Mater Misericordiae Parish has an immediate opening for an alto section leader. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic (others will also be considered) with the following qualities:
a passion for Renaissance polyphony, Gregorian chant, and other sacred music suitable for a mostly a cappella choir of 16 to 20 voices in the context of the Latin Mass; if your preferred style of church music is hymn arrangements, English anthems, or oratorio choruses, this position might not be the best fit
a mature, rich, resonant voice
strong sight-reading skills
impeccable rhythmic accuracy
good technique for both straight-tone choral and ensemble singing and, for female applicants, occasional solo singing with vibrato
willingness to sing challenging music alongside volunteers of various levels of ability
familiarity with tenor G clef (8vb) and square Gregorian notation, or willingness to learn these quickly
ability to transpose as much as a minor third from the printed key without difficulty
Responsibilities include approximately forty Masses per year with the mixed choir, one additional Mass per month with the treble schola cantorum (treble schola responsibilities may change later this year), weddings, and weekly rehearsals Tuesday evening 6:30 to 8:30. Trebles typically have the first Sunday of the month off. Pay is $85 per call (1.5 to 2 hours per call), including ensemble singing (two voices per part) for weddings. The mixed choir repertory list is available here, recordings here, and current schedule here.
Section leaders must be available for Christmas Midnight, Holy Week, Easter Sunday, the last Sunday of October, and November 1 and 2. Most Masses are at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in south Phoenix (Southern & 44th St.), with rehearsals and occasional Masses at Mater Misericordiae near the Capitol (Monroe & 16th Ave.). Please contact Patrick Williams at choir@phoenixlatinmass.org if interested and include “Alto Section Leader" in the subject line.
Background check and diocesan Safe Environment Training certification are required, and compliance with the church dress code is nonnegotiable for choir members. Mater Misericordiae is a parish of the diocese of Phoenix served by the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP) with exclusive use of the traditional, pre-Vatican II Roman rite in Latin.
Drawings for our new church to be built on the property of St. Edward's:
