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Sonata da chiesa (Italian for church sonata) is an instrumental composition dating from the Baroque period, generally consisting of four movements. More than one melody was often used, and the movements were ordered slow–fast–slow–fast with respect to tempo. The second movement was usually a fugal allegro, and the third and fourth were binary forms that sometimes resembled the sarabande and gigue.

It is often mistakenly believed these sonatas were composed to be performed in religious ceremonies. In fact, symphonies written in the Sonata da chiesa form were frequently played during Religious ceremonies, especially during the mass "at the Gradual, Offertory, Elevation and Communion as well as the Introit and Deo Gratias. They were also used as a substitute for antiphons during Vespers. They were not, however, written with an explicitly liturgical function, such as, for instance, a Requiem Mass. Symphonic works written in the sonata da chiesa were more often performed as concert pieces for entertainment.[1]