Musical Director Vacancy

Application deadline: Friday 18 July 2025

South West Essex Choir is a friendly non-auditioned choir in NE London with a mainly classical repertoire from the baroque through to the contemporary, including jazz-style pieces.

We are now looking to recruit a new Musical Director after 8 successful years with our current MD who will be relocating. We are seeking a new Musical Director with experience of conducting choirs to create welcoming and inclusive rehearsals. The new MD must be able to communicate an overall musical vision while teaching with sufficient energy, detail and care to produce confident performances of a high standard.

The position will start in January 2026.

Applications are open now and should be submitted by 5pm on Friday 18 July 2025. Download the recruitment pack below.


Background

The choir was founded in 1964 from the choral wing of the former Leyton Municipal Orchestra and Choir, which later became the Forest Philharmonic.  Last year SWEC celebrated its 60th anniversary with the world premiere of Ed Nesbitt’s The Genuine History of the Life of Richard Turpin at Kings College Chapel, London, Richard Blackford’s arrangement of Verdi’s Requiem for two pianos and timpani and the Messiah with an ensemble from the National Symphony Orchestra. SWEC’s President is John Lill.

SWEC currently has over 80 members and rehearses each Tuesday, 7.45-9.45 in Loughton, Essex, typically performing three concerts a year and including one vocal workshop.