Stop using the word cantata

As Easter approaches, various churches and para-church organisations throughout Malawi are organising events they designate as cantatas. In our major urban centres such as Blantyre, Lilongwe and Zomba, several Easter ‘cantatas’ have already occurred or are forthcoming at assorted venues, from cathedrals to community halls. These proceedings typically bring together multiple choral groups, each taking turns to present one or more pieces from their repertoire.

Nevertheless, employing the term ‘cantata’ here is erroneous. Though it carries an attractive sonority, it fails to encapsulate a consortium of choirs. Terms such as ‘choral concert’ or ‘choral festival’ would serve far better.

A cantata, properly understood, is a singular, cohesive vocal work in several movements, supported by instrumental accompaniment and composed by one individual. Originating in the Baroque era with masters such as Johann Sebastian Bach, it fuses soloists, choruses, recitatives and arias into a seamless narrative or liturgical whole. The form adheres to a structured sequence: for example, an expansive opening chorus, followed by recitatives, expressive arias and a final chorale, all unified by a thematic text, often biblical in nature.

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Such a performance rarely extends beyond 30 minutes. To clarify further, a chorus denotes a composition for full choir, frequently employing counterpoint—a sophisticated technique wherein two or more independent melodic lines interlace, each retaining its rhythmic profile and contour, yet converging in harmonious resolution. A chorale, by comparison, is a more modest, homophonic hymn-like piece, rendered by choir, congregation, or jointly.

Arias afford soloists opportunities for profound emotional expression, while recitatives deliver theatrical, speech-like passages to advance the drama. These hallmarks of Western art music sit uneasily within Malawi’s vibrant and rhythm-driven musical heritage. It is, thus, profoundly difficult for local ensembles to authentically embody a true cantata.

The Malawian-style cantatas were first introduced by the Blantyre Joint Choir during the 1980s. While they did not fully capture the essence of traditional cantatas, they nevertheless represent the closest approximation to such works that the country has experienced. These performances were organised around the central theme of Christmas, incorporating a substantial number of chorales—typically well-known Christmas carols—alongside a select few choruses drawn from Handel’s The Messiah.

Notably absent were arias and recitatives, with carefully chosen scripture readings substituted in their place to advance the narrative. For instrumental support, a keyboard sufficed. The components were deliberately selected and sequenced to convey a coherent Christmas story, progressing from the Old Testament prophecies, through the annunciation, the conception, and the birth of Christ, culminating in His exaltation as King of Kings.

Throughout the 1980s, the 1990s and well into the new millennium, the Blantyre Joint Choir’s cantatas attracted only modest audiences. This limited patronage meant few individuals became acquainted with the cantata concept, even in its localised and somewhat adapted form. In contemporary practice, cantatas have become the preserve of CCAP churches, largely, although they have strayed even further from the conventional format.

Here, several choirs gather to perform chorales in succession, with occasional highlights such as the choruses For Unto Us a Child is Born, And the Glory of the Lord, the Hallelujah Chorus, or Worthy is the Lamb. All music is rendered in acappella, without instrumental accompaniment, and typically interspersed with Scripture readings. The divergence from the authentic cantata structure is readily apparent.

Each participating choir selects its own pieces, often with minimal regard for overall thematic cohesion. Thus, a purported Christmas cantata might feature songs connected to the nativity narrative, yet presented in no particular order; the same holds for Easter-themed events. Inevitably, these pieces originate from various composers and seldom share a unified text.

With only a handful of exceptions, the choirs invest less rehearsal time than they do for choral competitions—a marked difference from the Blantyre Joint Choir’s rigorous three-month preparation regimen. The Limbe CCAP Church Choir, up until recently, stood out by organising relatively well-structured cantatas, which were clearly supported by dedicated and thorough rehearsals. Given that the performing choirs do not accord these events the highest priority, audiences tend to approach them with comparable indifference.

As a result, such performances are steadily losing their draw. In a nation where music is frequently valued more for its rhythmic drive and suitability for dance than for harmonic complexity or attentive listening, substantial effort must be devoted to the planning and execution of cantatas and analogous events if they are to hold genuine appeal for patrons. Malawian choirs would do well to search within the broader vocabulary of musical terminology to describe their collaborative performances more accurately.

As this discussion makes clear, ‘cantata’ is not the most precise term. ‘Choral concerts’ or ‘choral festivals’ more aptly describe these performances.

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