The Role of the Cantor

[sidvicius]

Never started a new Topic before, but as this is my centennial post, let's make it big. The inspiration comes from Crumhorn's telling comment in another thread:

...they don't recognise that the cantor has any role whatsoever in the liturgy.

Frightening isn't it? As we don't have a specifically Cantorial (Cantonal?) thread anywhere yet, I figured it's a bit of an omission, as it is clearly a terribly misunderstood role.

There are bucketloads of stuff on the web, so quite why it isn't percolating through - oh dear, oh dear, we've been here before...

I'm not normally so - um - er - oh, the heck with it. Look, just take 5mins to look at any one of these links. I guarantee you will find out something fascinating, or worthy of discussion, maybe even to your advantage. They are dead good, and all about Cantors - what they do, what they are perceived to be, their history, tradition, training, shoes, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. OK, here's the links:

http://stceciliachurch.net/directory.htm
http://www.musicmoell.com/liturgy/cantor_guidelines.html
http://www.messianicliturgy.com/vision.htm
http://cjtm.icaap.org/content/28/28_review_ford.html
http://www.rc.net/standed/liturgy/musday02.html

I hope you agree it's a subject worth it's own thread, or preferably, rope.
I've even done a sort of poll/vote thingy, to which I hope you will contribute.
Be inspired,
sidvicius

[pirate]

Thanks, sid, they're really interesting and have given me stuff to think about. The last one - from Scotland - would make a good piece for M&L (you only have to ask the authors) - or how about a short series for cantors?

[sidvicius]

I think they have the makings of a full workshop there.
I'm particularly interested in the history of the role, which I feel has not translated well into the Catholic mass. Where I've seen it used the cantor is not really understood, and I'm not absolutely sure that all cantors fully understand their role either, hence the thread. I would be interested to know what other people think about the role as put by the Jewish webwriters, which seems a far more extensive position than it is for Catholics.

[VML]

Reading that little lot makes a moderately confident cantor feel thoroughly inadequate. When we first started singing the psalm years ago, there was a rota of about seven cantors at any one time and we have one excellent singer who has never sung on her own, yet is the most reliable voice and frequently holds new things together when I am playing the organ. The one time I had her down to do one of the psalms at the Vigil, she managed to go into hospital on Good Friday!

As we have become familiar with how the cycle of psalms works and with the tunes and tones in the McCrimmon book, the choir sings the verses, and the congregation respond, mostly with gusto. Are we now doing it wrong? Should the verses be left to one voice? Sometimes we sing home grown or alternative tunes, and I know a neighbouring parish where the MD writes all the psalm tunes. I simply don't have the time to produce one every week, and we don't have the resources to buy that much new music, (but that's another thread.)

Most of our earlier cantors/solo singers have moved on, leaving just two of us who take turns to sing the Exsultet. I offered that one to the deacon but he declined. I hope to encourage some of the newcomers to have a go soon, but I suppose we have become a little complacent.

We don't have a shofar yet.....

[sidvicius]

Are we now doing it wrong?

Doesn't sound like it, if your congregational response is good, and considering your difficult circumstances.
The sites quoted are some of many on the web. What they post is their interpretation of the role. In other places on this forum, there has been debate on the proper interpretation of the GIRMs. I guess sometimes we have to interpret them to that which gives the best congregational participational advantage (!)

[musicus]

Howzabout a few more poll replies, folks? I'd be interested to see a bigger sample.

(Here's a safe one for lurkers to try.)

[sidvicius]

Unfortunately Musicus, in my flagrant misuse of optimism, I only set the poll to run for two weeks, expecting just what you suggest of our lurking community. I too, would like to get a more representative sampling. Perhaps Admin can reset the timer?

[admin]

'tis done...

Vote away, lurkers and non-lurkers alike!

[sidvicius]

Ta, Admin. ...and people, even if you don't vote, do talk about your experience in/of this role. For mine own part, the experience of listening has been chequered, and I remain to be convinced that the role is fully understood, by both cantors and those listening - have I already said this?