Decani

Decani (/dɪˈkeɪnaɪ/; Latin: 'of the dean') is the side of a church choir occupied by the Dean.^[1] In English churches, this is typically the choir stalls on the south side of the chancel. The opposite side is known as Cantoris.^[2] The abbreviations "Dec." and "Can." are used. ^[3]^[4]

The association of the Dean with the south side has propagated from the Sarum (now Salisbury Cathedral) liturgical norm, a practice that then propagated through pre-Reformation England and Wales.^[5] There are some notable exceptions in the monastic cathedrals, where the senior cleric under the bishop was the prior; he often sat on the liturgical north.^[5] Hence, in Durham Cathedral, Ely Cathedral, St Davids Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral, and Southwell Minster, decani is on the north.

References

^ Latham, Alison (2002). The Oxford Companion to Music. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 345. ISBN 978-0-19-866212-9.
^ "Decani vc. Cantoris". The Church Times. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
^ Ashley, Martin. "Where have all the singers gone, and when will they return? Prospects for Choral Singing after the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic" (PDF). Association of British Choral Directors. p. 21. Retrieved 29 April 2024. e.g. just Dec or Can on alternate days
^ "Morning and Evening Canticles" (PDF). Quarterly News Sheet. 1. School of English Church Music: 3. April 1928. Retrieved 29 April 2024. Verses are allotted to full choir, Dec. and Can.
^ ^a ^b Hughes, Gareth (19 May 2016). "Pass Decani on the Gospel Side: and other adventures in spiritual choreography". Ad Fontes. Retrieved 14 June 2016.