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Pope Saint Paul VI (3 April 1969): “Although the text of the Roman Gradual—at least that which concerns the singing—has not been changed, the Entrance antiphons and Communions antiphons have been revised for Masses without singing.”

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Views from the Choir Loft

So, Who Is the “Leader of Song” Anyway?

Richard J. Clark · April 26, 2013

HE VALUE OF GOOD AND TRUSTED cantors cannot be underestimated. Of inestimable value is not only a cantor with a well-trained voice, but one who sings with prayerful humility. Although at times, the best-trained voice may not be the best-suited singer for proclaiming the Word. (e.g., a wonderful opera singer) Instead, a person with clear diction and pitch delivered with prayerful humility is ideal.

That being said, is the cantor the “leader of song”? It may be surprising that there are a few answers to this question, but it leads towards one ideal.

The role of cantor as “leader of song” will be relegated to history as a late 20th Century Roman Catholic invention. Attend any Protestant service with a strong tradition of hymnody, and the concept of someone standing in the front of the church (amplified by a microphone, and sometimes waving their arms no less) is both foreign and highly unnecessary. In fact, the concept is downright silly. (Additionally, that Roman Catholic hymnals do not include the harmonization for the congregation is another concept foreign to most other denominations.)

My own experience some years ago directing the choir at the Boston Temple, S.D.A Church was a prime example. The congregation sang in parts and as loudly as possible—imperfectly, but with joyful exuberance. The organ could not play loudly enough! During hymns, the choir could not be heard, as they were just singing as part of the congregation. (a light bulb should go off here…) A cantor on a microphone would in fact be distracting and would even discourage the congregation to sing. (another light bulb should be going off…)

The U.S. Bishop’s 2007 Document Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship states the following:

31. When the choir is not exercising its particular role, (see no. 30.) it joins the congregation in song. The choir’s role in this case is not to lead congregational singing, but to sing with the congregation, which sings on its own or under the leadership of the organ or other instruments.

So, who or what is the leader of song, especially as when it comes to hymns? The first answer there is usually easy enough: The “leader of song” is the organ—not a cantor or the choir. The organ, when played with solid and balanced principal stops that speak clearly into the nave, is the leader. It is the supporter. It is the conductor. It must breathe with the people. It must breathe with the architecture. Most important to note, here is that the organ is NOT accompanying a choir or a cantor. The organ is accompanying the congregation. It is fitting that an instrument whose sounding board is the ceiling, walls and floor would be accompanying the vast assembly of people, not an individual or isolated group.

But, in an ideal situation, there is yet another answer to this question: Who (or what) is the “Leader of Song?”

Here is a somewhat extreme example: I have been playing for the Jesuit Community at Boston College for many years. With anywhere from 50-70 priests in attendance every week, they are the loudest singing congregation one might ever play for. For a time, they were not only the loudest, they were indeed the slowest.

St. Mary’s Chapel is in many ways ideal for congregational singing. There is no carpeting; nothing but wood and marble. The room and ceiling are intimate enough so the sound comes back to a congregation so they can hear each other, yet large enough for some ambience. Furthermore, it has a gem of a one manual, eight rank Flentrop organ in the gallery. Small, but clear in tone, its principals are balanced, speak clearly into the nave, filling the room.

These Jesuits love to sing. But when they sing, as a group, they will let you know what the tempo will be, which often was slower than I might like. Working with a cantor one day, she told me what tempo she would like. I responded that her tempo was very nice, and we could start that way. However, I warned her that once the refrain began, “they will let you know quite clearly what the new tempo will be.“ And so it was.

So, who is the leader of song in this case?: Incontrovertibly, the congregation.

Of course, the organ is the glue that keeps them together. Over the years I have slowly gotten the Jesuit community used to faster, moderate tempi. However, this example raises an excellent point. When playing hymns, is the organist sensitive to the congregation? Is a slight adjustment in tempo or breathing necessary? This does not imply making sudden or drastic changes. However, it is prudent to have a close ear on the first few stanzas. Do they want to slow down or speed up a little bit? Do they want to breathe more liberally? In other words, using “impeccable artistic taste” may not necessary be the best approach.

The same is true of unaccompanied chants. While introducing the ICEL Chants in 2011, (which were mandatory for a time in the Archdiocese of Boston) the congregations at both St. Cecilia and St. Mary’s Chapel were quick to learn them. However, they often forced the choir to slow down the tempo. (This is a first-class problem I am happy to deal with.) I had to be sensitive to this and make adjustments, lest the congregation be discouraged and give up singing altogether. Then in time, as they became more familiar with the chants, they sang them a touch faster.

So, what is the final answer to the question of “Who is the Leader of Song”? With congregations that have been musically nourished and therefore sing well, the “leader of song” is no one thing or person. Ideally, it is an act of chamber music. We listen to each other. We respond to each other. (To quote the great choral director Brian Jones, “We have two ears but only one mouth. There is a lesson in that!”) Worshiping together, we raise our voices to God—united as one voice.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Richard J. Clark

Richard J. Clark is the Director of Music of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“It will not be Rome to tell you what you should do, no: because you have the charism. …you have the Holy Spirit for this. If Rome were to begin to make the decisions it would be a blow to the Holy Spirit, who works in the particular Churches.”

— Pope Francis (27 March 2023)

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