The main focus of worship in most churches is the Sunday service. A choirmaster must be at all Sunday services, except where absence is prearranged, such as for vacations. He consults other church staff, including clergy, to decide what music the choir will provide each week, and he conducts their singing. He may also organize other music, such as organ interludes or instrumental music before and after the service.
Churches usually expect a choirmaster to hold at least one rehearsal each week for the choir to practice hymns and songs to be sung the following Sunday. A rehearsal may also include training, such as teaching of vocal techniques. Some choirmasters accompany the choir on organ or piano during rehearsals or at services. Additional practice sessions may be required for special occasions, such as weddings and important dates on the Christian calendar. Larger churches may have several different rehearsal and training programs, each for a different age group.
The choirmaster's role involves administrative tasks such as purchasing sheet music, obtaining performance rights, keeping membership records and overseeing finances. Duties sometimes include ensuring choristers are in the correct uniform. Many church choirs also have a program of social occasions for members, and the choirmaster may oversee this, even if he delegates the details to other organizers.
There are no standard qualifications for choirmasters. They may take on the role based on past experience in a similar role, graduating from chorister to accompanist to deputy director to choirmaster, for example. Formal music training, such as a college degree or diploma, is a requirement in some larger churches. Qualifications also vary depending on the style of music: traditional musical styles require formal classical training and basic skills of music theory, including reading music, while contemporary musicians often play by ear, in a semi-improvisational style, with little formal training.
Most churches expect the choirmaster to be spiritually qualified as well as musically. This means having a Christian faith, being a member of the church and upholding the tenets of the denomination. He may be required to lead short times of prayer and devotion with the choir, especially in rehearsals.