Church concerto
Historical term for sacred concert music in church, e.g. the Baroque “concerto da chiesa.”
What it means
Church concerto is a historical term for sacred concert music intended for performance in church. The Italian term “concerto da chiesa,” church concerto, denoted in the Baroque a serious, usually multi-movement instrumental form without dance movements, as opposed to the secular “concerto da camera,” the chamber concerto.
Musical use
The Baroque concerto da chiesa typically consists of a sequence of slow and fast movements in a plainer, more serious tone than dance-based chamber music, and was performed at services or church occasions. Composers such as Arcangelo Corelli wrote collections that expressly distinguished the two types, church and chamber concerto. The term church concerto is also used more generally for sacred concert events in church buildings.
The church concerto should be distinguished from the chamber concerto, which has a secular character and often contains dance movements such as allemande or gigue, and from the cantata or motet, which rest on a sung text, whereas the concerto da chiesa is purely instrumental.
Performance practice
In a concerto da chiesa, listen for the more serious, less dance-like character compared with secular chamber music of the same period. Play such movements with a measured expression suited to the church setting, without imitating the dance-like lightness of secular models.