Organist Vacancy
St Mary’s Church, Riverhead, is seeking to appoint a Director of Music/Organist.
St Mary’s is an architecturally fine Decimus Burton church, in the Anglican tradition, with a friendly and welcoming congregation. We are part of the 3-parish benefice of West Sevenoaks, with a team of clergy covering all 3 churches. Music has always been a strong part of our worship at St Mary’s - we have a small and proficient robed SATB choir, which sings at services. The organ, an Allen Quantum 286, was installed in 2016, and has many additional features. The church has excellent acoustics, and is often used for choral concerts.
We are looking for:-
- A Director of Music who is an organist with a high level of musicianship and an excellent standard of playing, familiar with the musical requirements of accompanying traditional services
- Someone who is available to play for 3 Sunday services each month, consisting of 2 Sung Eucharists and a service of Morning Prayer, plus occasional extra services for festivals etc.
- An inspirational Choir Director, to take weekly choir practices and build up numbers in our adult choir
- Someone who will forge links with local schools, with the aim of starting a children’s choir, and to eventually combine children and adults in a larger choir; this is very important for the future musical life of our church.
- A team member who will work with the clergy in planning music for our services
- An enthusiastic and able musician, someone with the commitment and willingness to encourage and develop all aspects of music at St Mary’s
We are offering:-
- A team of supportive musicians, including organists, and a music co-ordinator
- Plenty of resources of choir music
- A friendly and appreciative congregation
- Affiliation to the RSCM
- Fees by negotiation, but in line with RSCM recommendations. Extra fees for funeral and weddings
Interested candidates should contact the Music Co-ordinator at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by November 5th 2023. Interviews will take place during November.
Any appointment is subject to DBS clearance and Diocesan Safeguarding training.
How to Contact us
How to Contact us (last updated 17 April 2024)
Regular Worship Services (From February 2023)
Our usual pattern of Monthly Services are ...
Sundays (in St Mary the Virgin Riverhead with Dunton Green)
- 8am Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer 1662)
- 9.30 Main Service per the following Monthly pattern
- First Sunday - All Age Worship (not including Communion)
- Second, Fourth and Fifth Sunday - Holy Communion
- Third Sunday - Morning Prayer (not including Communion)
Thursdays (in Dunton Green Village Hall)
- 11am First Thursday - Morning Prayer (not including Communion)
- 11am Second, Fourth and Fifth Thursdays - Holy Communion
- 11am Third Thursday - Coffee Morning
Please see the Services sheet for more details
Sevenoaks Team Ministry Appointments
The Bishop of Rochester and the Patron, The West Sevenoaks Team Ministry Patronage Board, are pleased to announce the appointment of the first ever Team Vicars in the West Sevenoaks Team Ministry, subject to the usual legal formalities.
The Revd Anne Bourne, at present Interim Associate Rector in the West Sevenoaks Team Ministry will become Team Vicar with special responsibility for St Luke's, Sevenoaks and will continue to work on a part-time basis. Anne is likely to be licensed in February.
The Revd Andy Finn, who currently lives in Southsea, will become Team Vicar, with special responsibility for St Mary the Virgin, Riverhead with Dunton Green working on a full-time basis. He is likely to be licensed in January.
Alongside teaching, Anne sensed a calling to ordination in her early career and studied part-time with the South East Institute for Theological Education. Following ordination, Anne served her title at St Luke's in Sevenoaks. She is excited to be appointed as Team Vicar and, with her family of Ian, Jonathan, Esther and Rebekah, looking forward to working with us in living out our baptismal calling.
Before being ordained Andy was a youth worker in Saffron Walden. Following ordination, Andy has served in Southsea, Chelmsford and Ingatestone. Having grown up in Folkestone, Andy is excited about returning to Kent. With his wife Tamar, and children Reuben, Caleb and Esther they are looking forward to joining us in the West Sevenoaks Team to continue to grow God's kingdom.
Anne and Andy would very much appreciate our prayers at this time.
Christmas Message
Well, what a year 2020 has turned out to be! It's been a huge muddle of unexpected events - many of them unpleasant - which have developed totally unpredictably.
We don't know how you're feeling, or how you're coping, but everything's changing all the time it seems, and just about everything's unpredictable too – not least the weather and our feelings... we have no idea how Christmas will be either – who does? It will be different – that's for sure.
And yet some things don't change: Christmas is still the celebration of the birth of the most extraordinary person ever. Jesus Christ broke into human history about 2,000 years ago and claimed to change everything. He claims to be God in human form. He claims to be God with us. He claims to be the Light of the world. Incredible mind-boggling claims, which Christians know to be true - and if they're true, then they're true for all time regardless of how you or we may be feeling at this extraordinary time.
At St Mary's it's been a pretty turbulent year too, and for many it continues to be a painful and worrying time. We do remain very concerned about anyone who may be isolated though, or feel forgotten.
In spite of all the ongoing challenges, difficulties and uncertainties, we are moving forward one day and challenge at a time, trusting in Jesus, our God of love who travels with us and leads us forward.
As you can see, we are currently planning a mixture of real and virtual Christmas services, but that may have to change again, so do watch our website, because we would love you to join us when the time comes. We continue to pray for everyone in Dunton Green and Riverhead and we are planning a peaceful and positive Christmas full of hope, which we want to be accessible and welcoming to everyone. We don't have all the answers, but we worship a God who does, and we continue to trust and follow Him, because He is our unchanging God, who knows and loves every single person entirely, which is why He came at Christmas in the first place. He journeys with us and guides us. He is Jesus - still the light of the world. Our prayer is that you may know Him too.
Best wishes from us all at St Mary's.
Daphne Harrison, Rachel Wigley and Alison Bull
Lay Minister and Churchwardens