Cantors and animators

[Hare]

What if the organist is the Director of Music?

Quite possible. But then there would have to be AN other as cantor-animator.

We manage one mass each weekend with no cantor (ok, so a said psalm) but with PP leading Gospel Acc, and the assembly singing the Ordinary, with just me at the organ. Anothr mass it's me plus cantor, and at the 3rd me plus cantor(s) and choir. No sign of an Animateur anywhere, and they do sing!

[Nick Baty]

Excellent!
But I'd love to know how you do it.
If I didn't at least smile at our bunch they wouldn't always know when to come in.
We introduced a new Gloria last week. Without a cantor-animator how would they know how it went?
Items like Coventry Gloria would be tricky too – particularly the two-bar Glory in the highest-s.
And thinking of Paul Inwood's yellow peril Glory, glory – I really couldn't imagine that working with no direction.

[NorthernTenor]

Excellent!
But I'd love to know how you do it.
If I didn't at least smile at our bunch they wouldn't always know when to come in.
We introduced a new Gloria last week. Without a cantor-animator how would they know how it went?
Items like Coventry Gloria would be tricky too – particularly the two-bar Glory in the highest-s.
And thinking of Paul Inwood's yellow peril Glory, glory – I really couldn't imagine that working with no direction.

All that begs interesting questions about the liturgical suitability of the chosen music and the intrusive nature of the direction deemed necessary for it.

Now, where's the emoticon that shows me ducking?

[Hare]

Excellent!
But I'd love to know how you do it.
If I didn't at least smile at our bunch they wouldn't always know when to come in.
We introduced a new Gloria last week. Without a cantor-animator how would they know how it went?
Items like Coventry Gloria would be tricky too – particularly the two-bar Glory in the highest-s.
And thinking of Paul Inwood's yellow peril Glory, glory – I really couldn't imagine that working with no direction.

Where there is no cantor we obviously stick to straight-through settings of the Gloria, eg Gregory Murray, or (sorry!) paraphrased Glorias to well-known tunes. (Ok, not strictly correct, but they work and people sing) There are plenty of cantor-less Eucharistic Acclamations, eg Gregory Murray again, Appleford "Mass for All seasons", Haughen "Mass of Creation", Walker "Celtic Liturgy", Inwood "Gathering" etc etc

We have never had an "animateur" here, but there has always been a tradition of "singing the mass" as opposed to "singing at mass". Perhaps we "spoon-feed" people too much, and it would be better to let them find their feet by themselves sometimes?

The only time we have used an "animateur" is when initially introducing, for example, Joncas' "Psallite Mass" where the choir often sing something different to the assembly, and the cantor sings with the assembly. Now they know it, that always works well.

[Nick Baty]

Sounds like you're doing wonderful things, Hare.
You did use an animator introduce the Joncas.
But don't you need one to introduce everything?
How else will people know it on day one?

I publicly confess to using a metrical Gloria last Midnight Mass. But it was the only time and I didn't know what else to do.

Only one of the three parishes involved sings anything at all and I had less the five minutes to get them singing a Holy and Acclamation they'd tried the previous Easter and Christmas, and a psalm they'd never heard before. And, give them their due, they really did raise the roof. Should stress that back in our own church the next morning we reverted to my own Gloria Santa Klaus – in 7/8 with flute, clarinet and bassoon - which usually goes with a swing.

I'd like to avoid using a metrical Gloria again this year but I'm not hopeful.

[Hare]

Sounds like you're doing wonderful things, Hare.
You did use an animator introduce the Joncas.
But don't you need one to introduce everything?
How else will people know it on day one?

We have a run-through, led by one of the cantors, before Mass for anything new, but apart from something like the Joncas, they manage without "direction" - probably because they haven't ben used to it.

When I first came here, the cantors did not go to the Ambo to lead the psalm or GA, but sang from the gallery. Admittedly the response was not brilliant, and did improve a lot once I persuaded the then PP to allow the cantors to the Ambo.

[Nick Baty]

In which case we have no debate. You do use an animator. You're just fortunate that the assembly doesn't then need him or her during the service which is as it should be.

I can't stand animators who direct everything – very intrusive. As long as the animator is in a position to turn from the choir to the assembly, as and when needed, he can then fade into the background the rest of the time. (Actually, I disappear behind a pillar!)

I have noticed though that, more and more, once the music starts the people look to me for a nod when to come in. And, being in a very small building, that's all I need to do – a large breath and a big nod and we're off.

[Nick Baty]

once I persuaded the then PP to allow the cantors to the Ambo.

That tells us a lot.

At the last course I directed, one of the participants said, "I don't think our PP would allow us to sing the psalm from the ambo?" To which I simply replied, "Does he allow the readers to proclaim the rest of the Word of God from the ambo?" She smiled and said, "I hadn't thought of it like that – I'll have a word."

The responsorial psalm is as much the word of God as the other scripture passages and the ambo is the place from where it should be proclaimed. Conversely, I've seen cantors use the ambo for the communion psalm/song. Nope! Doesn't belong there.

[mcb]

All that begs interesting questions about the liturgical suitability of the chosen music and the intrusive nature of the direction deemed necessary for it.

Actually I think it begs less interesting questions about your familiarity with GIRM 104, NT.

[NorthernTenor]

All that begs interesting questions about the liturgical suitability of the chosen music and the intrusive nature of the direction deemed necessary for it.

Actually I think it begs less interesting questions about your familiarity with GIRM 104, NT.

Let me put your mind at rest about that, mcb . I'm aware of the text, as I am its misuse to support activities that distract the faithful:

It is fitting that there be a cantor or a choir director to lead and sustain the people’s singing. When in fact there is no choir, it is up to the cantor to lead the different chants, with the people taking part.

There's nothing in that text that suggests we should have someone up front drawing attention to themselves by waving their arms about, or distracting the congregation from their prayer or reflection before mass by insisting on rehearsing them. It's quite possible for a choir or cantor to lead by example, assuming that we're not indulging ourselves as musicians by intoducing music that requires such direction or rehearsal.

Regards,

NT.

ps I like the blog.

[mcb]

Too kind, NT. I can't say I agree with you (apart from about the blog, obviously). It's not clear that choosing music that works better for being rehearsed, or being led by an animator, is a symptom of musicians indulging themselves. On the other hand a liturgical rendition of, say, the Gounod St Cecilia Mass, might well be worthy of that description. Actually in both cases I imagine it comes down to taste-driven antipathy on the part of the one doing the name-calling. But the way I read that excerpt from GIRM, there's clear official endorsement for the principle of having someone direct the singing of the assembly.

For sure, the job can then be done well or badly, and anyone who drew attention to themselves by flailing their arms round would doubtless be underachieving in the role. But that's not how I go about it, and I've observed a good few others get good results by the discreet approach too.

...distracting the congregation from their prayer or reflection before mass by insisting on rehearsing them.

This, I think, you might have the wrong way round. In most churches the cantor leading the assembly in a pre-Mass rehearsal will have to break up the hubbub of community chatter in order to get started, and this may conjure an atmosphere of (inchoate) readiness for the celebration to follow, where there was none before.

[PaulW]

Many, many years ago, I went for some weeks to a course for Cantors led by Bernadette Farrell and Paul Inwood. Bernadette drummed into us what she referred to as the Cantor's Creed:

When a word will do, don't use a sentence;
When a gesture will do, don't use a word;
When a look will do, don't use a gesture.

[NorthernTenor]

Not at all, mcb. Credit where it's due to a well laid out blog that achieves what it sets out to do. It's all about the right balance of style and function, which brings us back to the thread.

I agree with you about the Gunoud. The style is as far removed, in its own way, from the ideal the Church has set out for us as are many of the products used by the post Vatican II Church in E&W (no names, no pack-drill). Far better to focus on a common plainsong repertoire, as we have been continually encouraged to do by the Church both before and after that Council; and to supplement that with polyphony where resources permit. As Popes and Councils have pointed out, the style of this music, which has grown organically with and out of our liturgy, makes it peculiarly well suited to the forms and practice of our communal worship. The people's parts are based on simple, recurring patterns, have a comfortable tonal range, and lack difficult rhythms. As such, they do not require rehearsal or animation, though they can benefit from the support of cantor, choir and/or sympathetic organ accompaniment. Oh - and they possess an uncommon, ethereal beauty.

I'm not suggesting that we shouldn't have more recent, composed music, but that our starting point should be the music proper to our liturgy, which the Church has asked us to give pride of place. Anything else should be judged against the discrete, functional norms established by it. Music that requires one of us to intrude on worship by rehearsing and then directing the assembly from the front, no matter how competently, fails the test.

[Nick Baty]

When a word will do, don't use a sentence;
When a gesture will do, don't use a word;
When a look will do, don't use a gesture.

Absolutely 100% spot on.

[NorthernTenor]

Many, many years ago, I went for some weeks to a course for Cantors led by Bernadette Farrell and Paul Inwood. Bernadette drummed into us what she referred to as the Cantor's Creed:

When a word will do, don't use a sentence;
When a gesture will do, don't use a word;
When a look will do, don't use a gesture.

When it's not necessary, don't do it.