MUSIC. — The antiphon was performed in several ways: either by simultaneously combining the same melody in different tessituras, for example at the octave; or by singing the same melody in two distinct choirs, or with different melodies. In the East, in the 3rd and 4th centuries, psalms were performed antiphonally in this manner: the men on one side, the women and children on the other. A short refrain or phrase (with an extended duration) that was intercalated between the verses of the psalms, or at least sung at the beginning and end, was also called an antiphon. This manner of singing was contrasted with another form, called *indirectum* or *sine antiphona*, in which the entire psalm was sung without any intercalation.
The text of the antiphon, taken from the same psalm, has a very simple musical form, such that it could easily be memorized by all the faithful who alternated with the clergy or the soloist. But when, later, the text was drawn from other biblical books, from hagiographic compositions, or was composed specifically for the purpose, the melody was sometimes more developed. The tone of the psalm depends entirely on the mode of the antiphon; indeed, even the final *saeculorum amen* (E.U.O.A.E.) is chosen so as to best facilitate the transition from the psalm to the antiphon—a necessity that becomes even more evident when the antiphon is repeated between the verses of the psalm. On certain solemnities, this repetition—for example, in the singing of the *Magnificat*—was said to “triumph” the antiphon. The choice of a single dominant note in Gregorian chant was established for the convenience of the singers, though it is not always the one required by the musical construction. In Ambrosian chant, the dominant of the psalm is taken as that proper to the antiphon. Sometimes the musical theme of the antiphon—especially if the text is from the same psalm—is so well cadenced and harmonious in its proportions that it has been used as the melodic formula for short responsories with the *Alleluia*. It has been suggested that many themes of these simple antiphons may have been taken from secular folk songs to make it easier for the faithful to sing them. Nothing can be stated with certainty, but it cannot be ruled out, nor can it be ruled out that there may be Eastern themes. In any case, the Church has known how to assimilate and perfectly adapt such themes, sanctifying them.
In the antiphons, music follows the phrasing of the text almost step by step, with its own melodic accentuation. It cannot be denied that some melodies, originally composed for a specific text, became like types and models to be adopted for different texts that present a similar literary structure, even with cadential modifications or simple transitions that reveal an entire system characteristic of Gregorian chant. In the antiphons, we find in particular the form of the *centon* with its *nomoi*. This very ancient procedure, even predating Gregorian chant, constitutes musically a veritable museum of wandering formulas, yet they reveal exquisite taste. At other times, the melody of the antiphon, due to the text, is arranged in strophes, in the manner of a hymn or *epigog* (cf. IRMO). The construction of the melodies of the antiphons often takes the form of an *arch*, corresponding to the melody of the word: beginning from the lower notes, they rise to the high point in the middle and return to the base. However, it is not rare for the melody to begin high, *ex abrupto*, particularly inspired by the very expression of the text.