antiphoners

Antiphoners is a term that can refer to two related but distinct things in liturgical tradition: the people who perform antiphons in worship, and the books that contain these antiphons. In modern usage, antiphonary is the standard name for the book, while antiphoner can still denote a singer, chanter, or scribe associated with antiphonal music. The plural form antiphoners thus covers both roles and objects depending on context.

As a book, an antiphoner (or antiphonary) is a liturgical text used in the Divine Office in Western Christian practice. It contains antiphons—short chants sung before and after psalms or canticles in each hour—often arranged by liturgical season and feast days. Many antiphoners also include related material such as hymns, responsories, versicles, and the proper antiphons for specific celebrations. In Gregorian chant, the antiphon provides the musical frame within which the psalms are chanted.

As people, antiphoners are typically members of a choir, monastery, or church community who sing the antiphons during the offices. They may also be scribes or copyists who copied and preserved antiphonaries in manuscript form. Working with chant notation and the liturgical calendar, antiphoners contributed to the performance and transmission of antiphonal music across generations.

Historically, antiphonaries flourished in medieval Europe, with regional varieties corresponding to different rites, such as Roman, Ambrosian, and Mozarabic traditions. The advent of printed antiphonal books helped standardize and disseminate antiphons more broadly. In later periods, reforms and changes to liturgical practice reduced the centrality of antiphoners in some communities, though the practice of antiphonal singing remains an enduring feature in many churches.