'The English Anthem of the Church of England -And Its Related Church Bodies.(2) Another Qualification of an Anthem Is That the Greater Part of PAUL R
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is by and large the property and product 'The English Anthem of the Church of England -and its related church bodies.(2) Another qualification of an anthem is that the greater part of PAUL R. OTIE 6. a thorough-composed piece as op anthem literature is in the English lan posed to a hymn, chorale, or psalm tone guage. Groves dictionary goes so far as in which the same music is used for to limit the anthem "exclusively" to the Paul Otte is Minister of Music at Beth several different stanzas or verses. any Lutheran Church, Cedar Rapids, English, but sufficient literature has been 7. an independent work as opposed produced in America (some in German) Iowa and also a part-time music teacher to a portion of an oratorio, passion, or in grades 1-9. He graduated from Con which meets the above-mentioned eight cantata. cordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota and qualifications to warrant mention at the in 1975 earned the degree, Master of 8. a work which derives its inspira least, in this study. Sacred Music, from Wittenberg Univers tion and thematic material solely from ity in Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Otte directed its text (often scriptural) without be Most of the above qualifications are the Cleveland Lutheran A Cappella Choir either implied, pre-supposed, or explicit for five years until his recent move to ing based on a hymn tune, chorale, or Iowa. plainsong with the exception of the in the following excerpt from Anthems very earliest anthems in a motet style. and Anthem Composers, by Miles Birket It should be pointed out that while Foster, one of the very few books which DEFINITIONS things are often used as anthems, the deal exclusively with the anthem as de The term "Anthem" has been used to above provides a fairly accurate defini fined by the previous qualifications: denote almost as many different things as tion; but not accurate enough, I'm afraid. "Whatever the proper derivation of the term "music" itself. It has been used Donald Francis Tovey states in a dis the term may be, the modern definition and misused for almost a thousand years, cussion of the term "sonata": of an anthem is 'a composition for for its earliest use according to the "New "Everything depends on the period voices, with or without accompaniment, English Dictionary" is attributed to Bede and circumstances of the work describ to be sung as part of the service of in the year 1000. It is my guess that if ed. A 'sonata' in the seventeenth cen God's House'. This definition is suffi you were to ask the average person with tury may be merely a piece or portion ciently broad to include any mllsic set even a vague familiarity with church serv that is 'sounded' on instruments instead to sacred words; but in this little work ices what an anthem is, he would respond of being a piece that is sung, scilicet I have endeavored to eliminate· all with: "That's what the choir sings in 'cantata'. In the eighteenth century it movements originally composed with church." The second most popular reply, may still be no more, or it may be any some other object in view, such as ex at least in America, would probably be: thing between a regular suite and a cerpts from larger works, Cantatas or "You mean the 'Star Spangled Banner'?" kind of concerto without orchestra. Oratorios, and, above alI, movements Since terminology should be the servant From Mozart's time onwards, it is the torn from Masses and Services, and of usage, I will present a definition in most definite and highly organized art adapted to words which are foreign to the form of a composite of qualifications form in the history of music; while at their original connection; and I desire of my own selection which proceed from the present day it is one of Humpty to present to your notice those com the least specific to the most specific. Dumpty's words that means whatever plete works only, which were written An anthem is: he chooses to make it mean. For us, as Anthems, and intended to be intro 1. a song with words. who do not sit upon a wall and who duced in those positions in which, 'in 2. a song of praise or glorification cannot afford to pay our words over Quires and Places where they sing,' (as "National Anthem") time wages, the best plan is to agree the Anthem followed. 3. usually performed by a choir with to understand terms of art according to I am convinced that, however fine or without soloists as opposed to solo their highest classical usage." these adaptations may be, and however ists without choir. The highest classical usage of the term appropriate to God's worship, they are 4. a choral work with or without ac "anthem" therefore includes a body of not strictly and in the first place to be companiment. choral literature which may be identified regarded as Anthems."(3) 5. intended for use in a worship serv by its function more than by its musical The practice referred to by Foster of ice as a non-liturgical piece-of concert form as in the case of the sonata. The adapting other works for use as anthems ed vocal music as opposed to a setting "anthem" is a direct result of the Reform in the latter part of the 18th and 19th of a portion of the mass such as a ation in England under Henry VIII. The century has tended to destroy the concep "Kyrie" or a "Sanctus," etc. term therefore refers to an art-form which tion of the anthem as a distinct musical form. This process will be dealt with in greater detail in a later chapter; but it is worth mention here, because it bears di rectly upon a concise definition of the anthem. Due to the fact that the source of the anthem is found in the Reforma tion in England, and that the decline of the form occurred in the 18th century, it may be stated that in its narrowest sense, anthem literature may be confined to the period from 1538 to 1759 (the death of Handel). This is not to discredit the work of such composers as S. S. Wesley, John Goss, F. A. Gore Ouseley, and John Stainer from the 19th century and the many fine 20th century composers. In terms of function, their work is certainly acceptable as anthem literature, but due 19 THE CHORAL JOURNAL to the broad use of the term "anthem" ment as not being a part of the real an history of the anthem in the practice of today, much of their work has been con them tradition can result in a much having the choir divided in two with cer fused with hymn and chorale traditions. greater appreciation of that tradition. tain portions of the music sung by one It does not arise out of the "Cathedral With that, then, let us proceed to ex half and other portions by the other half. tradition" in England which was the en amine this rich and varied Cathedral tra The two sides are known as Decani and vironment of the classical anthem. An dition known as the Anth~m. Cantoris. It was common in the cathed other style arose in the 19th Century ral worship to have the decani on the called the hymn-anthem which departs ETYMOLOGY south or Dean's side, and the cantoris on from qualification number eight by using The term "anthem" is the modern form the north or Precentor's side of the large pre-existing thematic material. of the Old English word allte/I! or an cathedral chancels. One more word is necessary regard:ng tempne. This in turn, comes from the While the parallel has been drawn be the confusion existing between anthem Greek word antiphonol! which means a tween antiphonal singing and the decani literature and other types of sacred choral song which is sung "antiphonally," that and cantoris practice, we must be careful music. Most sources of information re is, by two groups. One group sings a not to assume too many things. Accord garding the anthem agree that it was an part, and then the other group. This char ing to Wienar.dt, "The alternation be outgrowth of the motet. Indeed, the func acter has been retained throughout the tween the two halves of the choir ... is tion of the anthem in the English Services was similar to that of the motet in the Latin church: "authorized though not liturgical."(4) It is also true that in the earliest stages, the terms anthem and motet were synonymous as will be shown later. The common origin, however, did not result in a parallel development. El wyn A. Wienandt comments on the dich otomy: "Some writers have found it con venient to place motets and anthems together during the entire span of their common existence, but our view has been that the anthem differed suffi ciently from the motet to be studied as a separate, viable form. In function and text sources it may be of the same family, but its development as a musical form kept it separate until the end of the nineteenth century. If the anthem bore a relationship to another existing musical type, it was to the cantata on records made rather than to the motet, especially from your tapes by after it developed into a multise~tional piece." (5) While this chapter has attempted to provide a concise definition, the reader C't~$t- has undoubted y detected its polemic char acter.