The Cantor’s Tools Of Communication

A cantor or lead singer must master more than simply the music of the liturgy. For as worship leader, the cantor has important responsibility for making worshipers feel welcome and comfortable in their role in the service. Nonverbal communication by gestures is one important aspect of the cantor's task. Gestures come in many forms of nonverbal communication such as eye contact, decorum, posture, facial expression, and actual arm and hand gestures. In the 187 Catholic dioceses of this country, hundreds of women and men enter into the eucharistic celebration of their parishes each Sunday and lead the gathered assembly in sung prayer. By right of their baptism, and because they have the gift of singing, cantors serve the people of God, motivating them to "full, conscious, and active participation" in the liturgies as expressed by the Second Vatican Council (Sacrosanctum Concilium #14. As cantors, we are keepers of the Psalms, the song of the church. We lead, inspire, and serve as mo…