Cantoris

Side of a church choir occupied by the Cantor

Cantoris (Latin: "of the cantor"; /kænˈtɔːrɪs/) is the side of a church choir occupied by the Cantor. In English churches this is typically the choir stalls on the north side of the chancel,^[1] although there are some notable exceptions, such as Durham Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral and Southwell Minster. The opposite side is known as decani, which is where the dean sat.^[2] The abbreviations "Dec." and "Can." are used. ^[3]^[4]

From the perspective of the congregation facing the altar, which by convention is regarded as liturgical East, this would be on the left (liturgical North) side.^[5]

While the cantoris side of the choir corresponds to the Gospel side of the altar (so called from the custom of reading the Epistle from the south end of the altar, and the Gospel from the north end of the altar), cantoris and decani properly refer only to sides of the choir, not to the sides of the altar. The arrangement of the cantoris and decani sections is called the "split chancel" model, which favors antiphonal and responsorial performance.^[6]

References

^ Nobody's Son: Final Edition. Frank D. Keeling. Trafford Publishing, 27 Jun 2007
^ Tuck, Robert (2004). Churches of Nova Scotia. Toronto: Dundurn. p. 146. ISBN 1-55002-478-7.
^ Ashley, Martin. "Where have all the singers gone, and when will they return? Prospects for Choral Singing after the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic" (PDF). Association of British Choral Directors. p. 21. Retrieved 29 April 2024. e.g. just Dec or Can on alternate days
^ "Morning and Evening Canticles" (PDF). Quarterly News Sheet. 1. School of English Church Music: 3. April 1928. Retrieved 29 April 2024. Verses are allotted to full choir, Dec. and Can.
^ Harris, Cyril M. (2013-02-28). Illustrated Dictionary of Historic Architecture. Courier Corporation. ISBN 978-0-486-13211-2.
^ Unger, Melvin P. (2010). Historical Dictionary of Choral Music. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-0-8108-7392-6.

Anglican church music

Category
Commons
Audio

Service settings

Holy Communion	Sung Eucharist Kyrie Gloria Credo Sanctus & Benedictus Agnus Dei
Mattins	Preces and responses Venite Te Deum Benedicite Benedictus Jubilate
Evensong	Preces and responses Magnificat Nunc dimittis

Musical forms

Composers

Tudor/Renaissance	Richard Ayleward Adrian Batten William Byrd Richard Dering Richard Farrant Orlando Gibbons John Merbecke Robert Parsons John Redford John Sheppard Thomas Tallis John Taverner Thomas Tomkins Christopher Tye Thomas Weelkes William Mundy
Restoration/Georgian	Thomas Attwood John Blow Jeremiah Clarke Maurice Greene George Frideric Handel Pelham Humfrey Daniel Purcell Henry Purcell
Victorian/Edwardian	Edgar Bainton Edward Bairstow Lennox Berkeley Hugh Blair William Boyce John Goss T. Tertius Noble Frederick Ouseley Hubert Parry John Stainer Charles Villiers Stanford Ralph Vaughan Williams Thomas Attwood Walmisley Samuel Wesley Samuel Sebastian Wesley Charles Wood
Interwar/Postwar	Harold Darke George Dyson Gerald Finzi William H. Harris Basil Harwood Herbert Howells John Ireland Francis Jackson William Mathias Herbert Murrill George Oldroyd Bernard Rose Martin Shaw Herbert Sumsion William Walton
Modern	Malcolm Archer Harry Bramma Benjamin Britten Jonathan Dove Graham Kendrick Kenneth Leighton John Rutter Richard Shephard John Tavener

Other noted people

Publications

Contemporary	Carols for Choirs The English Hymnal The Hymnal 1982 Hymns Ancient and Modern The New English Hymnal The Oxford Book of Carols The Oxford Book of Tudor Anthems The New Oxford Book of Carols
Historic	Caius Choirbook Dow Partbooks Drexel 4041 4180–4185 4302 Eton Choirbook Forrest-Heyther partbooks Gyffard partbooks Lambeth Choirbook The Mulliner Book Old Hall Manuscript Pepys Manuscript