Cantor (2)
cantor
Chief singer of an ecclesiastical choir, who selects the music and leads the singing. In medieval times the cantor was commonly one of the dignitaries of the church whose office held a prebend of considerable value. His place on the right of the choir has caused the north section of a church to be called the cantoris. He is assisted by a succentor and in some places carries a staff as a mark of his office.
Fuente: New Catholic Dictionary
Cantor
The chief singer (and sometimes instructor) of the ecclesiastical choir, called also precentor. His duties and qualifications have varied considerably according to time and place; but generally he must be ready to lead all the singing in church, to start any chant, and be watchful to prevent or correct mistakes of singers placed under him. He may be responsible for the immediate rendering of the music, showing the course of the melody by movements of the hand. The chief singer of the Gregorian Schola Cantorum was called Prior scholae or Primicerius. In medieval cathedrals the cantor was master of music and chant, but also commonly one of the dignitaries of the chapter. In the fourteenth century the cantor in many churches began to delegate his instruction of the singers to a master of music. After the introduction of harmonized music some duties naturally fell to the conductor or choir-master, who might be a layman. the cantor’s place in church is on the right of the choir, and immediately on his left stands his assistant, formerly called the “Succentor”. In ruling the choir the cantor very commonly carried a staff as the mark of his dignity. This custom still survives in some places.
———————————–
GERBERT, De cantu et musica sacra (St. Blasien, 1774); BAUMER, Histoire du Brevaire (Paris, 1905); MEES, Choirs and Choral music (London, 1901); DUCHESNE, Christian Worship (London, 1901); WAGNER, History of Plain Chant (London, 1907).
WILFRID G.A. SHEBBEARE Transcribed by Michael T. Barrett Dedicated to Sr. Jeanne Frolick
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume IIICopyright © 1908 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Cantor
(singer), an ancient ecclesiastical order so called, and a title still given to the master of the choir in many churches, as, in modern use, precentor. The. Councils of Cologne, A.D. 1260 and 1536, give to the chantor, or cantor, the title of chorepiscopus, or bishop of the choir. The cantor is also the same with the primicerius. The order of cantores appears to be of great antiquity, and is mentioned in the Canons called Apostolical, Nos. 26, 43, and 69, and in the Liturgy of St. Mark, which was written before the fourth century (Renaudot, Liturg. Orient. Coll. tom. 1, pref. p. 35, and p. 151). The Council of Laodicea, can. 15, forbids any to sing in church except the singers or, cantores whose names were inscribed on the canon of the church, and whose proper place was in the ambo. By can. 23 it forbad the cantores to wear the stole or orarium. The Roman writers endeavor to prove that i the lector and cantor were the same, but they are everywhere spoken of in the ancient canons as distinct orders. There is no reason to believe this order to be -of higher than ecclesiastical institution only. The cantor might be ordained even by a priest (Con. Carth. 4, cap. 10). This order is still. retained in the Oriental Church. Bingham, Orig. Eccl. bk. 3, ch. 7; Landon, Eccl. Dict. s.v.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Cantor (2)
(or Le Chantre, i.e. The Singer), GILLES (or JEGIDIUS), a Flemish fanatic, lived about 1411. He made some proselytes at Brussels and in Flanders, William of Hildenissen, a Carmelite, being one of those who accepted his doctrine. They took the title of Homines Intelligentiae (q.v.). Peter of Ailly, archbishop of Cambray, being informed of the progress of the sect, put forth his energy to suppress it. He cited William of Hildenissen, and condemned him to recant publicly. The retractments of t- hat heretic may be-found in the Miscellanea de. Blalze, ii, 277-297. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, s.v.