Stuff Christians Like: #2 Cantatas

If you know what a cantata is you are already 1/2 way there. Even though this term is used virtually nowhere in our society the “official” wikipedia definition is as follows: A cantata (Italian, ’sung’) is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment and generally containing more than one movement. the term did not exist prior to the 16th century, when all “cultured” music was vocal, but with the rise of instrumental music in the 17th century the term emerged as the instrumental art became sufficiently developed to be embodied in sonatas.     For those of you who are still officially completely lost, a cantata is a musical performance of singing you will likely hear if you visit a church during the Easter or Christmas season.  There will definitely be at least one tenor solo and one soprano solo and if you are lucky someone with a bassy radio voice doing a monologue between songs. If you are fortunate enough to travel over the holidays and visit Christian family members churches you may even get to hear the same cantata twice! SCORE!
     It will in all likelihood be designed by a man named Michael W. Smith (more on him another day).  Now what makes the versions of cantatas that Christians enjoy different than the wikipedia definition above is that they are done Karaoke style!!!
     So, if you wander into a church and hear strings, classical guitar, a handbell choir, and in general a mini-orchestra with a backdrop of some heavy synthesizer, but cannot seem to locate the musicians in the pit below, your eyesight is not bad, you are just experiencing a karaoke cantata. I.E.— a soundtrack without Michael W. Smith’s vocals.  The form of art known as a karaoke cantata should not, however, be confused with the karaoke your crazy friend sang to a Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, or Britney Spears song Friday night at happy hour.