Talk:Anthem
Anthem vs. motet[change source]
Currently the opening section makes the following unsupported pronouncement: "The difference between an anthem and a motet is that an anthem is sung in English."
Because I was trying to find out the difference, I have been doing a little research on the internet, and found a plethora of explanations, some of them contradicting each other. I think the point is that in Anglican music traditions the two are very often used interchangeably, (with greater use of anthem in describing its function in the service), whatever theoretical explanations may be out there. (At some point just telling everyone they are wrong in the way they use language becomes pointless because language changes over time.)
Some of the "distinctions" are unhelpful. "E.g. Anthems, which are typically accompanied, and motets, which are typically unaccompanied". The word "typically" illustrates the point! Or "anthems are four-part, and motets typically four, five or six", a comment that would baffle many Anglican choristers and choir directors who have spent years singing anthems with any number of parts. And the language distinction is unhelpful too: just because continental European church music traditions don't use the word "anthem" doesn't mean the language becomes the distinguishing element. It is common practice in Anglican churches and cathedrals to say, "the anthem for today is Such-and-such-A-Motet by X".
I wanted to change the text accordingly to reflect the blurred distinction, with some reference to the diverse sources out there, but would be interested in other views.