An anthem is a composition to an English religious text sung in the context of an Anglican service. The term has evolved to mean a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a certain group of people, as in the term "national anthem". See below for other uses. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ...

"anthem" is derived from the Greek αντιφωνα through the Saxon antefn, a word which originally had the same meaning as antiphony. This article is about the musical term. ...

It is now, however, generally restricted to a form of church music, particularly in the service of the Church of England, in which it is appointed by the rubrics to follow the third collect at both morning and evening prayer. It is just as usuan ordinary hymn as an anthem, which may be a more elaborate composition than the congregational hymns. Several anthems are included in the English coronation service. The words are selected from Holy Scripture or in some cases from the Liturgy, and the music is generally more elaborate and varied than that of psalm or hymn tunes. Though the anthem of the Church of England is analogous to the motet of the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches, both being written for a trained choir and not for the congregation, it is as a musical form essentially English in its origin and development. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a god or other religiously significant figure. ... British coronations are held in Westminster Abbey. ... In Western music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ...

The anthem developed as a replacement for the Catholic "votive antiphon" commonly sung as an appendix to the main office to the Blessed Virgin Mary or other saints. Though anthems were written in the Elizabethan period by Byrd, Tallis and others they are not mentioned in the Book of Common Prayer until 1662, when the famous rubric "In quires and places where they sing here followeth the Anthem" first appears. Our Lady redirects here. ... William Byrd William Byrd (c. ... Thomas Tallis Thomas Tallis (c 1505–23 November 1585) was an English composer. ... For the novel by Joan Didion, see A Book of Common Prayer. ... Events February 1 - The Chinese pirate Koxinga seizes the island of Taiwan after a nine-month siege. ...

Early anthems tended to be simple and homophonic in texture, in order that the words could be clearly heard. Late in the sixteenth century the "verse anthem", in which passages for solo voices alternated with passages for full choir, began to evolve. This became the dominant form in the Restoration period, when composers such as Henry Purcell and John Blow wrote elaborate examples for the Chapel Royal with orchestral accompaniment. In the nineteenth century Samuel Sebastian Wesley wrote anthems influenced by contemporary oratorio which could stretch to several movements and last twenty minutes or longer. Later in the same century Charles Villiers Stanford composed examples which used symphonic techniques to produce a more concise and unified structure. Many anthems have been produced on this model since his time, generally by organists rather than professional composers and often in a conservative style. Major composers have tended to compose anthems only in response to commissions and for special occasions; examples include Edward Elgar's Great is the Lord and Give unto the Lord (both with orchestral accompaniment), Benjamin Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb (a modern example of a multi-movement anthem and today heard mainly as a concert piece), and (on a much smaller scale) Ralph Vaughan Williams' O taste and see, written for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. With the relaxation of the rule, in England at least, that anthems should be only in English, the repertoire has been greatly enhanced by the addition of many works from the Latin repertory. Homophony is a musical term that describes the texture of two or more instruments or parts moving together and using the same rhythm. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... King Charles II, the first monarch to rule after the English Restoration. ... Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (IPA: [1]; September 10 (?) [2], 1659–November 21, 1695), a Baroque composer, is generally considered to be one of Englands greatest composers. ... John Blow (1649 - October 1, 1708) was an English composer and organist. ... The Chapel Royal did not originally refer to a building but an establishment in the Royal Household. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Samuel Sebastian Wesley (14 August 1810 — 19 April 1876) was an English organist and composer. ... An oratorio is a large musical composition for orchestra, vocal soloists and chorus. ... In music, a movement is a large division of a larger composition or musical form. ... Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (September 30, 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ... A composer is a person who writes music. ... Sir Edward Elgar Sir Edward Elgar, 1st Baronet, OM, GCVO (2 June 1857 â€“ 23 February 1934) was an English Romantic composer. ... Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten, OM CH (November 22, 1913 Lowestoft, Suffolk - December 4, 1976 Aldeburgh, Suffolk) was a British composer, conductor, and pianist. ... Ralph Vaughan Williams Ralph Vaughan Williams, OM (October 12, 1872 – August 26, 1958) was an influential English composer. ... The coronation of Empress Farah, of Iran in 1967. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the King (Queen) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II  -  Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification  -  by Athelstan 967  Area...

In common usage among Protestant churches in the U.S.A. the term "anthem" often refers to any short sacred choral work presented during the course of a worship service.

See also

The following is a list of articles on other anthems:

• Company songs (corporate anthems)
• La Espero (anthem of the language Esperanto)
• European anthem
• Hail to the Chief (American Presidential anthem)
• The Internationale (Communist anthem)
• The Red Flag (Socialist anthem)
• National anthems
• Rock and roll anthems
• Dance anthems

In modern times, a jingle can be a radio stations on air musical or spoken identity. ... La Espero (The Hope) is a poem written by L. L. Zamenhof (1859-1917), the initiator of the Esperanto language. ... Look up Esperanto in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The ode To Joy (Ode »An die Freude« in German) is an ode written in 1785 by the German poet and historian Friedrich Schiller, and known especially for its musical setting by Beethoven in the fourth and final movement of his Ninth Symphony, for four solo voices, chorus, and orchestra. ... Sheet music for the chorus to Hail to the Chief Hail to the Chief is the official anthem of the President of the United States. ... LInternationale in the original French. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... The red flag is a socialist emblem associated in particular with the revolutionary left as well as with social democratic and labour traditions having been a banner used by parties such as Labour in Britain, the Socialist Party in France and other social democratic and democratic socialist groups throughout the... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that is evoking and eulogizing the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nations government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ...

References

• Peter Le Huray "Anthem" in Stanley Sadie, ed. The New Grove dictionary of music and musicians (London: Macmillan, 1980) ISBN 0-333-23111-2
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.