My impression is that there are abundant nickel-and-dime jobs going begging, but for one that is in any way particularly desirable
(whether reputation, salary, or just having a fine organ) the applicants still line up around the block, as it were.

When I was young, the stars in my eyes were all about full-time church music, but when it came time at the end of my education actually to apply for those big jobs, partly I just didn't know how to do it, and partly I was getting cold feet, so it never happened.  I went into librarianship.  In retrospect, I'm content that it turned out that way, since there are fewer and fewer churches with music programs of integrity (at least by my definition) and I wouldn't want to see something I love turning into something I detested and yet having to keep on doing it just to put food on the table.  As it is, I can keep doing it as long as I love it, and if not, walk away from it any time.

One of my colleagues on this list says, "The future of church music is in the Roman Catholic church,"  quoting a true-blue Anglican friend of his who was saying this way back in the 1980s and it sounded crazy.  I have had two other friends (one just deceased whom I will miss a great deal) who have remained Anglican personally but who have been very happy working in Roman Catholicism.  Undoubtedly the taste and attitude of the pastor of a given parish makes a world of difference as to how the organist and choirmaster will be treated and how fulfilled they will be.  You just need to sniff out the supportive ones. Your several years of experience there should stand you in good stead.

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