Everything about Master Of Ceremonies totally explained
A
Master of Ceremonies or
MC (sometimes spelled
emcee), sometimes called a
compère or an
MJ for "microphone jockey," is the
host of an official public or private staged event or other performance. The MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving. The MC sometimes also acts as the protocol officer during an official state function.
Origins
The term originates from the
Catholic Church. The
Master of Ceremonies is an official of the Papal Court responsible for the proper and smooth conduct of the elegant and elaborate rituals involving the
Pope and the Sacred
Liturgy. He may also be an official involved in the proper conduct of protocols and ceremonials involving the
Roman Pontiff, the
Papal Court, and other dignitaries and potentates. Examples of official
liturgical books prescribing the rules and regulations of liturgical celebrations are
Cæremoniale Romanum and
Cæremoniale Episcoporum.
The office of the
Master of Ceremonies itself is very old. According to the
Catholic Encyclopedia, the most ancient ceremonials and rituals of the
Catholic Church are the so-called
Ordines Romani. Names of Masters of Ceremonies are known since the late Middle Ages (15th century) and the
Renaissance (16th century). However, copies of books prescribing the forms of rituals, rites and customs of pontifical ceremonies are known to have been given to
Charles Martel in the 8th century. The rules and rituals themselves are known to have been compiled or written by the pontifical masters of ceremonies whose contents date back to the time of
Pope Gelasius I (492-496) with modifications and additions made by
Pope Gregory the Great (590-604). It is reasonable to assume that the ceremonials themselves pre-date Gelasius I and the origins of the Master of Ceremonies may have developed from the time Emperor
Constantine the Great gave the
Lateran Palace to the popes (324) or from the time
Christianity became the official religion of the
Roman Empire (380), and was influenced no doubt by imperial practices, customs and norms. However, documentary evidence from the late Roman period are scarce or lost. The ceremonies and practices of the Byzantine emperors are also known to have influenced the papal court. The accumulation of elaboration and complication since the Renaissance and
Baroque eras were carried well into the 20th century until some of the ceremonies (for example the court, the rituals and norms) were simplified or completely eliminated by
Pope Paul VI in the 1970s after
Vatican II; much of the Renaissance pomp and ceremony has been completely abandoned by the popes of the modern era.
At a large Catholic church or
cathedral, the Master of Ceremonies organises and rehearses the proceedings and
ritual of each
mass. He may also have responsibility for the physical security of the place of worship during the
liturgy. At major festivities such as
Christmas and
Easter, when the liturgies are long and complex, the Master of Ceremonies plays a vital role in ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
The current papal Master of Ceremonies is Monsignor
Guido Marini who succeeded Archbishop
Piero Marini to whom he isn't related.
Monarchies
Historically certain European
royal courts maintained senior offices known as Masters of Ceremonies (or some variants thereof), responsible for conducting stately ceremonies such as
coronations and receptions of foreign
ambassadors. Examples included:
Comedy clubs
The MC of a comedy show is the host of the evening's events, charged with a variety of responsibilities. These typically include making announcements, introducing the other comedians of the evening, and interacting with the crowd for such events as birthdays, anniversaries, and other parties.
Boy Scouts of America
In the
Boy Scouts of America, the Master of Ceremonies is an adult or a scout who leads a
Court of Honor, specifically an Eagle Scout Court of Honor (one which is held to present a scout with an
Eagle Scout rank). It is an optional requirement, which can be chosen from among several other courts of honor, to receive the communications
merit badge.
Hip hop culture
MC (master of ceremonies, which in hip hop is sometimes changed to mic controller) became associated with what would change to become known as the
rapper in
hip-hop /
rap music and culture. Originally, the term was simply used as Master of Ceremonies. It's believed that the first musician to call himself an MC was
Melle Mel from
Grandmaster Flash. Traditionally, an MC uses rhyming verses, whether pre-written or
freestyled, to introduce and praise the
DJ he or she works with, to hype up the crowd. As hip-hop progressed, the title
MC has been thought to mean a number of
acronyms such as
Microphone Controller, "Microphone Commander",
Mic Checka,
Music Commentator, and one who
Moves the Crowd, notably through Rakim's lyrics on the matter (Eric B. easy on the cut and no mistakes allowed/ Cuz to me,
MC means
move the crowd). Some use this word interchangeably with the term
rapper, but according to many, they should never cross paths. MC TiMMY, MC LARS and MC HAMMER are some who think differently.
Uncertainty over the acronym's expansion may be considered evidence for the ubiquity of the acronym: the full
master of ceremonies is very rarely used in the hip-hop scene. This confusion prompted the hip-hop group
A Tribe Called Quest to include this statement on their
1993 Midnight Marauders album:
The use of the term MC when referring to a rhymer originates from the dance halls of Jamaica. At each event, there would be an announcer or master of ceremonies who would introduce the different musical acts and would say a toast in style of a rhyme, directed at the audience and to the performers. He would also make announcements such as the schedule of other events or advertisements from local sponsors. The term MC continued to be used by the children of women who moved to New York to work as maids in the 1970s. These MCs eventually created a new style of music called hip-hop based on the rhyming they used to do in Jamaica and the breakbeats used in records. MC has also recently been accepted to refer to all who engineer music.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Master Of Ceremonies'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://master_of_ceremonies.totallyexplained.com">Master of Ceremonies Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
