Old St. Mary's parish, the oldest standing house of worship still in use in the city of Cincinnati, under the care of the Fathers of the Cincinnati Oratory, is seeking gifted and motivated staff singers for the Old St. Mary's Schola Cantorum for the 2022-23 choral season.



The Old St. Mary's Schola is a professional choir of five voices (SSATB) specializing in the sacred music of the Roman Rite in the context of historic, traditional Latin liturgy. Singers must be comfortable singing one-on-a-part in an ensemble setting with very high musical standards, and possess strong sight-reading skills. In addition to this, the ideal candidate will love this music and the sacred liturgy, and bring that love to their work.

Far more than just a choral anthem or two a week, and some hymns, working at Old St. Mary's is an opportunity to sing excessively indulgent amounts of glorious choral music, including plainchant, Renaissance polyphony, Viennese and Romantic sacred music, excellent modern compositions, and rich hymnody, to an exacting and satisfying musical standard, in a visually stunning space with a glorious acoustic, to beautify and support the parish's sumptuous liturgical life, and with a supportive and singing congregation, under the care of a dedicated religious community of priests, and with a resident community of religious sisters.

For the Catholic singer with the requisite skills and professional experience, this may be exactly the parish that you wish to make a spiritual home for you and your family.

The commitment includes:

(1) one weekly weekday evening rehearsal and a Sunday morning warm-up and Mass from October through June,
(2) warm-up and Mass for a set schedule of feast days
(3) periodic celebrations of Vespers throughout the year
(4) Concerts of sacred music, "Musical Oratories," seasonally

Staff singers will be given preference for additional income opportunities, including weddings and solo singing opportunities. Old St. Mary's recognizes that the very best musicians can sometimes not avoid conflicts between a regular gig and important career opportunities, and we are willing to be flexible in allowing singers to pursue these as they come up, by mutual agreement.

Pay is competitive within the local market. If you are from Chicago, remember that it is cheaper to live down here than up there.

At this time, there is certain need for a tenor, with likely need for a soprano and bass.

All voice types interested are welcome to apply and audition, even if only for a spot in our auxiliary and substitute roster.

Interested candidates should contact Sean Connolly, incoming Director of Sacred Music, by sending a private message to this account, or by E-mailing me at sconnolly [at] oldstmarys.org. Please briefly summarize your background, reasons for interest in the position, and abilities, or simply attach a CV if you prefer, and a recorded sample of your work (if you wish), and we will move the conversation forward from there.

Auditions will be scheduled by mutual convenience, beginning after mid-July. If on-site auditions are not possible for you, remote/virtual auditions, while not preferred, can be arranged.