Cantor vs. choir member - raising hand during psalm

[CAROLOFTHEBELLS]

OP here. Just a reminder, I created this topic to ask which is better or more correct and to help me solve the problem of another choir member raising her hand when the cantor was doing so. I did not to ask if you do or do not like seeing a hand raised, if you think it is not necessary, silly, etc. At my parish we use the physical cue and I am not in a position to change it, nor do I want to go to anyone in my parish and say such things as the congregation does not need this, it is silly, etc.

I received my answer. I understand others may want to express an opinion on the subject in general. Any opinions that are not directly pertaining to my question and are on the actual practice in general should be put into another thread.

Thank you.

 

[Cavaille-Coll]

I understand that many churches offer no other location for the choir than in the front, but I firmly believe that musicians should be heard and not seen. This might be an excellent use for an iconostasis in a Roman parish.

 

[pnewton]

I understand that many churches offer no other location for the choir than in the front, but I firmly believe that musicians should be heard and not seen. This might be an excellent use for an iconostasis in a Roman parish.

This would have no bearing on the Psalm done from the ambo.

 

[Sarabande]

Recently the choir I sing in at Mass aquired a new member who switched from an earlier Mass. I believe she switched choirs to help us because onsome Sundays we were down to three singers (including the director on piano).

For the past two Sundays the new member has been telling me to raise my hand during the response on the psalm, because I happen to be standing in the middle. I am not a cantor. The director never said anything to me or anyone in the choir about doing this.

Two weeks ago our cantor could not attend our Mass. The director took cantor duties for the Mass, but had trouble figuring out the candance of the chant on that Sunday’s psalm’s verses. So he asked me to read the verses and he would sing the response (I am not experienced with chant but am with reading). It was right that Sunday for me to raise my hand to signal the response, since the director was also playing piano.

This past Sunday our cantor returned and sang the psalm from the ambo. This new member asked me right before the cantor began if I was going to raise my hand. I wanted to explain that I should not do that, but felt it would be too distracting, so I just said no, not going to. So what happened was she started doing it.

So we had both the cantor and a choir member signaling the congregation to sing the response. I feel that is something only the cantor should do. Am I right or wrong? Either way, I am not going to correct this new member. But I am curious. The situation feels strange to me.

As someone else mentioned, I would leave it up to the music director to correct this. Maybe mention it to him. Put it all on yourself, asking if you, yourself, should raise your hand during the psalm. That way, it doesn’t look like you are out-rightly complaining about the new member.

Although I have never seen specific rules on this, it really isn’t usual for a someone in the choir to also raise his/her arm. I’ve sung in many choirs and I’ve never seen that happened, but that obviously doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. If I was sitting in your congregation and saw that happening, especially when you had a cantor there, I probably would think, “That’s a little odd.” I might find it a little distracting because it is unusual, but I’d ignore it after a while.