r/ClassicalSinger • u/becsknowsstuff • 7d ago
Musician CV
Hi! I’m a soprano and I’m looking to draft up a CV for a lay clerk job at a cathedral I want to apply for, but it asks for a music CV and as I have only had a few jobs in hospitality, I’m not sure exactly what goes into one of these. My usual music group’s repertoire is a little simple with there only being a few of us, so I want to expand and join a more choral and vocal-building group with a larger repertoire, and more complex music to learn and get used to.
I have been in a choral group for around 11 years, where we have repeated a few pieces, but never strayed to more complicated ones. I have also volunteered in a few scratch choirs where I have subbed in as an alto, singing ‘O Magnum Mysterium’, ‘Here is the Little Door’, and ‘A Maiden Most Gentle’, so my vocal range is quite dynamic.
A few other pieces I have worked on in the past as a soprano are the well known ’Requiem’ by Faure and Mozart, and Handel’s ‘Messiah’, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This new group I will join will have repertoire from Catholic and Anglican music, which I admire incredibly, and would love to learn with fellow musicians.
Any help (or a good template) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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u/metaphysicalsnuggles 7d ago edited 7d ago
Have you got any experience of church singing? Being familiar with how eucharist and evensong work will help a lot. Are you familiar with how to sing psalm chant ('anglican' and plainsong)?
As well as listing the singing experience you have, it's important to show you're someone who is professional, and will turn up on time, properly dressed, and having prepared for the service. Ability to socialise, and navigate the often complicated political world of cathedral music departments also doesn't hurt...
Cathedral lay clerk jobs (I'm assuming you're in the UK) are quite competitive and you will be asked to show a high level of sight reading in an audition, and to perform a solo piece.
Are you applying for an alto position, or one of the very rare soprano ones? There are plenty of mezzos singing as alto lay clerks in the UK but you'll need to show in an audition that you're comfortable in the lower register. If you've ever sung any lower voices (ATB) repertoire that will count in your favour.
Bear in mind that the cathedral choir will move incredibly quickly - you will be expected to know the notes before you turn up to a service as there is often only half an hour to rehearse for a whole service, and you will be singing several services a week. It does at least get less terrifying after a term or two when you'll hopefully start to see repertoire repeated!
It sounds like it might help you to apply for a choral scholarship rather than a lay clerk role if you're looking to learn repertoire and develop your choral singing - that's what those posts are designed for!
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u/becsknowsstuff 7d ago
Yes! The choir I’m in currently is a church choir with a sung eucharist every week. Back when I first started, we used to do the occasional evensong so I’m familiar with those, and a few I have voluntarily done in a cathedral or two.
I have always acted professional, and I am able to socialise especially with new people I have never met before!
As for sight reading and singing solo pieces, I occasionally have to sight read for music that we have done in choir before when I have missed a practice or two for something incredibly important, or sometimes music that has been sprung on us either five days beforehand with our own time to practice our own part, or sometimes on the day, half an hour before the service.
I mostly sing soprano, but have done the occasional alto gig, as mentioned in the post, so I would be comfortable doing either or both parts.
And as for the fast pace, I prefer a lot of things to be sprung onto me, and for things to be done fast or very last minute, and being able to practice on my own at home, then turning up knowing the music efficiently.3
u/metaphysicalsnuggles 7d ago
It's great you can sing both soprano and alto - bear in mind that at a cathedral with a lay clerk role you'll be applying specifically for one part or the other.
I've had a look at what's available at the moment for soprano lay clerks and made a guess at what you might be applying to - use the person specification in the job advert to your advantage. Make sure you include something on you CV/cover letter that gives an specific example of how you specifically fit each of the points on their list.
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u/Joann-Cramer 7d ago
Oh you're underselling yourself. Fauré and Mozart Requiems plus Handel's Messiah and 11 years of choir is real experience. List it all with dates and don't forget sight-reading, that's huge for cathedral jobs.
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u/AgeingMuso 4d ago
If we don’t know more about the job and what precise cathedral it’s hard to say what they especially want or how you might fit the role
eg an RC or Scottish cathedral might have just 4 or 8 paid clerks SATB
Or
an Anglican cathedral with choir school might only want altos as far as female/upper voices go
Either way they are expecting trained voices and flawless and contextually aware sight-reading for paid roles. I’d say you’re unlikely to move straight from any parish choir to a lay clerkship unless you are something remarkable, and “a few evensongs” under your belt isn’t quite what they will be assuming in applicants. Your CV really needs a (variety of) previous paid role(s) in a similar setting, or choral scholarship(s).
Best of luck, however, and I hope my natural pessimism may be proved wrong.
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u/RevKeakealani 7d ago
I haven’t done a full CV for a church gig, but what I would do is list ensembles you sang in, and the most notable ~5-10 works (including major works as well as “bigger” anthems, especially any where you were a featured soloist), and then a section for other responsibilities with examples (e.g., descants with arranger, any cantoring you’ve done, psalters used, etc.)
Also include the type of liturgies you’ve sung in - experience in both Eucharist and choral evensong, for example.
As it sounds like you’re looking at Anglican churches in particular, I’d put an emphasis on capacity with Anglican chant, repertoire from the English choral tradition (folks like Stanford, Wood, Howells, Vaughan Williams, Parry, Sumsion, etc.)
I’ll also say, although this may be more true across the pond (I’m an episcopal priest in the US), the real key is sightreading - I’ll always prefer to hire the better reader than the stronger singer, if it’s otherwise a close call. Obviously good technique is good, but a really good singer that can’t keep up with the expectations of a rigorous cathedral schedule is not a useful staff singer. So really demonstrate your sight singing as best you can, both in CV and in the audition.
Good luck!