Vocalist.org archive


From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Sat Apr 28, 2001  11:30 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] need advice


Becoming a cantor in a Catholic church is an option for any singer,
regardless of that singer's own religion. Indeed, two of my friends who
are paid cantors in Catholic churches are both non-Catholics.

Jewish cantors - or (C)hazzanim - however, are expected to be observant
Jews. The cantor is a liturgical singer, the _shliach tzibbur
(congregational messenger) who leads the sung synagogue (or temple)
service - but this is where his/her similarity with the Catholic cantor
ends. For one thing, the Catholic cantor's job is essentially limited to
the Mass(es) he/she is responsible for singing. The Jewish cantor, on the
other hand, is actually considered a member of the Jewish clergy, and a
religious/spiritual role model for the congregation. For this
reasons, cantors are not just expected to be trained musicians, but to
attend special cantorial schools (e.g., the H.L. Miller Cantorial
School at the Jewish Theological Seminary, for Conservative cantors; the
Hebrew Union College School of Sacred Music, for Reform cantors), where
they improve their Hebrew, learn about Jewish history and rabbinic
literature as well as the Jewish musical tradition (sacred and secular).
In addition, most cantors write some of their own music, as well as
singing traditional chants.

Some small Reform congregations have even expanded their cantor's role
to include childhood religious education and counseling - functions,
in fact, traditionally performed by rabbis - rather than hiring a rabbi
(the rabbi - a word that literally means "teacher" - has no
scripturally-denoted liturgical role, unlike priests in the Christian
tradition; the rabbi's liturgical role is purely traditional).

So yes, becoming a Jewish cantor is an option for a singer...if she or he
happens to be a serious Jew who wishes to devote herself/himself to a
liturgical career.

KM
=====
My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html

My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html

-----
I sing hymns with my spirit,
but I also sing hymns with my mind.
- 1 Corinthians 14:15



  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
11575 Re: Cantorial Schools (was: need advice) brian   Thu  5/3/2001   2 KB

emusic.com