Hymnal 1982 frequently displays a short ___ between verse 3 and before the beginning of verse 4. (At least, to me that seems to be the pattern.)

I presume this is intended as an assist for singers as they refocus their attention for singing another verse.

A cantor could use a similar technique. He might do do the marking by himself or else some other person might provide these visual clues.

One thing you can do is introduce a brief interlude between verses to allow cantors to refocus. (They should be able to sing any refrain by heart.)

Bring back the Domincan discipline of making the venia if one has made a grave error in singing.

http://www.newliturgicalmovement.org/2008/07/dominican-venia-and-kissing-scapular.html

If lying on the floor and getting back up multiple times during the Mass becomes too taxing for a cantor, it may bear fruit in their retirement.

Three suggestions, in addition to the excellent ones above, starting with an elaboration of

Cantors shouldn't be cantoring (especially if they're in front of a microphone

.

1. Why do we need cantors singing into a microphone at all, if the tune is well known? If the cantor's voice is not amplified, cantor mistakes will not throw off anyone else. In the Protestant churches where I grew up, people have been singing hymns for a few centuries without any cantors at all.

2. I used to have a choir director who would hold up his hand with the appropriate number of fingers extended to show which verse we should sing next.

3. This will require some work: print out each verse separately from the music, or (as done in a recent hymnal which is not much liked in this forum) print out each verse together with the music.

4. In some cases it might be appropriate not to sing all the verses. For example, during communion, you could sing two or three verses and then have the organist or choir perform something else, or have silence. And it shouldn't always be the first N verses; sometimes it is worthwhile to sing, for example, verses 1, 3, and 7.

Three suggestions? A baker's three, it turned out.

Carol,

You raise a valid question:

On the other hand, do you play everything perfectly when you are the accompanist?

to which I would like to raise a clarifying point.

If the organist is doubling the voices ON PURPOSE, to support part singing, then clearly he should play exactly what's there. If the choir is singing in unison and the organist is therefore not doubling the parts, "mistakes" may merely be improvements on the clunky part work provided for choir members. (I am struck by how incredibly awkward some part writing is). Similarly, is the mistake in the melody or in a lower part?

These distinctions make a difference because the cantor is singing something the text of which is available to everyone, and the text of which is required to be sung AS IS. (This is the first situation).

It also makes a difference if the changes made are from clumsiness, malice (or pride, I guess) or nerves - or power failure.

When I teach children, I tell them that even though when they read people sometimes ask them not to follow along with their finger, when they sing it is actually a good idea to use their finger to keep their place on the page.

CGZ you are right that sometimes the organist intentionally changes the accompaniment to improve it, but nerves or a misplaced finger is more what I was thinking of. The problem for the cantor is once you are on the wrong verse it is apparent to everyone whereas the organist's error is only apparent to the more musical unless it is a gross error.

I was really just sticking up for the cantors. Bottom line we are all human and need to prepare properly for Mass.

Ah, the ancient "Be Afraid - Be Very Afraid" model of choral direction.

We have met the enemy, and he is us. I do this more when I sing and play than I care to admit. Not often, but more than I'd like.

I mean, if it bothers you that much, you could just shoot me. That should stop it happening any more. Heaven knows you'd make some parishioners happy, too.

Also, what about accompanists who play the wrong verses? I have one who can't even play the organ in Latin. It's very annoying.

New words to old, familiar hymns is a trap- especially words neutered to be PC!

Have the Cantor announce what she is going to sing.
You know: “verses one and three”

Palestrina,

You have not, apparently, met some cunning idiots!

Have the Cantor announce what she is going to sing.
You know: “verses one and three”

Or the practice of some contemporary worship leaders to utter the first few words of a refrain before launching into it. That’s always charming. You could do it from the console, announcing the first few words of each verse before it begins. [/purplebold]

This old-fashioned device in Harlem has a separate slot for the tune number as well!

Well, setting aside the point that some of those 'songs' should be banned...

It's a matter of concentration, really. It's that simple. If a person has taken reasonable precautions (for example, to be able to see the text and distinguish the verses -- some of the suggestions above can help) and still can't follow verses in numerical order, then the fault lies with a lack of concentration and attention.

There could be many explanations for such a lapse.

As effective as the dread of singing the wrong verse into a microphone (thus being heard to sing the wrong verse) might be, it doesn't constitute a good reason to turn on the microphone. Eliminating the microphone form cantoring is a worthy aim, in my view.

And, ahh, never ever programme all seven verses. That's just crazy.

That wasn't my decision to make when the priest mentioned AFTER the opening hymn of Lasst Uns Erfreuen that he wanted us to sound Protestant and sing all the verses. He did say it very sarcastically ("I wanted us to be protestant for a moment"), as if to make a point to me in front of the entire congregation, but I'll happily play 20 verses if he thinks he's going to get under my skin! I can play them slower too...