I'm getting myself in a right old muddle about antiphony.

Can anyone give me a concise definition?

Music AS tomorrow and slightly panicking...

Antiphony - The alteration of two or more contrasting groups of instruments or singers

1. alternate or responsive singing by a choir in two divisions.
2. a psalm, verse, etc., so sung; antiphon.
3. a responsive musical utterance.

Walking Dictionary

Still slightly confused.....do you mean alternation? If not, can you explain?

Excuse my simplicity, but can it not be used when a group of instruments is split in 2, so that there is sound coming from two different places? Hard to explain...

Yes, it creates like a stereo effect.

BBTOTW's definition is what is in the Rhinegold AS music book which is syllabus specified.

But is it alteration or alternation?

And if it's alteration, can someone please explain?

I remember being taught that antiphony existed for the first time as a result of the fact that in St Mark's church in Venice there were choir stalls or perhaps balconies, I'm not sure which, on opposite sides of the church. Sixteenth century composers took advantage of this and used 2 choirs alternately. I'm not sure after all these years how accurate this is but it rings a bell. Antiphonal treatment is certainly alternating the music between two groups of instrumentalists and / or singers.

Imagine a church with two balconies opposite each other. On each balcony there is a group of trumpets. You are sitting in the middle of the two balconies, underneath. Sometimes the trumpets play together, sometimes they have a kind of "conversation" where the music passes back and forth between them. That's antiphony, or antiphonal music. Listen to the brass music of Gabrieli for good examples of it - two (or more) brass choirs playing together and in antiphony.



Think Aquarelle and myself were posting at the same time there!

Isn't Antiphony a character in a play by Arisophanes?

Thank you - everyone - makes much more sense now.

And Robodoc - I'm not sure, but I don't think I'd be able to find an example of that in the music if called to....

"Call and Response"

It's what happens when half the choir has the wrong music

Isn't that cachophony?

you're probably right !

And I thought "antiphony" was a person who didn't like things or people which/who aren't genuine..........

*groans*
but basically, its call and response

Excellant answer Maggie may!



I'm reminded of a definition of perfect pitch "the ability to throw a banjo accurately into a skip from 30 feet away".

Isn't that cats on opposite fences (usually at 3am)
IF so - what is dogophony?

Pehaps it's when there's a dog inside a house and a cat on the window sill outside.

Sorry, a bit off topic now. Hope your exam went ok cellocase

Yes, it was more-or-less okay. Listening wasn't as good as I usually do, but hopefully still okay?
Only two more exams to go now....though almost the whole year have finished exams, it's just us poor sods doing further maths! our own fault, I suppose...