Adverts in The Church Times

[Guest]

Two adverts in The Church Times that caught my eye:

Re-advertisement for the post of Director of Music at Blackburn Cathedral - unusual to see this sort of thing. Wonder why?

Dean of Belfast wanted. The cathedral seeks to promote high standards of Anglican Cathedral liturgy. Phil will be pleased.

VCC

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Well organists are not quite an endangered species, but neither are they thick on the ground.

[Magnificat]

I should have thought that a well established cathedral choral foundation such as Blackburn ought to attract many of our up and coming DoMs looking for a stepping stone to greater things eventually.

Perhaps there just aren't any that impressive around.

I should think that there are plenty of competent organists but do they impress as choirtrainers and display the qualities/charisma and ideas likely to be required for what is these days a very demanding job especially in terms of recruiting boys to the choir stalls, promoting their choirs, fund raising and generally inspiring the music departments for which they will be responsible.

Perhaps the job is just not that attractive to the best people these days.

VCC

[Magnificat]

Perhaps they all knew that Worcester was coming up!!

[DracoM]

Was that unexpected?

[Finzi4ever]

Why is Worcester coming up?

[Triforium]

http://www.worcesterstandard.co.uk/story-Organist-calls-time-on-Cathedral-career-40118.html

[Don Basilio]

Surely if you are committed to equal opportunities, then all posts should be appointed when all possible candidates have an equal opportunity of knowing of the vacancy?

[amateur51]

Surely if you are committed to equal opportunities, then all posts should be appointed when all possible candidates have an equal opportunity of knowing of the vacancy?

Spot on, Don Basilio!

My mate Dave probably doesn't know that many cathedral organists tho'

[Finzi4ever]

Many thanks for the link; interesteing how Adrian suggests it's a job for a younger person...I know there is a younger person already there very capable of sgtepping up to the plate, but the phrase doesn't suggest equal opportunities, albeit it's not his job to offer.

[Contre Bombarde]

The UK cathedrals grapevine tells me that Sam Hudson, ADOM of All Saints, Hertford has been appointed to the Blackburn position.

[Magnificat]

In the last couple of weeks there have been adverts for the posts at St David's and Liverpool Met soon after the resignations of the holders but nothing yet regarding the vacancy at Worcester which was made public some time ago. Very short incumbancies at the first two above, hardly time for anything to be achieved I would have thought. Another Lichfield situation perhaps, or aren't all such posts necessarily advertised in the CT?

VCC.

[dj02468]

As I understand it, Tim Noon has taken a position in Auckland, New Zealand and Alexander Mason is going to Shrewsbury.

[Magnificat]

I can see cathedrals soon refusing to to make job offers unless candidates agree to stay for a reasonable time if successful, unless they are offered an obvious promotion before then or the appointment was an obvious mistake ( would it take four years for this to become apparent?).

These moves may be lifestyle changes which is all well and good but such short incumbancies can't be any good for the choirs involved.

I would have thought seven years is the very least that can be expected by both parties, by which time both the cathedral and DoM would have a good idea how things are going and could agree to a parting of the ways if desired.

VCC

[AscribeUntoTheLad]

So four years isn't enough to time to stay, but you've picked the slightly strange figure of seven years as "the least which can be expected"?