

The key action is exclusively tracker, and there are 40 speaking stops over 3 manuals. The stop action is
mechanical throughout but there is also an electric combination system in parallel with and driving the
mechanical stop-action. The comprehensive range of pistons can be set on sixteen separate levels of
memory – an invaluable facility for choral accompaniment. The instrument was voiced entirely in the
cathedral, a process taking some three and a half months. Between October 2003 and September 2004,
after 20 years of distinguished service, the organ was dismantled, thoroughly cleaned, and overhauled.
Some of the pipe work was re-voiced at the same time in order to give a greater tonal spectrum and
presence of sound throughout the cathedral. The specification of the organ was revised, most
significantly by the provision of the 32’ Contra Trombone and, in addition, the piston system was
radically updated and improved. A full specification of the instrument can be found on the cathedral
website.

SCHEDULE

The Cathedral Choirs sing for at least 5 choral services per week during choir terms, with extra
rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The weekly schedule is as follows:

          Monday:       DAY OFF
          Tuesday:      Rehearsal – 17:00-18:15 (Girls’ Choir)
          Wednesday:    Rehearsal – 17:00 for Evensong 18:00 (Girls’ Choir)
          Thursday:     Rehearsal – 17:20 for Evensong 18:00; Rehearsal 18:50-20:30 (Cathedral Choir)
          Friday:       DAY OFF
          Saturday:     Rehearsal – 17:20 for Evensong 18:00 (Cathedral Choir)
          Sunday:       Rehearsal – 10:00 for 11:00 Cathedral Eucharist (Cathedral Choir)
                        Rehearsal – 14:30 for 15:30 Evensong (Cathedral Choir)

The Organ Scholar would also be required for services on the following days: All Saints’ Day; St Laurence
O’Toole; Nine Lessons and Carols; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; Epiphany; Candlemas; Ash Wednesday;
Maundy Thursday, Good Friday Holy Saturday; Ascension Day.

In addition, the cathedral choir has an annual programme of concerts, broadcasts, tours and recordings
for which additional fees may be available.

REMUNERATION & ACCOMODATION

The value of the Organ Scholarship is €7,000, paid monthly in arrears. There are many opportunities to
direct or play for extra services and concerts, for which separate fees are available. The Organ Scholar
would also be encouraged to seek extra work with the many other choirs and musical ensembles in and
around Dublin.

The Organ Scholar is provided with accommodation in the form of a large, fully furnished one-bedroom
apartment close to the cathedral, for which utilities/bills (including high-speed Wi-Fi) are paid for by the
cathedral.

The apartment is situated just outside the famous ‘Temple Bar’, Dublin’s ‘cultural quarter’, which is full of
traditional Irish pubs, restaurants, theatres and music venues. Many of Dublin’s historic attractions are
nearby, including Trinity College, Dublin Castle and the Ha’penny Bridge, and indeed the whole city is easily
accessible by bus or tram.

                                                                           SAFEGUARDING POLICY

Christ Church Cathedral is safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children by working under the
guidance of the National Safeguarding Trust. As such, any appointment is subject to the completion of
Garda Vetting and safeguarding training.

APPLICATION

If you have any further questions about this post prior to application, please contact Tom Little, the
Director of Music, on +353 (01) 677 8099 (Office) or via email at: tom.little@christchurch.ie.

To apply for the Organ Scholarship, please send a Curriculum Vitae, a covering letter and details of two
referees to careers@christchurch.ie.

Short-listed candidates will be required to undertake an interview and an audition. Expenses for flights
and accommodation for up to €200 will be reimbursed by the cathedral.

Short-listed candidates are asked to prepare two contrasting pieces, one of which should be by J. S.
Bach. The total length of the two pieces should not exceed 12 minutes. Candidates will then be given
keyboard tests; these will consist of sight-reading, transposition, score-reading and improvisation.

                       Christ Church Cathedral is a registered charity, CHY 4271

                         Christ Church Cathedral, Christchurch Place, Dublin 8
                                         T: 00 353 1 677 8099