Director of Sacred Music

Job Description

Summary/Objective:

The Director of Sacred Music is a full-time, professional role reporting to the Director of the Office of Worship and coordinating with the Pastor at the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. This position serves as the primary leader for sacred music across the diocese, overseeing music for diocesan liturgies, cathedral services, and providing guidance to parishes. The director models excellence in liturgical music, fosters formation for parish musicians, and ensures alignment with Catholic liturgical documents and traditions. This role combines artistic expertise, pastoral leadership, and administrative oversight to enhance the spiritual life of the diocese through music.

Essential Job Functions:
•Plan, prepare, and execute music for all major diocesan events, including but not limited to, ordinations, convocations, retreats, Chrism Mass, Rite of Election, and liturgies presided over by the bishop, ensuring music reflects Church teachings on liturgy.
•Effectively communicate and collaborate with diocesan offices for all diocesan events.
•Serve as principal conductor for diocesan choirs, cathedral choirs, and ensembles.
•Audition, hire, contract, and rehearse musicians for diocesan liturgies, including cantors, choirs, and instrumentalists.
•Coordinate with the Director of the Office of Worship and Office of Communications to prepare worship aids, programs, and digital content for liturgies; including the tracking and reporting of all copyright information.
•Conduct and accompany weekly diocesan choir rehearsals and prepare the choir for diocesan liturgies deemed appropriate for the diocesan choir. Develop strategies to grow the diocesan choir.
•Conduct and manage the schola cantorum, the diocesan audition-based vocal ensemble. Maintain the roster of 12 professional, trained singers. Continue to promote the schola throughout the diocese.
•Develop and maintain choral programs, including recruitment, auditions, and formation for adult, youth, and children's choirs, as well as diocesan ensembles.
•Maintain the diocesan choral library.
•Provide formation, workshops, and enrichment opportunities for parish musicians, clergy, and volunteers to deepen their understanding of liturgical music and Church guidelines.
•Act as a consultant to parishes on hiring musicians, organ consultations, music space renovations, acoustics, and sound systems.
•Promote liturgical music education through articles, communications, and events, such as annual concerts or formation programs.
•Comprise a list of well-maintained instruments throughout the diocese and coordinate a concert series throughout the year, incorporating catechesis about the organ's use in the sacred liturgy and the purpose of sacred music.
•Develop and maintain opportunities for the diocesan faithful to experience liturgical prayer and sacred music throughout the church year.
•Coordinate with the Office of Worship and Communications to prepare worship aids, programs, and digital content for liturgies.
•Participate in diocesan committees, staff meetings, and collaborations with external organizations, serving as an ambassador for sacred music.
•Prepare the annual sacred music budget, including projections for expenses such as music purchases, instrument maintenance, personnel costs, events, and professional development, in collaboration with the Director of the Office of Worship.

Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

•Supervised by the Cathedral Pastor.
•Serve as primary accompanist for all weekend liturgies, holy days of obligation and other days as assigned by the pastor when not conflicting with diocesan liturgies.
•Serve as primary accompanist for all weddings and funerals.
•Serve as the primary point of contact for all guest soloists, cantors and instrumentalists.
•Create and maintain cantor schedules.
•Recruit, rehearse, direct and develop the parish choir.
•Prepare weekend worship aids.
•Coordinate the maintenance and upkeep of parish instruments.
•Collaborate with the pastor in the preparation of the music budget for the coming fiscal year.

Required Competencies:

•Should strive to personally know, love, and serve Jesus Christ through active participation in the life of the Catholic Church.
•Must publicly profess and strive to follow Catholic teachings as proclaimed by the Magisterium of the Church.
•Should have strong interpersonal skills, collaborating effectively and joyfully with people from diverse backgrounds.
•Contribute to a positive working environment through words and actions, and maintain a positive and professional demeanor.
•Demonstrate integrity, a striving for excellence in work.
•Excellent organizational and time management abilities, with the capacity to multitask, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
•A reputation for honesty, reliability, and professionalism in all interactions.
•Ability to effectively work with diocesan staff, parish leaders, and volunteers.
•Ability to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment with competing demands.
•Willingness to adapt to irregular hours, including evenings or weekends, for diocesan events.
•Proficient knowledge of the liturgical documents of the Church, including the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy, Sancrosanctum Concilium and the instruction on Music in the Liturgy, Musicam Sacram.
•Proficient knowledge in the structure of Masses and liturgies.
•Proficient knowledge in the selection of hymnody for the Sundays, Feasts and Solemnities of the Church's liturgical year.
•Possess leadership qualities and have confidence in leading a music program.
•Ability to foster a sense of reverence and prayer.
•Ability to mentor, and to encourage people of all ages to embrace sacred music.
•Willingness to attend diocesan and parish staff meetings as required.
•A strong desire and passion in working with volunteers.
•Proficient knowledge of Microsoft Office products.
•Experience with publishing and layout a plus.

Required Education & Experience:

Possess one or more of the following academic credentials:
•Master's Degree in Organ Performance
•Master's Degree in Choral conducting, with advanced proficiency and training in organ performance
•Master's Degree in Sacred Music, with advanced proficiency in organ performance and choral conducting.
•Previous and current experience with organ performance and sacred music will be considered.
•Experience in working in a church/chancery environment.

Classification:

•Full-time, Exempt

Reports to:

•Director of the Office of Worship
•Supervised by the Pastor at the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux

This job description is not designed or intended to be a comprehensive or exhaustive list of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of an employee in this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice, at the discretion of the Bishop of Madison.

About the Employer

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Madison, serving Southern Wisconsin, is building mission-driven communities of faith to share the life-changing good news of Jesus Christ. From the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin rivers in the beautiful Driftless Area to the rolling glacial plains, bluffs, and lakes surrounding our state capital region, we're blessed with a rich blend of rural communities and vibrant cities, each shaped by our longstanding Catholic heritage.