Liturgy » Cantor Guidelines

• Please sign-up for masses at least three weeks in advance. This allows for modifications to the schedule as needed. Also, because most of the cantors come from the choir, please allow for others to sing at non-choir masses.
• When signing-up for masses, pick-up the Mass Planning Sheet in the choir loft. This allows for sufficient (i.e. three weeks) preparation of the hymns and acclamations to be used.
• Review the hymns and acclamations before the cantor rehearsal (Thursdays at 7:00pm) and bring any questions you may have as soon as they arise.
• For the chanted Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation verses, decide on the mediant and final flex (i.e. where the pitch changes in each phrase) and where the stressed words in each phrase occurs. These stresses are what differentiate a good, meaning-filled chanting that conveys sensitivity to the text and music from a boring recitation of the chant.
• Arrive at church at least 20 minutes before Mass and meet the Director of Music in the choir loft. All rehearsal must end 10 minutes before Mass begins to allow for any fitting prelude music and the creation of a prayerful environment in the church.

• Strive for eye contact with the congregation, especially when they are singing. To achieve this, the refrains of hymns and acclamations should be memorized as much as possible.
• In addition to leading the sung portions of the Mass, the cantor, in effect, suggests gesture for the congregation. Thus, stand and sit according to the regular practices of Mass. Exceptions to this occur when hymns or acclamations are sung while the congregation is seated or kneeling. Otherwise, be seated with the congregation.
• Please use the following terms and suggestions when announcing the hymns:
• Processional Hymn
  This hymn accompanies the entrance procession, an event that originally involved all who attended Mass. The Presider will give a signal to begin Mass. This is the cue to stand and wait for the prelude to end (if it is still in progress).
  Possible announcements for this hymn are:
  “Let us begin our worship by singing…”
  “As we come together to worship God, let us sing…”
• Hymn during the Presentation of the Gifts or Hymn of Preparation
  The term ‘offertory’ is to be avoided here because the true offering occurs in the Eucharistic Prayer to follow. This hymn ends with the verse in which the priest washes his hands.
  Possible announcements for this hymn are:
  “As our gifts are being presented, let us sing…’ (please note the word “our”)
  “During the Presentation of the Gifts, please join in singing…”
• Communion Hymn or Hymn during the Communion Procession
  This hymn accompanies the procession to receive the Sacrament. It should be announced as early as possibly after the Presider receives Communion. Communion begins with the priest, so do not wait for the other ministers to leave the altar. Receive the Sacrament and return to lead the hymn. This avoids an unnecessary lull in the flow of this portion of the liturgy. This is especially important now that the congregation is asked to remain standing and actively participate in the communion procession and hymn.
  Possible announcements for this hymn are:
  “As the united Body of Christ, let us sing…”
  “Our hymn during the Communion Procession can be found in…”
• Recessional Hymn
  This hymn is not a ‘closing hymn,’ for what we experience in the Mass must be taken out of the church and incorporated into our everyday lives. Thus, the congregation only ‘recesses,’ that is, leaves the church building.
  Possible announcements for this hymn are:
  “May we take the spirit of our celebration into the world as we sing…”
  “We take Christ with, singing…”
• The announcement for all hymns should be made slowly and clearly, and should be enunciated. Please use the following form: hymnal, number, name. For example: “…in the blue Gather hymnal, number four hundred forty-three, Where Charity and Love Prevail.” This allows the congregation to decide which book to pick-up, and then proceed to find the correct page.

• During liturgies without choir, the cantor is to sing in the sanctuary (front) and is to sing all sung portions of the Mass, including the intonation and verses of the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation. It is very important that the congregation is made aware of when to commence singing by a brief arm motion and good eye contact.
• During liturgies at which the choir is singing, the cantor positioned in the sanctuary (front) acts as a leader of song. Thus, only those portions of the acclamations which are sung by the congregation are to be sung by the leader of song. Portions such as the intonation and verses of the Responsorial Psalm and Gospel Acclamation are to be sung by either the choir, a cantor in the choir loft or the organist. Again, it is very important that the congregation is made aware of when to commence singing by a brief arm motion and good eye contact.

• During Masses that the children leave during the Liturgy of the Word, announce the hymn used for this as they are coming up to meet the Presider. This allows the hymn to begin immediately and be used during their departure from church.
• Please allow the lector to be seated before approaching the music stand for the singing of the Responsorial Psalm. There is no hurry. Let the one act be finished before undertaking another. This will allow sufficient pause between readings.
• Be cognizant of the delay from the organ when singing in the sanctuary (front). Because the cantor in this instance leads the congregation, special care must be taken not to fall out of sync with the organ. Some ways to avoid this are:
• Take your tempo from the tempo set by the organ during the introduction. This tempo continues through the pause between the introduction and between all verses. Do not allow the music’s pulse to falter between verses!
• Breathe early before and quickly between phrases, thus not lingering at the end of a phrase and falling behind at the beginning of the next phrase.
• Being in time with the organ means being ever so slightly ahead of the organ. This is achieved by actively creating tempo rather than following that of the organ.
• Try not to listen to those around you. Remember, you are leading them.
• When singing the Responsorial Psalm or Gospel Acclamation, be sure to end the intonation and verses in such a way that the congregation knows when to come in on their response. For example, when intoning the Gospel Acclamation, the last Alleluia (especially the last note) to be sung solo by the cantor should be in time and not held onto at will. This only causes the delay to take its effect. Just end the note as if a breath was being taken and the response would occur without pause or delay.
• When the setting of the Ordinary is changed (e.g. beginning of a liturgical season) its location in the hymnal is to be announced the first week at the appropriate place in the Liturgy. The following two weeks, its location is to be announced before the Processional Hymn.

These guidelines are meant to help clarify the flow and form of the Cantor Ministry as we implement it in our celebration of the Liturgy at St. Clement. They are not meant to make our participation and leadership rigid, but rather to clarify and codify the motions we go though each time we gather for the celebration of Mass.

Soli Deo Gloria
Jeff

December 2, 2003

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thank to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:19-20