Position Description: Director of Music

I. Primary Function
The Director of Music is responsible for facilitating the worship life of the Notre Dame Seminary community by coordinating and providing quality music for liturgical and extra-liturgical celebrations and by educating the community in the historical and practical aspects of the Church’s musical tradition.

II. Expectations of the Director of Music
be a practicing Catholic in good standing;
have a master’s degree in music, organ or equivalent;
have a mastery of organ skills;
have the ability to direct a choir and schola;
have a familiarity with the chants of the Roman Missal and be able to instruct the seminarians in their use (chanting of Mass readings and Gospel included);
have the ability to lead the community in the proper chanting of the Liturgy of the Hours;
have a thorough knowledge of the repertoire of the Church’s musical tradition including chant, polyphony, and hymnody;
have a knowledge of the Church’s teachings on sacred music as proposed in her magisterial documents.

III. Responsibilities and Regular Activities of the Director of Music
select suitable music for the various community liturgies which include the daily celebration of Mass, Lauds, and Vespers, as well as working with the Director of Liturgy in the planning of such events;
provide organ accompaniment and/or musical direction for weekday liturgies (as necessary) as well as Sunday Mass;
provide instruction for student musicians a minimum of twice weekly (choir and schola, which are seminary courses);
provide musical instruction for the Notre Dame Seminary community at least monthly (music practices);
provide workshops for all seminarians to instruct them in the proper chanting of the liturgies according to their specific roles (lector, deacon, priest);
plan and prepare at least two extra-liturgical celebrations with the help of the Director of Liturgy and the student body, namely Lessons in Carols (Advent) and Tenebrae (Lent);
be able to attend/sit on certain committee meetings as necessary (Liturgy Committee, Faith Life Committee, etc.);

Interested parties can contact the Rector's secretary, Ms. Jan Hattier at jhattier@nds.edu

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I will add my personal comments. The music program at Notre Dame Seminary has really blossomed in recent years and is something that would appeal to many people on this forum. Adam Bartlett's Lumen Christi series is used on a daily basis in the community along with other similar resources (Samuel Weber, Columba Kelly, etc.) The community has its own English vesperal which is used on all Sundays and feast days for the full chanting of vespers, often with polyphonic Magnificats. These offices are live-streamed on the Notre Dame Seminary Facebook page.

In addition to the Lumen Christi Missal and the Seminary Vesperal, the pews also have Worship IV, Gather II, the Parish Book of Chant (1st Edition), Flor y Canto (for Saturday masses), and the WLP Seasonal Missalette. There is a balance between chant and hymnody in the community, but nothing rigidly imposed. It is a great representation of Sacrosanctum Concilium applied correctly.