ABSTRACT
Congregants' arrival, departure, seating and various other behaviors are examined, their reception of and participation in music second, and the reception of the sermon third. Congregants' were a lively presence throughout the service, appropriating nearly every element of the liturgy, seating arrangements, and a range of expected behaviors to make the service a vehicle for social interaction and competition. Chants, hymns, and cantatas will be considered in turn, with a particular focus on the cantata. Each played different roles in the service, establishing specific relationships between musicians, clerics, and congregants, and they resonated in different ways with congregants. Most cantatas were performed just before the sermon. Numerous factors account for the way Leipzig inhabitants experienced the Baroque worship service. The sermon was the focal point of the service in liturgical theory, placement in the service, and in the perception of congregants.
