Graduate Assistant (Music) 6-month contract
Music at Lancing College
Music is at the heart of life at Lancing and the renowned Choir sings at services in Chapel as well at major cathedrals across the country and regularly broadcasts choral evensong on BBC Radio 3 most recently in October 2025 and December 2023. Music at Lancing is extremely well resourced, and the College Chapel is an inspiring setting in which to make music in services and concerts and is fortunate to possess magnificent organs by Frobenius and Walker. Large-scale symphonic and chamber music concerts are frequently given in Great School which houses a Steinway model D and extremely good acoustics for instrumental and choral music.
Choral and instrumental music flourish in the Choir, Choral Scholars (Chamber Choir), A Cappella Club, College Singers (Choral Society), Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia, Concert Band, Big Band, Rock Society, a host of chamber music groups and a Music tech club.
There is a full and varied programme of events, ranging from lunchtime concerts, rock concerts and masterclasses to large-scale evening concerts and musical theatre. In the Lent Term the House Music Competition receives over 200 entries from pupils in solo, duet and ensemble categories, and the House Singing Competition in October involves every pupil in the school.
Concert highlights have included Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Sibelius’ Finlandia, Vaughan Williams’s The Lark Ascending as well as numerous concerto movements. Chamber ensembles have performed Dvorak’s Dumky Trio, Borodin’s String Quartet no.1 first movement and Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio second movement.
The College Singers together with the College Choir give an annual performance of major choral works including Mozart’s Solemn Vespers Rossini’s Petit Messe Solennelle, Handel’s Messiah and Vivaldi’s Gloria in recent years.
To celebrate the completion of the Chapel in 2022, the College commissioned a new anthem The Earth is the Lord’s composed by Matthew Martin and now published by Novello. In 2024 the school celebrated its 175th Anniversary with the musicians performing in a Gala Concert in London at Southwark Cathedral and also giving the first performance of Lancing Beatitudes composed by Roxanna Panufnik and published by Peters.
There are regular musical productions in the theatre and recent shows include Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, The Addams Family, Anything Goes, Chicago and My Fair Lady.
There are twenty-seven Music Scholars and Exhibitioners in the College with over half coming to Lancing from cathedral choir schools such as St Paul’s, Chichester, Salisbury, Ely and Exeter. Lancing’s Music Scholars regularly go on to study Music at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, winning Choral and Organ scholarships and to many of the top music colleges including the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Northern College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire.
Enrichment activities for Lancing’s musicians include visits from professional musicians to give concerts, masterclasses, and lectures with recent visits from Nigel Short (conductor), Sally Beamish (composer), Meurig Bowen (arts administration) and the Kokoshka Trio.
The Department holds annual music events for Prep School pupils; orchestral and choral which have proved very popular amongst local preparatory schools.
Music Department Staff
The Department comprises three members of teaching staff; the Director of Music, Assistant Director of Music & Head of Academic Music and a Graduate Teacher of Music, supported by a Graduate Music Assistant and an administrator. There are twenty-four visiting music teachers offering tuition in the full range of orchestral and rock instruments and voice, many of whom also lead and direct school ensembles.
The Music School
The Music School has 14 practice rooms, a drum room, a chamber music room, a recital room and a computer suite. The recital room, where much of the academic teaching takes place, is also used for rehearsals and lunchtime concerts. The computer suite has recently been upgraded with 14 Macs fitted with a range of software such as Sibelius, GarageBand, and Logic. Further rehearsal space is located below the Chapel in the Bedford Studio for the Symphony Orchestra and the Crypt for the Choir.
Examinations
Pupils in Year 9 follow a foundation course in preparation for the GCSE courses in Years 10 and 11. We currently follow the AQA GCSE specification. In Years 10 and 11 there are normally two or three sets for pupils who have opted to take GCSE Music. In the latest GCSE examinations, the Music Department achieved 86% Grade 9-6 in Music GCSE.
At A Level we follow the OCR specification. Over the last two years the department has achieved a 100% pass rate, with 82% Grade A*-B.
Job Description
We are seeking to appoint a Graduate Assistant (Music) position for six months with possibility to extend, ideal for a recent music graduate from a university or music college.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities:
- To assist with choral and instrumental rehearsals, including taking sectional rehearsals, singing in the choir and playing in the symphony orchestra and/or sinfonia.
- To accompany choir, small groups and individuals for rehearsals and principally lower grade pupils for practice sessions, internal and public performances, and examinations.
- If the candidate is an organist, playing the organ at some services in Chapel as directed by the Director of Music.
- To teach aural for practical exams and theory up to a minimum of Grade V.
- To support academic music Evening School work (prep), including with pupils’ use of music technology (e.g. Sibelius, GarageBand).
- To practice supervision during 4pm – 6pm activity periods.
- To file music sets, and catalogue printed and recorded music.
- To assist the Music Administrator and Head of Academic Music with administration of the department and students’ individual lessons.
- To take responsibility for front of house co-ordination for Music School events and the preparation of programmes.
- To record concerts and examination coursework under supervision.
- To organise the storage of pupils’ instruments and the school’s stock of instruments.
- To organise the choir’s robe list.
- To set up and store equipment and music for rehearsals and concerts.
- To provide classroom assistance within Senior school.
- To help with Prep schools’ music experience days.
- To undertake pastoral involvement in the Boarding House to which the Assistant is attached, being on duty for one evening a week.
- To assist with the staffing of pupil recreational facilities at weekends and in the evenings.
- To assist with the staffing of trips and visits.
- To assist with Common Room duties in the wider supervision of pupils in the evenings.
Skills and Experience:
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure, as part of a team and maintain a good sense of humour.
- Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing and orally with pupils, colleagues, parents and public.
- Willingness to take on new challenges.
Desirable
- The ability to play the piano/organ or a string instrument would be advantageous; but we could consider applications from instrumentalists.
- A musician with good sight-reading skills and experience of accompanying and/or choral singing, ensemble playing, conducting.
Application Procedure:
Applications should be made using the application form. Candidates are asked to add a covering letter setting out, as succinctly as possible, their reasons for applying for the position at Lancing.
Application forms are available from the College website www.lancingcollege.org.uk.
Please send any emails to recruitment@lancing.org.uk
A full curriculum vitae and the names, addresses and telephone numbers of a minimum of two referees, one of whom should be the candidate’s current or most recent employer should be included with the application.
Closing date: Wednesday 4 February 2026
Interviews: Wednesday 11 February 2026
The College reserves the right to call individuals to interview prior to the closing date for applications.
Information & Downloads
Location:
Department: Music
Salary: £16,335 – £17,853 per annum (FTE), pro rated to a six month contract according to responsibilities.
Closing date: 04-02-2026
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