Director of Music

Contract Type: Part‑Time: 0.5 FTE, Fixed Term.

Pay: £35,681 per annum (NSP 25 on the University scale), pro‑rated for part‑time appointments.

Reporting To: The Chaplain

Dates: 1 September 2026 – 31 August 2029. The initial appointment is for three years, with potential extension after review of the College’s needs.

The College: Lincoln College is a medium‑sized college housed in attractive medieval buildings in the centre of the city, on Turl Street. The College has 50 Fellows, around 630 students (equally divided between graduates and undergraduates), and a sizeable staff.

The Role: This new role has been created to develop and provide support for music in the College, especially in the Chapel and for the College’s 600th anniversary celebrations (2027‑28). Lincoln College Chapel provides worship for the college community and is an important centre for both the spiritual and musical life of the College. The principal service is Choral Evensong, with occasional additional services for special occasions during term‑time. The style of worship is broadly within the cathedral tradition (BCP evensong, Common Worship eucharist). The Chapel organ (William Drake, 2010) is described here: https://betts.music.ox.ac.uk/lincoln. Lincoln has a tradition of excellent choral singing, led by student Organ Scholars. The current choir is very large (around 35, non‑auditioning) with a core of 8 auditioned Choral Scholars (two each SATB). The College seeks to appoint a Director of Music to strengthen and guide Lincoln’s historically valued student‑led model while balancing high‑performance standards with community welcome. The Director will supervise the Organ Scholars and provide structured opportunities for choral conducting, rehearsal leadership, organ’s role in worship, and termly music programming. The appointee will also play and conduct as needed based on mentoring and teaching needs and student skills. Lincoln celebrates its 600th anniversary in the academic year 2027‑28, requiring additional services and the premiere of a commissioned piece on Foundation Day. The Director will organise and prepare a choir of sufficient standard for these occasions, in addition to core Sunday services. The Director will further foster musical life outside the Chapel, supporting student musicians and expanding concert and musical project opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Chapel Music & Mentoring: Work with the Chaplain, Organ Scholars and choir to deliver high‑quality choral and organ music as part of Chapel worship. This involves:
• Sharing conducting and organ‑playing responsibilities with the Organ Scholars at Sunday evening services.
• Supporting the Organ Scholars in leading a weekly choir rehearsal (currently Wednesday evenings).
• Playing for occasional additional weekday services (usually 2–3 per term), with arrangements made with prior notice.
• Holding weekly meetings with the Chaplain to review and plan worship.
• Planning termly music lists in collaboration with the Chaplain.
• Working with the Organ Scholars to recruit and retain choir members each year.
• Offering instruction and support to develop the Organ Scholars’ playing, leadership and conducting skills.
• Organising and maintaining the choir’s library of sheet music.
• Overseeing the general organisation and administration of the choir.
• Supporting the Musical Life of the College: Foster a vibrant musical culture beyond the Chapel by supporting and encouraging student musicians across all genres. This includes:
• Connecting musicians and promoting opportunities for aspiring and established musicians.
• Identifying and developing opportunities such as lunchtime concerts, chamber music and recitals for students of all standards.
• Overseeing the College’s musical instruments, liaising with the Domestic Bursary for regular tuning and maintenance, and monitoring equipment in the music rooms.
• Development & 600th Anniversary: Lead musical planning for the 600th Anniversary, including the world premiere of a commissioned piece on Founder’s Day (October 2027). This involves:
• Liaising with the composer, conductor and event sponsor.
• Supporting the Development Office by providing music for alumni events out of term time and nurturing relationships with musical benefactors.
• Organising the annual Elman Poole music concert and managing UK or overseas choir tours with the Organ Scholars.
• Administration: Meeting regularly with the Chaplain to plan worship and termly music lists. Managing the music budget, including sheet music costs, concert expenses and instrument maintenance. Ensuring all musical activities comply with the College’s safeguarding policies and procedures, especially when mentoring students and coordinating with external tutors or visiting musicians.

Qualifications & Experience

• A degree in music (or equivalent professional experience).
• Excellent organ playing skills, at least ARCO standard, with church music and liturgical experience in the Anglican tradition.
• Significant experience in choir training and choral conducting to a high standard, particularly within a collegiate or similar liturgical setting.
• Proven ability to mentor and supervise students, helping them develop leadership and musical skills while respecting the College’s student‑led tradition.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to motivate a large, community‑focused choir while maintaining high performance standards.
• Efficient administrative skills, including termly music list planning and event management.
• Experience in event management such as organising concerts, recitals or choir tours.
• Ability to work as part of a team and maintain productive relationships with the Chaplain, Rector, Fellows, Development Office and external contacts.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends during University term‑times and occasional out‑of‑term alumni events.
• Previous experience of an Oxbridge College or a similar environment, including familiarity with the organ and choral scholarship cycles.
• Experience in commissioning new works or managing large‑scale celebratory programming (relevant for the 600th Anniversary).
• A track record of encouraging music beyond the Chapel, such as chamber music, jazz or instrumental recitals.

Equal Opportunities

Lincoln College is an equal opportunities employer and we encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds.