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Director of the Boys’ Choirs: Oxford Youth Choirs
Oxford Youth Choirs is seeking a new Director to lead the Senior and Junior Boys’ Choirs from September 2026.
About Oxford Youth Choirs
OYC is a group of six choirs comprising Prep 1 and 2 (ages 4–8), Juniors (ages 8–11), and Seniors (ages 11–18). We rehearse every Saturday morning during term time at the Cherwell School, North Site. We welcome children of all genders, backgrounds, and musical abilities.
OYC was founded as the Oxford Girls’ Choir in 1984 by Richard Vendome. In 2024, Richard was succeeded as Musical Director by Benedict Goodall. We are a musically ambitious choir and perform a wide range of music. For more information about our choirs, staff, past performances, and upcoming events, visit our website: www.oxfordyouthchoirs.org.uk.
About the Senior Boys’ Choir
The Senior Boys’ Choir performs as a group in its own right, as well as forming part of the Senior Choir, along with the Senior Girls. We learn ambitious repertoire from a variety of musical genres spanning classical, folk, and musical theatre. We expand the musicianship of our members through the advancement of aural skills, theoretical knowledge, vocal technique, and sight-singing. We perform once per term as Oxford Youth Choirs, also joined by the Prep Choirs (Reception–Year 3). There are often extra performance opportunities for our Junior and Senior choirs, many of which are blogged on our website: www.oxfordyouthchoirs.org.uk/events/past-events.
The Junior and Senior choirs have around 30 members per choir. The Junior Choir rehearses 09:15–11:15am with children in school years 4–6, and is directed by Margaret Lingas. The Senior Girls’ Choir and Senior Boys’ Choir members are in school years 7–13 and rehearse 10:30am–12:30pm; they are directed by Musical Director, Benedict Goodall, and the leader of the boys’ choir.
Duties and responsibilities
- Plan repertoire in collaboration with the Musical Director in advance of the beginning of each term
- Seek out music in a range of styles which our young people will enjoy and thrive on learning
- Rehearse Senior Boys’ pieces, and conduct them in concert
- Lead sectional rehearsals, teaching tenor and bass parts
- Occasionally rehearse combined Boys’ Choirs (Seniors and Juniors), and conduct them in concert
- Occasionally lead combined choirs and Junior Choir when required (e.g. if another director is away or for agreed pieces)
- Arrive well prepared for all OYC rehearsals, concerts, and events, starting them punctually and ready to lead
- Take the weekly registers and comply with rehearsal policy
- Prepare and deliver interesting rehearsals which incorporate musicianship, manage behaviour well, and lead to satisfying learning outcomes for OYC members
- Support with the set up and pack down of the rehearsals, if required
- Be friendly and approachable to our young people and keen to share their love of music-making
- Sing with the combined choirs when not conducting
- Act as a point of contact for parents and carers
- In case of unavailability or illness, arrange a deputy from the approved OYC list
- Undertake safeguarding training when required
- Liaise with other choir staff and trustees
- Experience of choir training and leading
- Ability to model excellent vocal technique
- Ability to make informed repertoire choices for the choir, in collaboration with the Musical Director, specifically suited to the changing voices in the group for any given term
- A talent for inspiring and connecting with young people to achieve quality performances
- Experience working with the Senior Choirs age range (11–18 years old), and understanding of changing voices
- Experience working with Junior Choirs age range (8–11 years old)
- Keyboard skills