Guidelines for Cantors

Guidelines for Cantors in the Order of Mass
Our Lady Queen of Martyr’s Parish- Sarasota Florida

The Cantor must be intimately familiar with the Order of Mass and its possible options, understanding their role at each point in relation to the role of the Priest and the role of the assembly. While it’s not entirely accurate to refer to the liturgy as being “choreographed”, it is critical to understand how the sections of the liturgy move from one to the other and be able to anticipate what is coming next and be prepared.

With the promulgation of Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship by the USCCB in 2006, changes were made to the role of the cantor during Mass such that it now differs significantly from how that role had developed up until that time. Although a thorough reading of the entire document would be beneficial, at a minimum the cantor should read the sections on the role of the Psalmist and Cantor during Mass (see below).

Also, the promulgation of the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal has resulted in a change of terminology for some parts of the Order of Mass, most notably the Universal Prayer (formerly the Prayer of the Faithful) and the terms Entrance Chant, Offertory Chant and Communion Chant (formerly the Entrance Hymn, Offertory Hymn and Communion Hymn).

The indication that the cantor’s voice should not predominate is to be understood to mean that the sound of the assembly singing should be heard above that of the cantor singing. This is best accomplished either by substantially backing away from the microphone, or turning the microphone off, whichever is more practical in the given situation. This suggestion is particularly applicable on the Entrance, Offertory and Recessional hymns.

Processional Hymn – (Entrance Chant)
The Cantor should be at the podium to announce the Processional Hymn when the celebrant and servers are ready for the procession. The prescribed text for announcing the hymn is as follows: (Please do not add to or improvise)

Good morning (afternoon):
All of the selections for today’s Mass may be found in the ______.
The Processional Hymn is #___, (title), #__ ___ ___.
(pronounce numbers separately the second time)

The cantor then leads the assembly in singing the Processional Hymn, indicating for them to sing at the beginning of each verse or stanza with a modest gesture. The cantor’s voice should not predominate when singing the Processional Hymn.

Penitential Act –
The Penitential Act can be entirely recited, entirely sung or a combination of recited and sung.If sung by the cantor, there are two possible forms of the Penitential Act. Form B is never sung by the cantor.

• Form A: The Confiteor with Kyrie –
The Confiteor is recited by the assembly followed by the “Kyrie” which is sung antiphonally by the cantor and assembly

• Form C: Kyrie with Invocations –
The cantor sings the invocations, concluding the first with “kyrie eleison” to which the assembly responds “kyrie eleison”, the second with “christe eleison” to which the assembly responds “christe eleison” and the third with “kyrie eleison” to which the assembly responds “kyrie eleison”.

Gloria –
The Gloria may be sung in a variety of forms. At this time, the refrain (Glory to God…) is repeated after each of the stanzas, and the cantor (or choir) sings the verses alone, and so the cantor should not sing the refrain with the assembly once they have learned it adequately. Other forms of the Gloria are not used in our parish currently and so are not applicable at this time.

Responsorial –
The Responsorial Psalm is proclaimed from the AMBO.
The singing of the Responsorial is the primary responsibility of the cantor and so should be given the greatest attention and time for preparation. The procedure for the responsorial is the same whether the setting is through composed or a response with psalm-tone verses (i.e Respond & Acclaim): The cantor sings the response alone, followed by the assembly singing the response. The cantor DOES NOT sing the response with the assembly. The cantor then sings a verse, followed by the assembly singing the response. As before, the cantor DOES NOT sing the response with the assembly. This sequence is repeated for all of the verses, ending with the assembly singing the response.

N.B - The verses of the Responsorial are one of the two times in the entire liturgy when the cantor’s voice should predominate, the other being the Gospel Verse.

Gospel Acclamation –
The Gospel Acclamation follows the same procedure as the Responsorial, except that it is proclaimed from the cantor’s podium. Please observe that this means the cantor DOES NOT sing the “Alleluia” (or tract during Lent) with the assembly after the verse.

Offertory Hymn – (Offertory Chant)
The Cantor should proceed to the podium to announce the Offertory Hymn when the celebrant begins the prayer at the conclusion of the Universal Prayer. The prescribed text for announcing the hymn is as follows: (Please do not add to or improvise)

The Offertory Hymn is #___, (title), #__ ___ ___.
(pronounce numbers separately the second time)

The cantor then leads the assembly in singing the Offertory Hymn, indicating for them to sing at the beginning of each verse or stanza with a modest gesture. The cantor’s voice should not predominate when singing the Offertory Hymn.

Eucharistic Prayer – (Sanctus/ Memorial/ Amen)
If the Assembly is adequately familiar with the setting of the Sanctus and Acclamations (Memorial, Amen) for the Eucharistic Prayer, the cantor remains seated and does not take part. When learning a new setting of these parts, the cantor should lead them with a modest gesture, singing only enough to support and encourage the singing of the assembly. The Director of Music will determine at what point the cantor may cease leading the EP responses.

Agnus Dei –
The cantor begins the singing of the Agnus Dei when the celebrant approaches the altar for the fraction rite. The cantor alone sings the invocation “Agnus Dei…” (or “Lamb of God”) in a firm and declamatory voice the first time only. Once the assembly begins singing (…you take away the sin of the world), the cantors voice should not predominate.

Communion Hymn - (Communion Chant)
The Cantor should announce the Communion Hymn or Chant immediately after the celebrant receives from the chalice. The prescribed text for announcing the hymn is as follows: (Please do not add to or improvise)

The Communion Hymn is #___, (title), #__ ___ ___.
(pronounce numbers separately the second time)

The communion hymn or chant is ordinarily in “responsorial form”, meaning a short response is sung, followed by verses alternating with the response. Unlike when singing the Responsorial, the cantor sings with the assembly on the refrain during communion. If the assembly is expected to sing the verses, then the cantor’s voice should not predominate. If the verses are to be sung by the cantor alone, then the cantor should make a noticeable distinction in the volume between the response and verses, singing with less volume on the response and greater support on the verses.

No gesture is used to lead the assembly during the singing of the communion hymn or chant, please.

Recessional Hymn –
The Cantor should proceed to the podium to announce the Recessional Hymn when the celebrant begins the final blessing. The prescribed text for announcing the hymn is as follows: (Please do not add to or improvise)

The Recessional Hymn is #___, (title), #__ ___ ___.
(pronounce numbers separately the second time)
The cantor then leads the assembly in singing the Recessional Hymn, indicating for them to sing at the beginning of each verse or stanza with a modest gesture. The cantor’s voice should not predominate when singing the Recessional Hymn.


The Cantor and Psalmist in Sing to the Lord
The following two sections of Sing to the Lord describe the roles of the Psalmist and Cantor. The bold type emphasis is added for emphasis.

The Psalmist
34. The psalmist, or “cantor of the psalm,” proclaims the Psalm after the first reading and leads the gathered assembly in singing the refrain.42 The psalmist may also, when necessary, intone the Gospel Acclamation and verse.43 Although this ministry is distinct from the role of the cantor, the two ministries are often entrusted to the same person.

35. Persons designated for the ministry of psalmist should possess “the ability for singing and a facility in correct pronunciation and diction.”44 As one who proclaims the Word, the psalmist should be able to proclaim the text of the Psalm with clarity, conviction, and sensitivity to the text, the musical setting, and those who are listening.

36. The psalmist sings the verses of the Responsorial Psalm from the ambo or another suitable place.45 The psalmist may dress in an alb or choir robe, but always wears clean, presentable, and modest clothing. Cassock and surplice, being clerical attire, are not recommended as vesture for the psalmist.

The Cantor
37. The cantor is both a singer and a leader of congregational song. Especially when no choir is present, the cantor may sing in alternation or dialogue with the assembly. For example, the cantor may sing the invocations of the Kyrie, intone the Gloria, lead the short acclamations at the end of the Scripture readings, intone and sing the verse of the Gospel Acclamation, sing the invocations of the Prayer of the Faithful, and lead the singing of the Agnus Dei. The cantor may also sing the verses of the psalm that accompanies the Entrance, Preparation of the Gifts, and Communion. Finally, the cantor may serve as psalmist, leading and proclaiming the verses of the Responsorial Psalm.

38. As a leader of congregational song, the cantor should take part in singing with the entire gathered assembly. In order to promote the singing of the liturgical assembly, the cantor’s voice should not be heard above the congregation. As a transitional practice, the voice of the cantor might need to be amplified to stimulate and lead congregational singing when this is still weak. However, as the congregation finds its voice and sings with increasing confidence, the cantor’s voice should correspondingly recede. At times, it may be appropriate to use a modest gesture that invites participation and clearly indicates when the congregation is to begin, but gestures should be used sparingly and only when genuinely needed.

39. Cantors should lead the assembly from a place where they can be seen by all without drawing attention from the liturgical action. When, however, a congregation is singing very familiar responses, acclamations, or songs that do not include verses for the cantor alone, the cantor need not be visible.

40. The cantor exercises his or her ministry from a conveniently located stand, but not from the ambo. The cantor may dress in an alb or choir robe, but always in clean, presentable, modest clothing. Cassock and surplice, being clerical attire, are not recommended as vesture for the cantor.

SOME GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC TYPES OF MUSIC IN THE LITURGY

Hymns and Songs
After announcing the appropriate number as indicated above, the cantor leads the assembly in singing the Entrance, Offertory, Communion and Recessional Hymns. Please be conscious concerning the proximity to the microphone and the overall volume as it is important that the cantor must not overpower the assembly at these points in the liturgy. Although it may seem contradictory, the louder the cantor sings, the quieter will the assembly sing and vice-versa. The presence of the cantor and an effective gesture for the assembly to participate is far more effective than increasing the volume in an attempt to “get the people to sing”.
Concerning the use of leading gestures, it is only necessary to gesture to the assembly at the beginning of each verse of a hymn, or in the case of a song with a refrain and verses, at the beginning of each refrain or verse. It is not necessary to continue holding your hand(s) up throughout the entire selection. The purpose of the gesture is to indicate to them when to begin singing and is most effective when it is bold, but brief!

Acclamations and Responses
In general, most of the acclamations and responses during the Mass would fall under the heading of “familiar responses, acclamations, or songs”, and so are not led by the cantor. These would include the Sanctus, the Memorial Acclamation & the Amen. However, in cases where the assembly is learning a new setting of these acclamations and responses, the cantor should discreetly lead them while taking care to not distract from the centrality of what is taking place at the altar during this time. At such a time that the assembly has learned the responses well enough to sing them without support from the cantor, the cantor should return to the practice of not leading these responses.

Tempo and Volume
Please be conscious of the tempo set by the organ during the introduction of all selections. Due to the lag-time between the organ loft and the cantor stand it is very easy to allow the tempo to rapidly slow down if there is not a conscious effort to maintain the tempo throughout the duration of a selection. Particularly on actual hymns, the tempo will always be on the faster side of the spectrum.

Also, note the passages above from Sing to the Lord regarding the volume level of the cantor in comparison to the assembly. With the exceptions of the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation (where the cantor doesn’t sing at the same time as the assembly anyway!) the cantor‘s singing volume should ALWAYS be lower than that of the assembly. The Responsorial Psalm is the closest thing to a “solo” in the liturgy and is the only selection that should be sung in the manner of a “solo”. As was mentioned above, this may necessitate turning the microphone OFF at times, specifically during the Entrance, Offertory and Recessional hymns.

Dress Code
“The cantor may dress in an alb or choir robe, but always in clean, presentable, and modest clothing.” (SttL #40) Cantors should follow the guidelines for appropriate dress for other lay ministers (Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers) which include, for women, either long pants or a skirt or dress below knee-length and a long-sleeve or mid-sleeve blouse or sweater. For Men, long pants and a long-sleeve or short sleeve button-down shirt should be worn. Ties are most appropriate. Jewelry may be worn but should be subdued and not draw attention to the person of the cantor. Please note that particular colors are closely associated with specific seasons of the Liturgical Year. Clothing which is primarily Purple (Lent), Yellow-Gold (Easter) and Red (Pentecost) should be avoided outside of the seasons associated with them. At all times, for both Men and Women, cantors should wear clothing that signifies appropriate respect for the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and which does not draw attention to the person of the cantor.