| 释义 |
precentor|prɪˈsɛntə(r)|
Also 7–9 precenter.
[a. late L. præcentor a leader in music, precentor, f. L. præcinĕre, -cent- to sing or play before (a person, etc.), also to foretell, f. præ, pre- + canĕre to sing. So F. précenteur (16th c.), earlier precentre.]
One who leads or directs the singing of a choir or congregation; spec. a. in cathedrals of the Old Foundation, a member of the chapter (ranking next to the dean), whose duties as precentor are now commonly discharged by the succentor; b. in those of the New Foundation, one of the minor canons (among whom he usually takes precedence) or a chaplain, who performs the duties in person; c. in churches or chapels in which there is no instrumental accompaniment, the officer who leads congregational singing. Also transf.
1613Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 201 The Præcentor or chiefe Chorister againe rising vp saith, And we know not what to doe. 1649Acts & Ordin. Parl. c. 46 (Scobell) 68 That all and every person and persons, who by an Act of this Parliament..are not disabled to hold or use the Place, Function, Office, Title or Stile of Precenter, or any other Title [etc.] are and be from the Nine and Twentieth day of March..disabled to hold the same. 1659Hammond On Ps. Pref. 2 Wherein also those Angels which shall then be our Præcentors are here pleased to follow. 1706A. Bedford Temple Mus. iv. 73 The Business of the Præcentor was to Sing the first Verse, or at least the first Part thereof, that the rest of his Brethren might know what Tune to Sing, and what Pitch to take. 1757in Calderwood Dying Testimonies (1806) 388 From pulpits or presenters seats. 1782Burney Hist. Mus. (1789) II. i. 56 In 680 John, Praecentor of St. Peter's, was sent over by Pope Agatho to instruct the Monks of Weremouth in the art of singing. 1821Galt Ann. Parish xii, The schoolmaster..was likewise session⁓clerk and precentor. 1840Act 3 & 4 Vict. c. 113 the Precentor of the Cathedral Church of Saint David..shall be..styled Dean. 1852Hook Ch. Dict. (1871) 600 Formerly the precentor in most of the Cathedrals ranked next to the Dean. Now he is usually a minor canon. 1863Cowden Clarke Shaks. Char. iv. 107 Observe a bevy of them seated on a door-step, joining in tiny chorus to the directing melody of an elder precentor. 1869Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. xxii. 22 Jesus himself leads the song, and is both precentor and preacher in his church. 1887Spectator 5 Nov. 1513 [He] became a ‘precentor’ (or leader of the psalmody), first in a Perth Presbyterian church.
Hence precenˈtorial a., of or pertaining to a precentor; preˈcentory [cf. deanery], the residence of the precentor in a cathedral of the Old Foundation; preˈcentress = precentrix.
1825Carlyle Schiller App. 313 The precentorial spirit of his father was more than reconciled, on discovering that Daniel could also preach, and play upon the organ. 1906E. M. Sympson Hist. & Topogr. Lincoln 310 Beneath the Precentory..still exists the Roman hypocaust. 1892Stevenson Lett. (1901) II. xi. 252 Our boys and precentress ('tis always a woman that leads) did better than I ever heard them. |