Job Description

Job title: Music Administrator Reports to: Director of Music Job Grade: Keble Grade 3

Music at Keble

Musical activity at the College can be divided into three main sections:

1. Chapel Music and the College Choir;

2. The Music Society (KCMS);

3. The Keble Early Music Festival (KEMF).

The Chapel choir consists of c.27 singers, made up of around 20 Choral Scholars and 7 Graduate Choral Assistants. Most Choral Scholars are Keble undergraduates, though a number of undergraduate and graduate scholars attend other colleges.

The choir sings three regular chapel services each week of full term (Tuesday Evensong, Thursday Compline, and Sunday Eucharist) and undertakes foreign tours (USA in 2026; Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore in 2025, Italy in 2024), concerts, broadcasts, recordings, and occasional internal events including alumni events, weddings and memorial services. The Chapel houses one of the finest organs in the UK (IV/48 – Tickell / Ruffatti) and hosts a termly organ recital series in additional to occasional recitals.

As Oxford’s only festival of its type, the annual Keble Early Music Festival (normally sixth week of Hilary Term) contributes significantly to the cultural life of the College and wider university and city. Due to its favourable acoustics and excellent organ, our Chapel is also in high demand by external groups as a venue for concerts and recordings.

The Music Administrator takes a key co-ordinating role at the centre of the College’s Music Department, providing organisational support for our busy and diverse programme of musical activities. They also hold the lead responsibility for the publicity of our musical activities.

The Role

The role of Music Administrator can be divided into four key areas (a non-exhaustive list of tasks involved is given below each heading):

Administrative Support to the Choir during term and for external engagements

• The production and distribution of the termly music list

Management of choir diary and regular communication of schedules and information to choir members

General administrative tasks, including room bookings, invoice coding, financial arrangements for scholars/GCAs, booking of singers, ordering music, arrangement of instrument maintenance/tuning, liaising with visiting choirs and recording companies, completion of the college PRS form.

Hands-on organisation relating to choir and music events, including photocopying, assistance on open days and arrangement of furniture, overseeing the allocation/maintenance/cleaning of choir robes.

Assistance in Managing External Engagements

Organisation and planning of foreign tours/recordings/concerts in conjunction with tour companies, venues, and hotels.

• Preparation of programmes and other documents

Keble Early Music Festival

Timely communication with artists on programming and concert requirements and preparation of concert programmes

• Arranging contracts and payments for artists

• Arrangement of box office and ticketing process

• Internal seating/lighting arrangements, and assistance in venue preparation

• Front-of-house management and scheduling

Leading on Publicity

Lead on all aspects of music-related publicity to all audiences (including college, university, general public, promoters, and other third parties), making use of print publicity, online and social media, and all other forms of publicity

Lead on publicising musical events including regular services, concerts and other special events

• Lead on publicity for recruitment to the choir and organ scholarships

• Co-ordination of external publicity and distribution relating to KEMF and other events

Development and promotion of the choir’s professional engagements and reputation including website update and development

The Music Administrator also undertakes other tasks required for the efficient administration and support of the choir under the direction of the Director of Music.

Essential:

Outstanding administrative abilities

• An understanding of, or interest in, choral or classical music more generally

Pro-active and highly time-efficient approach to administration with the ability to prioritise independently, allocate time to tasks appropriately, and to selfmanage a busy workload as required

Excellent organisational skills, showing attention to detail, and reliability and punctuality in meeting deadlines

Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, can offer clear direction and instruction to volunteers, hands-on assistance and sympathetic hosting and direction to guest artists and other visitors

• Excellent computer skills, with working experience of MS Word & Excel

Appropriate design skills for print and online publicity material, and the ability to use (or learn to use) related IT software required for its production. A flair for using different forms of publicity to increase social media and online engagement

Desirable:

Experience of (or ability to master quickly and independently) design and publishing software such as InDesign and other specialist software

Experience in taking personal responsibility for the administration of larger tasks with multiple variables, e.g. the organisation of a choir tour