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. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions 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. History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope Examples of official liturgical books prescribing the rules and regulations of liturgical celebrations are Cæremoniale Romanum and Cæremoniale Episcoporum. A liturgical book is a book published by the authority of a Church, that contains the text and directions for the Liturgy of its official Religious services The Cæremoniale Episcoporum (Ceremonial of Bishops is a book that describes the Church services to be performed by Bishops of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church

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. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia The Ordines Romani ( Latin for Roman Ordines the are collections of documents that are the rubrics for the Medieval Mass of the Roman Rite. ^[1] Names of Masters of Ceremonies are known since the late Middle Ages (15th century) and the Renaissance (16th century). The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere 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. Charles "The Hammer" Martel (Carolus Martellus Charles "the Hammer" (ca 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). Pope 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. Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus (27 February ca. 272 &ndash 22 May 337 commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or Saint Constantine The Lateran Palace, sometimes more formally known as the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran (Italian Palazzo Laterano) is an ancient Palace of the Roman Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial 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 (i. Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc e. 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. Pope The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, was the twentieth century Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church.

At a large Catholic church or cathedral, the Master of Ceremonies organises and rehearses the proceedings and ritual of each mass. This article is about the history and organisation of the cathedral A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. He may also have responsibility for the physical security of the place of worship during the liturgy. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions 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. Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year.

The current papal Master of Ceremonies is Monsignor Guido Marini who succeeded Archbishop Piero Marini to whom he is not related. Guido Marini (born 1965 is a Roman Catholic Priest, currently serving as the Master of Pontifical Liturgical Celebrations (It Piero Marini (born 13 Jan 1942) is a Roman Catholic Archbishop, currently serving as the President of the Pontifical Committee for International

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. A coronation is a ceremony marking the investiture of a Monarch with regal power specifically involving the placement of a crown upon his or her head and the An ambassador is the highest ranking Diplomat who represents their country Examples included:

• British Empire - Master of the Ceremonies
• France - Grand Master of Ceremonies
• Russian Empire - see Table of Ranks

Comedy clubs

The MC of a comedy show is the host of the evening's events, charged with a variety of responsibilities. The office of Master of the Ceremonies was established by King James I/VI. The Grand Master of Ceremonies of France or Grand maître des cérémonies de France was one of the Great Offciers of the Maison du Roi ("King's Household" The Table of Ranks (Табель о рангах Tabel o rangakh was a formal list of positions and ranks in the military government and court of Imperial Russia. 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). The Boy Scouts of America ( BSA) is the largest youth organization in the United States with over five million Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA It is an optional requirement, which can be chosen from among several other courts of honor, to receive the communications merit badge. For history regarding merit badge types see History of merit badges (Boy Scouts of America.

Hip hop culture

Main article: Rapping

In the early 1970s, the term 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. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and Hip hop is a cultural movement which developed in New York City in the 1970s primarily among African Americans and Latinos. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and 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. Melvin Glover (born May 15, 1961 in The Bronx New York) also known by his stage name Grandmaster Mele Mel, and formerly Grandmaster Melle Joseph Saddler (born January 1, 1958 in Bridgetown Barbados) better known as Grandmaster Flash, is an American Hip hop musician 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. A disc jockey (also known as DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience 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. Acronyms, initialisms, and alphabetisms are Abbreviations that are formed using the initial components in a phrase or name 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. Rapping (also known as emceeing, MCing, spitting, or just rhyming) is the Rhythmic spoken delivery of Rhymes wordplay and 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. A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip-hop group formed in 1988 Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Midnight Marauders is the third album by hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released November 9, 1993 on Jive Records Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. 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. Hip hop music, also referred to as rap music, is a Music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with Breakbeat (sometimes breakbeats or breaks) is a term used to describe a collection of sub- genres of Electronic music, usually characterized MC has also recently been accepted to refer to all who engineer music.

References