Festival Conductor

Background: The Leith Hill Music Festival was founded in 1905 to bring together choirs to perform concerts and for Competitions between the participating choirs. Ralph Vaughan Williams held the position of Festival Conductor for the first 50 years of the Festival’s history. The concerts and other activities of the Festival are held at Dorking Halls, Dorking, Surrey – the Festival being largely responsible for the main concert hall being built in 1931.

The Festival: there are currently eleven participating choirs, divided into two groups, and the main Festival is held on two consecutive days (Friday/Saturday) in April each year. In the morning of each day there are Competitions between the choirs in their group, for which a professional choral adjudicator is engaged. In the afternoon of each day, the choirs combine to rehearse a programme of major choral repertoire with professional orchestra and soloists under the direction of the Festival Conductor, with a public concert being given in the evening.

In March each year the Festival also gives a performance of a major choral work, participation in which is open to singers from all the Festival choirs, together with independent singers. This concert is conducted by the Festival Conductor, with professional orchestra and soloists. In the early days of the Festival this concert was an annual performance of J S Bach – St. Matthew Passion but in recent years repertoire has also included Handel – Messiah, J S Bach – Mass in B Minor and St. John Passion and Verdi – Requiem.

In October each season the Festival holds a ‘Come and Sing’ day, open to all the Festival choirs together with independent singers.

Festival Conductor: the responsibilities of this role at the heart of the Festival include:

i. To recommend (in consultation with the Music Committee) repertoire for the main April

Festival concerts, the March concert and the October ‘Come and Sing’ day

ii. To conduct three Combined Rehearsals for the Festival choirs (generally on a Saturday or Sunday in each of January, February and March, with two 2-hour rehearsals on each

rehearsal day)

iii. To conduct the two April Festival concerts (including the afternoon ‘tutti’ rehearsals)

iv. To share the leadership of rehearsals for the March concert with a chorus master (generally the Festival Conductor will take about half of the six or seven rehearsals in the

period January – March)

v. To conduct the March concert, including the afternoon ‘tutti’ rehearsal

vi. To conduct the October ‘Singing Day’

vii. To recommend (within agreed budgetary guidelines) professional soloists and orchestras

for the three March/April concerts

viii. To liaise as appropriate with the Musical Directors of the eleven Festival choirs, the

Festival Officers (Chairman, Treasurer and Festival Organisers) and Committee to ensure

the smooth and successful running of the Festival

What we are looking for: an inspiring choral director to provide a broad range of musical leadership for the Festival. It is likely that this person will have:

i. Extensive experience of musical leadership of amateur choirs

ii. Extensive experience of working with professional orchestras and soloists

iii. A broad knowledge of the choral repertoire

iv. Strong inter-personal skills to form strong relationships with the Festival choirs and their own Musical Directors

v. Efficient organisational skills and a willingness to work flexibly with the Officers and Committee to ensure the smooth running of the Festival

vi. Ambition, imagination and initiative to contribute to the ongoing development of the Festival

Remuneration: the Festival offers the Festival Conductor an annual stipend (paid in agreed instalments) to cover all conducting and other activities as described. This is currently £11,500pa. It is anticipated that a 4-year contract will be offered, to start from September 2024, renewable thereafter by mutual agreement.

How to apply for the position of Festival Conductor: Applications should be sent by email to treasurer@lhmf.org.uk and should consist of a full CV and a personal letter highlighting why you wish to be considered for this musical leadership opportunity and what qualities you would bring to the role.

Closing date for applications: 16th October 2023.

A short-list of candidates will be invited for interview and it is hoped that an appointment will be confirmed by the end of the year.