New Musical Director for Sutton Valance Choral Society wanted

Sutton Valence Choral is seeking to appoint a new Musical Director to take over from Bryan Gipps who will be retiring on 15 November 2025, after more than 20 years with the choir. During Bryan’s tenure as Musical Director, the choir became one of the foremost amateur choirs in Southeast Kent, described by the Church Times as the leading large vocal ensemble in Maidstone. We are looking for a musically talented, highly skilled, and inspirational Music Director who will help us to continue to pursue our Vision – which is simply to share the pleasure of music-making by providing members with the opportunity to learn and perform choral music to a high standard. The choir, which performs in the classical tradition, was formed in 1990 and currently has about 60 singers. Membership of the choir is not dependent on an audition although a smaller chamber choir within the larger choir is auditioned. We rehearse in a hard-working and happy atmosphere for two hours on Monday evenings during school term time at Sutton Valence School and perform in venues local to Sutton Valence and occasionally further afield, such as in Rochester and Canterbury Cathedrals. Our repertoire is ambitious and challenging. We perform a minimum of two major concerts per year usually in November and March, when we engage the Beresford Sinfonia and professional soloists. Two further concerts, in July and December, generally involve a collection of shorter pieces accompanied by piano or organ. We also undertake workshops, social events and charitable functions and occasionally join with other choirs to perform major choral works. Each year we choose a local charity and raise money for it throughout the year. This year we are supporting the Kent and Medway Young Musicians Trust. If you would like to explore this opportunity, we should be glad to hear from you. In this document you will find more details about the choir, the role and the essential skills and qualities we are seeking, as well as the application process and how to contact us. Margaret Jordan. Chair, Sutton Valence Choral Society https://www.suttonvalencechoral.com/