Marian antiphon

music

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

A Marian antiphon is a type of hymn, not a true antiphon, sung in Roman Catholic liturgical music. These four specific hymns—"Salve Regina," "Ave Regina caelorum," "Regina caeli, laetare," and "Alma Redemptoris Mater"—are known for their beauty and were often set to polyphonic music by composers starting around 1400.1

An antiphon, in general, is a chant melody and text sung before and after a psalm verse. This practice was adopted from Hebrew worship by early Christian churches and introduced to the West in the 4th century. While originally sung by alternating choirs, the performance style evolved to soloists and a choir. Antiphons are primarily found in the divine office and were historically part of the mass, such as the introit, offertory, and communion. The "Great Antiphon," also known as an "O Antiphon," refers to one of seven anthems sung at vespers from December 17th until Christmas.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

antiphon
The four Marian antiphons are long hymns, not true antiphons but independent compositions especially noted for their beauty: the “Salve Regina” (“Hail, Holy Queen”), “Ave Regina caelorum” (“Hail, Queen of Heaven”), “Regina caeli, laetare” (“Queen of Heaven, Rejoice”), and “Alma Redemptoris Mater” (“Kindly Mother of the Redeemer”).…
Read More
The four Marian antiphons are long hymns, not true antiphons but independent compositions especially noted for their beauty: the “Salve Regina” (“Hail, Holy Queen”), “Ave Regina caelorum” (“Hail, Queen of Heaven”), “Regina caeli, laetare” (“Queen of Heaven, Rejoice”), and “Alma Redemptoris Mater” (“Kindly Mother of the Redeemer”).…
Read More