The first thing to do before entering fully into the establishment of the meaning of the term lectern is to know its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is a word that comes from Latin, exactly from “readerile”. This is a word that later became “lectrile” and that can be translated as “linked to the reader”.
A lectern is a piece of furniture that has the appearance of an inclined plane. Its function is to serve as a support for a sheet music, a notebook or another type of document so that the person can read more comfortably.
The lectern, in short, is a support. These furniture have a foot so that the contents are accessible to reading. In fact, there are currently music stands whose feet can be adjusted in height to adapt to different users.
Specifically, we can establish that there are three fundamental types of music stands:
-The table stand. It is placed, as its name suggests, on the table around which the person is sitting. It allows to put in it from a computer or a tablet to a book passing through sheets of different sizes. This model is the one used by many students as well as office workers. In particular, they use it to be able to have different documents at hand and in view while they perform other functions.
-The floor stand. This is the one that has both a foot and a support to be able to place what are documents. It is usually used by people who are going to give a lecture, who make a speech or who are going to carry out a master class. As a general rule, they usually have a kind of shelf to place from a bottle of water to a computer.
-The stackable lectern, which has the peculiarity that it is structured on the basis of modules. In this way, it can be adjusted in height. If it is used frequently, it is because it can be fully customized and can be used, especially in places with limited space.
The members of an orchestra usually place the scores on a music stand. In this way, as the compositions that are part of a concert follow one another, they can consult the notes that they must play with their instruments. If music stands did not exist, musicians would have to hold the sheet music with their hands and would not be able to play their instruments.
In the realm of religion, lecterns are used by priests or spiritual leaders in the development of a liturgy. On the lectern the sacred texts that are read in the celebration can be located.
Political leaders also frequently use lecterns to support speeches they make in public. Suppose that the president of a country visits a factory to announce that the State will invest two million pesos in its remodeling. To avoid the obligation to memorize her speech, the president has a printed copy that she places on the lectern. Thus the president reads the speech that is on the lectern during the act in question.
