Sacred Category (or Sacred form)

Hymns, Anthems, and Sacred Music.

Hymns are songs expressing praise or love of God, usually sung in the various Christian churches. The earliest hymns, in Latin, date from 340 AD, written by St Ambrose. Up to 1400 AD, in the Middle Ages, hymns and all sacred music were monophonic, that is they only had one voice part, like Gregorian Chant. In the renaissance period, one of of the the earliest pieces of sacred music written down is the plainsong, or Gregorian Chant, called Ave Maria, by Josquin des Prez (1450 - 1521).

Hymns usually are strophic in form, with repeating stanzas consisting of 4 lines, each set to a different musical phrase. So the form ABCD is sometimes called 'hymn form'. Since the reformation in the 16th century, hymns were sung in 4-part harmony, with block chords for every word.

The Mass is the main religious service in the Roman Catholic Church, and commissions to set it to music have been the impetus for many composers to create great works. Bach's B minor mass is one of the most famous, and Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven have all written masses for soloists, chorus, and orchestra.

An anthem is a short choral work, based on the Bible or other religious texts, sung in Protestant churches. A carol is a hymn or religious song usually associated with Christmas.