In Anglican liturgical theology, music is not simply ornament, it lifts us up into the living, pulsating story that is the base of all reality, the ground of our very being—the Gospel. The choir is not a backdrop, it is a praying body sacramentally embedded within time, place, and a gathered assembly. And the organist is not merely an accompanist, but a theological voice who joins Word and Sacrament in audible form. When a church finds itself in a season of transition and begins the search for a new Director of Music, Choirmaster, or Organist, it is not conducting a personnel search so much as entering a season of communal spiritual discernment.
In January of 2023 my music director and organist of 40 years came into my office to inform me of his intentions to retire. Anyone who has gone through such a transition knows how unique the right person can be, or how hard a successful incumbent is to replace. You are not just looking for a musician. You are looking for someone who can sight-read an anthem, decode clergy hand signals, and still have enough energy to politely explain what an ‘introit’ is to a parishioner—again. As I began to formulate a plan for hiring the person who would become his successor, I found a surprising lack of resources, and besides the advice I gleaned from more experienced rectors, there was little roadmap to follow.
It has now been two years since my new music director started in the role, and during that time several clergy have reached out to me for advice. While I was hiring for a specific context that does not translate to every parish, what follows is a brief theological and practical guide, drawn from our search, for parishes discerning new leadership in their music ministry, and aimed specifically at those rooted in traditional Anglican hymnody and prayer-book spirituality. May the following principles assist clergy, vestries, search committees, and all who desire to “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.”
Start with Prayer, Not Panic
Every parish begins in a different emotional place—gratitude, grief, anxiety, even exhaustion—but nothing distorts discernment like urgency. So we began with a liturgical anchor: a parish prayer offered each meeting during our transition. We committed to prayerful attentiveness with the understanding that the right person for the job “tunes his heart to sing thy grace.” We were not looking for technician, but a mystagogue whose medium is sacred music.
Music in the Church is not a commodity to be proffered, it is an invitation into communion. And so the process to call a new Director of Music must be marked by patience, reverence, and hope. Ground everything you do in prayer, seriously. You might consider contextualizing the prayer that follows, or writing your own collect to be used by your committee and parishioners as the search unfolds.
O God, who has blessed and sustained us through the years; we ask that you continue to lead us, stretch us, and direct us in our search for a new Director of Music. Raise for us, we pray, someone who will faithfully serve your people with love and compassion, leading us to be more deeply engaged in worship, that we may continue to grow in the likeness of Christ and be a beacon of love and hope to our community and the world. To the glory of your Holy Name. Amen.
Establish the Structure for Discernment
Informed by what we considered best practices and adapted to our parish context, our search was structured with clarity and pastoral realism. We made plenty of mistakes along the way, but what follows is the outline, part of which was inspired by a former mentor and priest:
-
- Appoint a chairperson with intimate knowledge of our music program and a history of leadership in this ministry area.
- Establish a Search Committee with several choir members and vestry members. If possible, make sure the choir members are also parishioners, but also do consult the larger choir and any paid staff singers so they feel they are part of the process.
- Clarify timeline goals: In our case, hire by July 1; begin no later than August 1 (before the program year).
- Identify postings:
-
- The American Guild of Organists, Association of Anglican Musicians
- Episcopal and Anglican networks in the U.S. and U.K. for a global search
-
- Plan for site visits to candidates in their home contexts.
- Host two finalists for in-person interviews, rehearsals, and community immersion in the parish.
- Prepare a Parish Packet with materials about our liturgical life, choral tradition, and the cultural beauty of Louisville, where St. Francis in the Fields is based.
This structure ensured transparency and rigor—but above all, it was designed to honor the dignity of those discerning a call to serve among us. If we were searching for a contemporary music leader, we would have pursued a different path.
Stress Theology, Not Tasks
The Director of Music is not merely a musician and is certainly not called to be inventive. The director is, in the Anglican vision, a liturgical theologian (to some degree), a pastoral presence, and a teacher of prayer. The Book of Common Prayer makes this clear, not by spelling out a job description, but by assuming that music is integral to the Church’s self-offering to God. The art of the faithful organist or music director is attentiveness to the grammar of the Church’s praise through history.
Thus, a job description should reflect not merely outputs (number of rehearsals, service times, etc.), but a vision of shared leadership in worship:
-
- Oversight of all musical elements of the parish’s liturgical life
- Direction of choirs, formation of young singers, and collaboration with clergy
- Proficiency in Anglican liturgical forms (Evensong, High Mass, Choral Matins)
- Sensitivity to the liturgical calendar, pastoral transitions, and moments of grief and joy
- A commitment to beauty as a form of catechesis
- Commitment to lead, follow, and serve under the authority of the rector
To paraphrase Bishop Walter Frere: the sacred musician is not just in the service of the people’s affection, but in the service of the Church’s theological imagination.
Therefore, the Director of Music should express a commitment to live and grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I included this in the essential qualifications for the job. Moreover, the very first line the applicant read in the job description was, “St. Francis in the Fields is a place of ‘joyful orthodoxy,’ with a focus on Christian discipleship, Biblical literacy, and classical Anglican formation.”
If a musician was not interested in this starting point, then it was not going to be a good fit. Moreover, when I had an applicant who told me that he—with delight—could not believe what he was reading, I knew he was likely a very strong contender (indeed, I hired him).
Further, I sprinkled lines in the job description that underscored the ministerial nature of the role, such as “The Rector views all parish music as an expression of glory to God, and a tool for discipleship and mission.” Again, it is possible to find someone who is technically excellent but “whose heart is far from me” (Matt. 15:8).
Evaluating Candidates
We reviewed resumés and cover letters. We conducted Zoom and in-person interviews. We listened to recordings and conducted reference checks. But we also asked deeper questions:
-
- What is your theology of congregational singing?
- How do you choose music for the Eucharist?
- What does a funeral prelude mean to you?
- What role does silence play in worship?
- How do you approach forming volunteer singers into a praying community?
- What is the role of music in the catechesis of children?
You might consider developing two sets of questions—one for your committee members to ask, and another to help prepare for the kinds of questions that candidates could raise. Our goal was not just to evaluate skill, but to discover spiritual resonance.
Collaboration and Clarity
The Search Committee’s work was vital. Its members carried real responsibility, deeply researched the candidates, and brought back discernment reports to the group. But from the beginning, we communicated clearly: this was not a congregational vote, and I was not democratizing the decision.
The committee members knew that I deeply and sincerely valued their opinions and assessments, many of which were more deeply formed by experience and technical knowledge of Anglican hymnody than mine. At the end of the day, however, the rector would make the final call—but only after listening attentively and working toward consensus. As it turns out, our decision was unanimous, but this may not always be possible. We also designated a Vestry liaison to ensure transparency and buy-in from parish governance, while preserving the confidentiality and agility of the committee’s work.
Be Thoughtful and Confidential
Discernment thrives in sunlight, but candidates need the protection of shade. We kept our parish updated by sharing milestones, prayer requests, and invitations to hope, without revealing details about individual applicants, as confidentiality was paramount.
Finalists were received with warmth, not as contestants but as honored guests. They met clergy, choir members, and parishioners. We let them lead. We let them teach. We discerned if they were persons we would enjoy on the team. Most important, we watched to see if they would or could lead us in prayer.
As St. Augustine noted, “the one who sings prays twice.” The Director of Music is a steward of this mystery—not the composer of praise, but the one who calls forth the song already planted in the hearts of God’s people. May we then approach each search not with anxiety but with reverence. For in every chorister’s breath, in every prelude’s final cadence, in every trembling Amen, we are drawn more deeply into the eternal music of God.
Resources for Parishes in Search
Professional and Ecclesial Boards
- American Guild of Organists Job Center
https://www.agohq.org- The premier site for professional church musicians in the U.S.
- Strong pool of organists trained in classical repertoire.
- Association of Anglican Musicians
https://anglicanmusicians.org- Focuses on Episcopal and Anglican parishes.
- Includes job board, directory, compensation guidelines, and best practices for search committees.
- The Royal School of Church Music America Job Board
https://rscmamerica.org- Especially good for connecting with those trained in the English cathedral music tradition.
- Also helpful for developing a long-term choral program with formation.
- Church Music Institute
https://churchmusicinstitute.org- Hosts a job board and a vast database of liturgically appropriate music.
- Strong academic and liturgical emphasis.
Resources for Evaluating Classical Anglican Hymnody
*Use these to ground your parish’s values in its tradition and make informed hiring decisions.
Hymnals & Liturgical Guides
- The Hymnal 1982 Companion (Episcopal Church)
- Multi-volume reference with historical and theological notes on every hymn.
- Helps you assess whether candidates have a rooted understanding of the canon.
- English Hymnal (1906) & New English Hymnal (1986)
- Rich in classical Anglican hymnody and plainsong. Still in use in some Anglo-Catholic contexts.
- A Manual of Anglo-Catholic Devotion (Canterbury Press)
- Helpful when hymnody serves liturgical devotion and prayer.
- The Anglican Psalter (Oxford or Plainsong versions) or Nashotah House Plainsong Psalter
- Essential for parishes wanting to maintain chant-based psalmody.
Formation & Training Resources
*Great for understanding the credentials of candidates and for parish education.
- RSCM Voice for Life Program
- Used worldwide to train choristers in music literacy, liturgy, and discipline.
- A parish offering this becomes more attractive to serious church musicians.
- AGO Certification Programs (Service Playing, Colleague, Choirmaster)
- Shows that candidates have been evaluated in sacred repertoire and hymn leadership.
- Church Music Institute Digital Library
- Subscription-based, but excellent for finding well-vetted repertoire for organ and choir in the Anglican tradition.
Other Helpful Organizations and Publications
- The Hymn Society in the United States and Canada
https://thehymnsociety.org- Broader than Anglican, and shows deep commitment to congregational song across traditions.
- Publishes The Hymn, a journal with scholarly and pastoral content.
- Pastoral Music (journal of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians)
- While this journal is more Roman Catholic in focus, many articles apply to Anglican contexts, especially choral formation.
The Rev. Clint Wilson is rector of St. Francis in the Fields Episcopal Church in Harrods Creek, Kentucky.
