Antiphon

This article is about the musical term. See Antiphon (person) for an article about an orator of ancient Greece.

The word Antiphon is of Greek origin, αντί(opposite) + φωνη(sound).

An antiphon is a response, usually sung in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or some other part of a religious service, such as at Vespers or at a Mass. This meaning gave rise to the antiphony style of singing, see call and response.

A piece of music which is performed by two semi-independent choirs interacting with one another, often singing alternate musical phrases, is known as antiphonal. This is particularly common in the Anglican musical tradition, where the choir divides into two equal halves on opposite sides of the quire. The Indian concept sawal-jawab ("question" and "answer") can be considered antiphonal. The alteration of individual notes or pitches is hocket.

Antiphon can also be used outside of a strict musical or liturgical context to mean a more general response. When used in this way the word often maintains its religious connotation.