Unveiling Cantus: Dr. Debra Lacoste's (BMus '92) Journey in Preserving Ecclesiastical Chants

March 13, 2024

Dr. Debra Lacoste, a Laurier graduate from 1992, serves as the Project Manager and Principal Researcher for Cantus, a groundbreaking database for Latin Ecclesiastical Chant. Cantus, available at https://cantusdatabase.org, is an online research tool that curates inventories of medieval chant manuscripts and printed books, providing analytical tools for chant research.

Over 35 years, a global consortium of contributors meticulously assembled Cantus's data. This extensive resource caters not only to music researchers but also appeals to singers, choir directors, art historians, and anyone intrigued by monasticism or liturgical history.

What sets Cantus apart is its comprehensive offering: it includes full texts and detailed information about each chant. Moreover, the database integrates digital images of medieval manuscripts, allowing users to easily access the original sources for chants sung during saints' celebrations, Easter, Christmas, and other annual feasts.

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) through a partnership grant at Dalhousie University, led by Dr. Jennifer Bain (another Laurier graduate, class of 1990), Cantus remains a vital scholarly hub, linking the past to the present for those invested in the profound legacy of ecclesiastical music.

About Debra’s Laurier Experience:

Debra's journey at Laurier began with a plan to teach high school music. She soon found her passion in Music History. Under Professor Emeritus Dr. Alma Santosuosso's guidance, Debra delved deeper into the field of musicology. Dr. Santosuosso, who studied under Dr. Terence Bailey at the University of British Columbia, inadvertently introduced Debra to Bailey's work. Independently discovering Bailey's teachings during her Master's, Debra became his student, focusing on medieval chant.

Remarkably, during a return visit to Laurier, Debra realized the unexpected connection between her mentor, Dr. Bailey, and Dr. Santosuosso. Santosuosso revealed Bailey had been her advisor too, showcasing Laurier's rich academic connections. Debra's journey solidified her focus on medieval chant, an area now thriving in Digital Humanities, and within Laurier's well-connected academic network.