Fraction Anthem
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A fraction anthem is a text spoken or sung during the rite of Holy Eucharist, at the point when the celebrant breaks the consecrated bread. The term is used commonly in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. The term is an approximate translation of confractorium, a term borrowed from the Ambrosian Rite.
For Rite I, the 1979 Book of Common Prayer lists two fraction anthems, the Pascha Nostrum and the Agnus Dei. Rite II lists only Christ our Passover (Pascha Nostrum), although the Agnus Dei is often used as well. However, in both rites other appropriate texts may be substituted.
The Hymnal 1982 includes a rich palette of congregational settings of fraction anthems, ranging from traditional plainchant to settings by modern composers.
