Organist at Varde Church - 30 hours

Organist at Varde Church

30 hours per week · start date January 1, 2027

The organs

St. Jacob Church has two organs, and they are very different.

The main organ was built by Marcussen & Søn in 1952. It has 34 stops distributed over three manuals and a pedal. The organ belongs to the organ movement and uses the Danish and North German organs from the 1600s as models, and it is regarded as one of Marcussen's most successful instruments. The façade was designed by architect Rolf Graae. Many organists from home and abroad have over the years visited the church to play it. In 2027 we can celebrate the organ’s 75th anniversary.

The Ohrt organ stands on the pulpit in the northern choirstall. It was built for the church in 1857, but in 1905 it was moved to Guldager Church and later to Esbjerg Museum. After a restoration at Marcussen & Søn, it was re-erected in St. Jacob’s in 2008. The organ has nine stops, one manual and an auxiliary pedal, and is the only fully preserved organ from Johann Andreas Ohrt’s workshop in Gram.

The chapels also have Marcussen organs. The organ in Østerlund Kirke Hall is from 1981 and has four stops and an auxiliary pedal, and the organ in Arnbjerg Chapel is from 1978 and has five stops and pedals.

We hope to find an organist who will bring the organs to their rightful use and enjoy playing them.

The position

You will share the service with the parish’s full-time organist. You play for the high mass and services on average every other weekend. Funerals, burials, other services and church ceremonies are divided between you. In addition, you play for baby song sessions, adult choir day and music services and for services at the nursing homes in the parish. You are joint hosts at the church’s concerts, and there is time allocated for you to give organ concerts during the year.

You will work independently and have good opportunities to shape the music in the church. We hold a calendar meeting in the Church House once a week, and your immediate supervisor is the daily manager.

Monday is generally a fixed day off. The second weekly day off is agreed quarter by quarter.

The parish

Varde Parish has one church, the medieval St. Jacob Church by the square, and two chapels, Østerlund Kirke Hall and Arnbjerg Chapel. There are services and events at all three locations. In the church tower hangs a chime with 42 bells.

We are a team of colleagues who help one another and are happy to lend a hand across disciplines. The most important for us is that the people who come to the church are welcomed well, whether they come to a service, baptism, concert or funeral.

You

We are seeking an organist who manages the church’s music with professional quality at all church ceremonies.

You play at Sunday’s high mass, at the church year’s holidays, and at baptisms, weddings and funerals. You know that music has a special significance at church ceremonies and must be adapted to the occasion. This is especially true for funerals and burials.

You have a good and approachable contact with both the congregation and next of kin.

If you also have competencies in rhythmic music, for example lead-sheet playing and accompaniment, that would be an advantage.

You work independently and responsibly and are happy to cooperate well with the priest, the church singer and the church’s other staff.

Salary and terms of employment

Employment of a church musician will be covered by the Joint Agreement between the Ministry of Finance and CO10 and the organizational agreement between the Ministry of City, Rural and Church Affairs and CO10 – Central Organization of 2010 for church officials with core duties such as clerk, church and cultural worker or church musician and the corresponding protocol for church musicians.

Employment of a organist with the degree of “Church Musician with Organ and Choir Leadership” or an organist with a PO-qualification is covered by the Agreement between the Ministry of City, Rural and Church Affairs and CO10 – Central Organization of 2010.

Organists with a church music master’s or bachelor’s degree are covered by the protocol to the academic agreement on contract employment of DOCK organists and fixed teachers at church music schools entered into between Academics and the Ministry of City, Rural and Church Affairs.

The agreements can be seen at People’s Church Intranet

Current civil servants who are organists have the right to retain their civil service status upon appointment with direct transition. In that case, the position must be classified.

The annual salary for a church musician is agreed within the range of 333,748 DKK – 475,590 DKK (current kroner). There is a compulsory availability for the position. The availability allowance is 27,641 DKK per year (current kroner).

OK allowance of 1,082 DKK (current kroner).

Agreement on placement in the salary range is made between the parish council and the Danish Church Musician Association before hiring.

The annual salary for applicants with a church music master's degree (DOKS) is agreed according to the new pay AC scale. That is a gross salary between 363,169 DKK – 442,529 DKK per year (current kroner).

There is a compulsory availability for the position. The availability allowance is annually between 46,727 DKK – 72,573 DKK (current kroner). Placement and availability allowance are provided according to seniority. Additionally, under local negotiation, qualification and function allowances may be paid.

The annual salary for applicants with a church musician education in organ and choir leadership (formerly PO organists) is determined according to the agreed basic pay scale. Basic pay step 1 is DKK 350,435 per year (current kroner) and basic pay step 2 is DKK 368,189 per year (current kroner). Placement occurs by seniority.

There is a compulsory availability for the position. The availability allowance is annual 29,666 DKK (current kroner) for service at 1 church.

Salary, OK allowance, and availability allowance are quotaed in accordance with the position’s employment fraction (30/37).

• We will obtain references.
• Probation period of 3 months
• In accordance with applicable law, a child protection certificate will be obtained.

About the application

A trial performance and interviews will be held by arrangement on Monday and Tuesday in week 44

If you have questions about the position, please call the daily manager Kristian Nøhr at tel. 24 47 15 73 or organist Anders Sørensen Uth at tel. 25 21 47 23.

Send your application with relevant attachments to [email protected] , so that we have it no later than Monday, October 19 at 13:00.