St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wilmington, NC, is seeking its next Organist and Director of Music.  With a solid foundation in traditional, yet, enlivened liturgy, we are known in the community as the regional hub for excellence in choral and sacred music in the Anglican tradition.

Founded in 1858, St. Paul’s is a transitional size parish with an average Sunday attendance of 182 (2022).  The music program at St. Paul’s consists of The Choir of St. Paul’s (a mixture of both paid section leaders and volunteers).  There is also a remnant of a chorister program and opportunity to reclaim, renew, or transform the Wilmington Boys Choir (a ministry of St. Paul’s), which currently sits in dormancy.

A typical year of additional musical events outside of Sunday morning often includes:

• Advent Lessons and Carols
• Handel’s Messiah with the NC Baroque Orchestra
• A Festival of Christmas Lessons and Carols
• Candlemas Choral Evensong
• Good Friday Evening Concert (Stainer/Dubois)
• Summer Children’s Fine Arts Camp
• Bi or triennial English Cathedral Residency
• Holy Cross Choral Evensong
• Michaelmas Choral Evensong
• Blessing of the Animals
• Requiem concert around All Saints/All Souls
• Veterans Day Choral Evensong
• Recitals by accomplished musicians from around the country
• Monthly Taize service sponsored by the Daughters of the King

While many of these events will continue to occur, the new Organist and Director of Music will be encouraged to make these or any additional musical events his or her own, while investing the greatest amount of time and energy into Sunday morning offerings and growing a Chorister program (RSCM).

We have been led wonderfully to this point and now seek to build on that solid foundation by boldly moving our commitment to music at St. Paul’s to the next level.  We are doing this by making the position full time, trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct us into calling someone who has the skill, capacity, and energy to make Music at St. Paul’s a full-time ministry.

The Organist and Director of Music will be responsible for directing the Choir. He or she will also be capable of encouraging and supporting the growing children and youth population in singing. He or she will serve as the primary parish organist, playing for the church’s principal Sunday morning service (occasionally at 8), services for holidays and major feasts, and weddings and funerals as needed (generous additional pay). The Director will hire musicians for special services, recruit singers, and supervise all musical activities at St. Paul’s.

Additionally, the Director will work under the direction of a cathedral-trained rector and in collaboration with assisting clergy, staff and lay volunteers.

Requirements

• A mature Christian faith
• A degree from an accredited music program
• A familiarity with the liturgies and traditions of the Episcopal Church
• A knowledge of and ability to express the full range of the Anglican musical tradition
• A demonstrated aptitude for creating cohesive, high-performing teams of musicians
• Willingness and skill in working with singers of all ages and abilities
• Excellence and energy in hymn playing
• Organized and able to multitask
• Strong communications skills with the ability to set clear expectations
• Competency in all Microsoft and Google platforms, as well as music writing software

St. Paul’s Organ

Our main pipe organ is a 1995 Goulding & Wood 38-rank, 30-stop instrument with the pipes located on either side of the altar. The console is on the right side of the chancel. The estate of Hazel Savage provided us with a new 9-rank G & W antiphonal gallery organ that was installed in 1999. This organ has festival trumpets and other ranks that complement the main organ. It can be played on a keyboard in the gallery or from the console of the main organ. The large open space of our church provides superb acoustics for these magnificent instruments.

For more information on music at St. Paul’s including St. Paul’s organ, please click on the following link

https://spechurch.com/music/

St. Paul’s YouTube feed

https://www.youtube.com/@st.paulsepiscopalchurchilm/streams