The cantor is one of the Church's oldest ministers — a trained voice standing among the faithful to begin the psalm, sustain the melody, and lead the people's song. This book is a formation guide for cantors serving in the parishes of the Roman Rite, built on one conviction: the cantor is a minister of prayer, not a performer.
From the structure of the Mass to the rhythms of the liturgical year, from Gregorian chant and the eight psalm tones to the Responsorial Psalm, the Gospel Acclamation, the Funeral Mass, and the Easter Vigil — every chapter equips the cantor to serve with confidence and theological depth.
Sacred music has a history as long as the Church itself. Every cantor who leads the assembly's singing stands in an unbroken line reaching back to the first Christians who sang psalms and hymns to God. This book invites you into that tradition — not to master a technique, but to deepen a prayer.
Kevin Phillip Johnson, DMA
Dr. Kevin Phillip Johnson is a conductor, composer, arranger, and educator whose work bridges African American sacred music with Catholic liturgy. He serves as Director of Music at Lyke House Catholic Center at the AUC and Associate Professor of Music at Spelman College. His compositions are published by Carl Fischer, GIA Publications, Colla Voce, and Treble Clef Press, and through his own Lion and Lamb Publishing. The son of Willie T. Johnson, legendary lead singer of the Golden Gate Quartet, Dr. Johnson founded The Golden Gate Singers in his father's honor.View all by Dr. Kevin Phillip Johnson
