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I have often been asked why we need a Cantor to lead the congregation in song.  Why does one person need to be singled out in front of the entire church instead of leading from the choir loft?  The easy answer is because the United States Congregation of Catholic Bishops and the Monsignor of our Parish have asked that there be a person leading the congregation in the hymns and in the Mass parts.  This person is called the Cantor.  However, I have an analogy that came upon my during Mass today that I'd like to share with you to illustrate why there is such a person.

When I lived in Hawai'i, I was involved in the sport of Outrigger Canoe paddling.  (Best experience in my life!)  There are six paddlers in the canoe (the Hawai'ian word is wa'a, pronounced vah-ah).  With a well practiced crew, all six paddlers work together in perfect unison to move the wa'a forward smoothly and rhythmically with strength and speed.  Each person has their own job within the wa'a: the Pacer, the Caller, the Powerhouses and the Steersman.

I know what you are thinking.  "What, in Heaven's name, does this have to do with a Cantor and Church?!"  Bear with me and I'll explain.

In the wa'a, the steersman keeps the crew on course. They sit in the sixth seat and keep an eye on the course and the crew.   It is also the steersman's job to start the crew paddling and announce when to stop.  Without that person, the wa'a is probably going to go all over the place, right?  This is the Choir Director and the Accompanist (often times the same person.)  He or she keeps the choir on key and starts the hymn.  They rehearse the choir and give musical guidance.

Seats 3, 4 and 5 are the Power Paddlers.  There would be no power to move the wa'a forward without these powerhouses.  I see the congregation as the powerhouse in this analogy.  Without the congregation lifting their voices in praise, there is no strength behind the choir and therefore, no strength behind the prayer.  

The second seat in the wa'a is the person that calls the change so that the paddlers don't get tired out by paddling on just the one side.  To me, the choir itself is like this person.  The choir is made up of volunteers who practice the hymns and help to guide the congregation in song.  Without the choir, the congregation would get tired and lose heart in singing.

Now we come to the first seat in the wa'a, the Pacer.  This is the person that sets the pace and rhythm for the other paddlers in the wa'a.  The other paddlers look to this person to set a good, even pace so that they can keep together and work as one unit.  This is the Cantor.  The Cantor is visible to the congregation just as the Pacer is visible to all in the wa'a.  He or she leads them and brings them in at the appropriate time.

There is one more important part of the crew, without which they could not move the wa'a, and that is the paddle.  Those paddles, used in perfect unison, can move the wa'a forward to win races or travel long distances.  I still wear the paddle pendant that my crew gave me when my family left Hawai'i to remind me of how it feels to work as one unit with power and grace.  Our voices are that paddle.  Our voices, raised in perfect unison, for the glory and praise of God, are a vital instrument in the Music Ministry. 

As you can see, no one person in the wa'a is more important than the other.  In most clubs, everyone in the wa'a is able to step in and perform in any seat, with the exception of the steersman because there are usually only a few of them.  This should be the same in the Music Ministry.  No one person is more important than the other members of the ministry.  Without each and every member, we could not sing together with one strong and powerful voice to praise God.

I often hear people say, "But I can't sing!" or "I can't carry a tune in a bucket!" or "I've never been trained to sing so I don't belong in the choir." and many other versions of that same tune.  I am telling you right now that it doesn't matter.  This isn't a performance.  No one is going to criticize you.  In church, we are here to pray and each hymn or Mass part is a prayer.  We are here to sing for God.  Feel free to lift your voice in praise.  Music is a gift from God and it is our duty to use that gift and give Him the glory of our song.