Anthem

An anthem was originally a piece of music written for a choir to sing at an Anglican church service. Unlikemotets, anthems were sung in English and often accompanied by an organ. Over time, the word “anthem” has come to mean “a song of celebration”.

Anthem of Greece
"Hymn to liberty"

Most countries today have national anthems.

History

As early as 1502, the composer Fayrfax was paid 20 shillings for composing an anthem. After King Henry VIII founded (started) the Anglican church in the 1530s, church composers were told to write music in English. Most anthems used words from the Bible.

Many anthems were composed after the Reformation. At first they were like motets, but in English. Soon the English anthem developed differently from the continental motet. Two kinds of anthems developed. One was the “Full Anthem,” in which the whole anthem was sung by the full choir. The other was the “Verse Anthem,” which was usually longer and had several verses which would be sung by soloists, with choruses for the full choir in between.

National anthems

Main article: National anthem

Most countries today have national anthems. Well-known examples include O Canada; the Star-Spangled Banner (United States); God Save the King/Queen (United Kingdom); La Marseillaise (France); Jana Gana Mana (India); March of the Volunteers (China); and Lupang Hinirang (Philippines).

The Greek national anthem, Hymn to Liberty, is the longest anthem in the world. Written in 1823 by the poet Dionysios Solomos, it has 158 stanzas. The cut-down version is shorter than Uruguay's national anthem, which is over five minutes long.

Famous composers

Almost every music director of cathedrals or large churches has written anthems. Famous composers include:

• Thomas Tallis (1505-1585)
• William Byrd (1543-1623)
• Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625)
• Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
• George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
• William Boyce (1710-1779)
• Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810-1876)
• Edward Bairstow (1874-1946)
• William H.Harris (1883-1973)
• Herbert Howells (1892-1983)
• William Mathias (1934-1992)
• John Tavener (1944-2013)
• John Rutter (b.1945)