Cantor
Cantor
(singer), an ancient ecclesiastical order so called, and a title still given to the master of the choir in many churches, as, in modern use, precentor. The. Councils of Cologne, A.D. 1260 and 1536, give to the chantor, or cantor, the title of chorepiscopus, or bishop of the choir. The cantor is also the same with the primicerius. The order of cantores appears to be of great antiquity, and is mentioned in the Canons called Apostolical, Nos. 26, 43, and 69, and in the Liturgy of St. Mark, which was written before the fourth century (Renaudot, Liturg. Orient. Coll. tom. 1, pref. p. 35, and p. 151). The Council of Laodicea, can. 15, forbids any to sing in church except the singers or, cantores whose names were inscribed on the canon of the church, and whose proper place was in the ambo. By can. 23 it forbad the cantores to wear the stole or orarium. The Roman writers endeavor to prove that i the lector and cantor were the same, but they are everywhere spoken of in the ancient canons as distinct orders. There is no reason to believe this order to be -of higher than ecclesiastical institution only. The cantor might be ordained even by a priest (Con. Carth. 4, cap. 10). This order is still. retained in the Oriental Church. — Bingham, Orig. Eccl. bk. 3, ch. 7; Landon, Eccl. Dict. s.v.
