A precentor is a person who helps facilitate worship. The details vary depending on the religion, denomination, and era in question. The

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

derivation is ''præcentor'', from

cantor A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. In formal Jewish worship, a cantor is a person who sings solo verses or passages to which the choir or congregation responds. In Judaism, a cantor sings and lead ...

, meaning "the one who sings before" (or alternatively, "first singer").

Ancient precentors

The chief precentor was the highest position in many

ancient Mesopotamia The history of Mesopotamia ranges from the earliest human occupation in the Paleolithic period up to Late antiquity. This history is pieced together from evidence retrieved from archaeological excavations and, after the introduction of writing i ...

n cities (see

Music of Mesopotamia Music was ubiquitous throughout Mesopotamian history, playing important roles in both religious and secular contexts. Mesopotamia is of particular interest to scholars because evidence from the region—which includes artifacts, artistic depic ...

Jewish precentors

Jewish precentors are song or prayer leaders, leading

synagogue music Origin of Jewish music in the Temple The earliest synagogal music was based on the same system as that used in the Temple in Jerusalem. According to the Talmud, Joshua ben Hananiah, who had served in the sanctuary Levitical choir, told how t ...

. A Jewish precentor is typically called a

hazzan A ''hazzan'' (; , lit. Hazan) or ''chazzan'' ( he, חַזָּן , plural ; Yiddish ''khazn''; Ladino ''Hasan'') is a Jewish musician or precentor trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer. In English, this pr ...

. In the Middle Ages, women precentors leading prayers in the ''vaybershul'' (women's gallery) were known as

firzogerin A ''firzogerin'', (; ), alternately ''vorsangerin'', ''foreleiner'', ''zugerin'', or ''zugerke'', was a historic role in the synagogue for a learned Jewish woman leading women in prayer from the ''weibershul'' (women's gallery or annex) as a pr ...

, farzangerin, foreleiner, zogerin, or zogerke.

Christian precentors

A precentor is a member of a church who helps facilitate worship. The role of precentor was carried over from the

synagogue A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...

s into the early church.

Catholic precentors

Ancient era

The term ''precentor'' described sometimes an

ecclesiastical {{Short pages monitor