First United Methodist Church, Midland is seeking up to four Choral Scholars to sing with the choir and occasionally as paid soloists for two to three Sunday services per month as well as additional services as necessary. Choral Scholar programs are intended to aid in preparing young professionals for work in church music or performance while also improving the quality of worship services. Interested applicants should apply via email to contact below.

Job Description: Choral Scholars will sing with the Chancel Choir on all Choir Sundays and will attend Thursday rehearsals. The role of the Choral Scholar is to bolster the choir and congregational singing. Additionally, Choral Scholars may occasionally sing solo repertoire for services.

Program Year: September – May

Rehearsals: Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM

Sundays: Typically, the second and last Sundays of each month with one additional Sunday in 5-Sunday months. 9:00 traditional service with 8:30 rehearsal or 10:00 combined service with 9:30 rehearsal.

Additional Services as Necessary: The choir always sings at the following services that do not fall on

● Christmas Eve Traditional Service (7 PM)
● Good Friday Community Service (12:00 PM)

Additionally, there may be other services we are requested to sing for. These will be communicated as far in advance as possible. These may be as members of the choir or as solo performers. They may include, but are not limited to:

● Non-Choir Sundays as soloists or chamber ensemble
● Longest Night Service
● Christmas Eve Midnight Service (11 PM)
● Additional Holy Week Services
● Funerals / Weddings
● Concerts

Compensation: Scholars will be paid a flat rate of $25 for rehearsals and $50 for services.

Attendance: Scholars are expected to attend all Thursday rehearsals and all required Services. Scholars receive one excused absence from rehearsals and one excused absence from Services per semester (September – December & January – May). These must be communicated in advance to the Choir Director, and school events such as performances, dress rehearsals, etc. do not count against available excused absences. Additional absences beyond those allowed may result in termination, and any no-call, no-show absences may result in immediate termination.

Audition Information: Selected applicants will audition in the first week of December. The audition will consist of a brief performance of the scholar’s choosing, a vocalization, some sight reading, and a short interview portion. Auditions are expected to last 20-45 minutes.

For any additional information, please email the Choral Program Director, Tyler Morse, at tmorse@fumcmid.org with any questions.