PIANO AND ORGAN ACCOMPANIST

Piano and organ accompanist required

East Surrey Choral Society is looking for an accompanist to join us in Autumn 2025.  The responsibilities are: 

• Provide piano accompaniment for weekly rehearsals
• accompany the choir during concerts in our local area (see below) including organ accompaniment when required
• 0ccasionally lead rehearsals or sectional practices from the keyboard
• The opportunity to play a solo piece in a concert. 

We are seeking someone with excellent piano and organ skills, experience of accompanying choral ensembles, and who is comfortable playing a wide range of repertoire. The candidate should be able to support the conductor and choir with sensitivity as new repertoire is learned.    

ESCS is an established, friendly, mixed-voiced choir, currently with a membership of more than 50 singers.  The choir is non-auditioned but we aim for high standards. The choir performs three public concerts a year.   Our Christmas and Easter concerts feature major choral works or parts thereof accompanied by piano or organ (occasionally with a small orchestra).  In the summer we perform a selection of lighter music.  See below.

We rehearse weekly during term time (including half-term) at the Centenary Hall, Essendene Road, Caterham, Surrey on Tuesdays from 7.45 – 10 pm.  Our concerts are held in Caterham United Reformed Church, St John’s Church, Old Coulsdon or at Woldingham Village Hall. 

Your permanent residence must be within reasonable commuting distance from the above venues. 

Remuneration will be based on a fee per rehearsal and per concert and engagement is on a self-employed basis.   As part of the application process, selected candidates will be required to accompany the choir for one half of a rehearsal in a variety of genres and from SATB score.    

Please apply by email to secretary@escs.org.uk and b.anne.smith@ntlworld.com including your CV outlining your suitability for this role.   The closing date for applications is 31st August 2025.

ESCS is a self-financing Registered Charity run by an elected committee.  Further information about the choir can be found on our website www.escs.org.uk.

Our most recently performed works                                 

Christmas 2024           Seasonal music and carols from around the world

Easter 2025                 Petite Messe Solennelle, Rossini

Summer 2025             Medleys (Les Miserables and Rodgers and Hammerstein); well-known 20th century songs.

For Christmas 2025    A Ceremony of Carols, Britten

                                    A contemporary suite of American carols plus traditional Christmas music

In the recent past we have performed:  Haydn Nelson Mass, Chilcott Requiem, Fauré, Requiem;

Gounod, St Cecilia Mass; Rutter, Magnificat; Vivaldi, Gloria; songs by Sullivan, Mendelssohn,

Stainer, Brahms, Vaughan Williams, Offenbach.