Meaning of call-and-response in English

call-and-response

music specialized (also call and response)

uk/ˌkɔːl.ən.rɪˈspɒns/ us/ˌkɑːl.ən.rɪˈspɑːns/

a piece of music, or part of a piece of music in which one performer sings or plays one part that is immediately followed by another part that is sung or played by a different performer, or a group of performers:

Gospel music is often sung as a call-and-response to sound like a preacher whose words are echoed by the congregation.

The call and response of the chorus was designed to get the audience to respond and sing along.

The piece's structure has a call-and-response quality that is evocative of a religious service.

mainly US

(also cadence call, military cadence [ C ])

a song for voices only, used in military training, especially in the United States, in which the leader of the group sings a line, and is answered by the rest of the group, using a rhythm that matches the rhythm of the activity being done, typically marching:

From the fields of the military academy you could hear the call and response of the cadets in training.

We had to learn some Army cadence calls, which we used when marching or running in formation.

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Like a call-and-response, she and the drummer seemed to be talking to each other.

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Military training & ceremonies

(Definition of call-and-response from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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