What is a “Cantor?”
Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 20, 2014
Since the recent announcement that I have accepted the
position of Cantor at Gustavus Adolphus College, effective August 1, several
members of the First Lutheran congregation have approached me and asked “Why
that title? I though the cantor is the
person who leads the Psalms on Sunday mornings.”
The confusion is understandable. For many years, “cantor” has been the title
designated to the assisting minister who leads the responsive singing of the
Psalms and other sung portions of the worship liturgy. However, as an official title, the word has
been part of the language of the church for quite some time – since the Middle
Ages at least. Its
root is Latin, based upon the verb “to sing,” and it denotes the chief
responsibility of the title holder to lead the song of the congregation. This emphasis upon singing asserts the
primary need of a congregation to raise its voice together as one body in
worship. The “cantor” facilitates the
song, in many and various ways. Thus, a
musician skilled at the organ or piano, guitar or percussion, or any other
musical instrument, can be considered the “cantor” if the responsibility is to
lead the communal song.
Herbert Neuchterlein provides this historical perspective in
his article in “Key Words in Church Music.”[i] The title historically has enjoyed a strong
connection with both church and academia.
In Medieval times, the Cantor was
the official responsible for the music in monastic, cathedral, and collegiate
settings. At this time, the ability to
lead the choir, as a singer, was the most important skill of the Cantor. Administrative duties included selecting
appropriate music (mostly choral) and organizing the choir. Prior to the Reformation, the cantor was
likely a member of the clergy, but societal changes in the sixteenth-century transformed
that expectation and other components of the job. Cantors became responsible for teaching
(often Latin) and were employed not by the church but by a municipality. Johann Sebastian Bach is perhaps the best
known “Cantor;” he was employed by the city of Leipzig to oversee the music at
four city churches and to teach in the Latin school. Employers at this time considered not only
musical ability, but “educational qualifications, teaching experience,
religious beliefs, and personal conduct.”[ii]
Lutherans have often preferred the term Cantor to describe
the church musician. This may be an
historical nod to the precedent set by musicians such as Heinrich Schütz and J.
S. Bach. For an academic setting such as Gustavus, the term Cantor is quite
appropriate, considering Neuchterlein’s observation “because of his dual role
in the school and the church, the German cantor provided an important liaison
between the clergy and the teaching staff.”[iii] Lutherans have also respected the term
because of the theological importance designated to music as a primary means to
proclaim the Word of God.
Last, a couple of quips from the poster “The Role of the
Cantor,” produced by the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. One, “the cantor uses whatever musical
resources are available, using them in a manner appropriate to the talents of
those serving and the needs of the people who are served.”[iv] Two, “the cantor leads the earthly assembly
in a foretaste of John’s vision of the heavenly assembly in which all creatures
give praise, honor, glory and power to the Lamb.”[v]
[i]
Herbert Neuchterlein, “Cantor,” in Key
Words in Church Music, ed. Carl Schalk, Revised and Enlarged Edition (Saint
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2004), 71 – 73.
[ii]
Ibid., 72.
[iii]
Ibid.
[iv] “The
Role of the Cantor,” poster produced by the Association of Lutheran Church
Musicians, www.alcm.org
[v]
Ibid.
