[The latter is the original name. Choir organ, if not a blunder to begin with, has often been wrongly substituted for chair organ in printing 17th c. documents; and thus, even writers of repute have erroneously alleged that it was the original. (See Hopkins and Rimbault, Hist. Organ (passim); Hawkins, quot. 1776; Grove, Dict. Music, s.v. choir organ.)] One of the aggregated organs (now usually three in number, the others being the great organ and the swell organ) which go to make up a large organ, having its row of keys the lowest of the three, and containing stops of a lighter character than the great organ; used for accompanying a choir.
α. 1606–7. Acc.-bk., in Carter, King’s Coll. Ch. (Camb. 1867). The pypes, armes and scutchins of the chayre organ.
1613. MS. Specif. of double organs in Cathed. Ch. of Worctr. In the chaire organ: 1 principal of mettal, 1 diapason of wood, [etc.].
1666. Organ Agreemt., in Hopkins & Rimb., Hist. Organ (1877), 121. He shall set up in the choyre a double organ, consisting of great organ and chaire organ.
1683. MS. Agreemt. w. Father Smith (Durham MS.). A good, perfect, tuneable, and harmonious Great Organ and Chair Organ. Ibid. (1690), Agreemt. for addition to Organ (Durham MS.). Chear organ by artikels.
1760–88. W. Boyce, Cath. Music, xii. It is recommended to … play the Full Chair-Organ.
1796. V. Green, Hist. Worcester, I. 114. On this side the lesser or chair organ is seen.
β. 1776. Sir J. Hawkins, Hist. Music., IV. 150. We in England call it the choir, and by corruption the chair organ.
1804. W. Crotch, Ten Anthems, 26. Choir Organ.
1819. Rees, Cycl., s.v. Organ, The upper row is appropriated to the swell, the middle to the great or chorus organ, and the lower to the choir or soft organ.
1848. B. Webb, Continental Ecclesiol., 135. There is a choir-organ at the west end of the chancel.
1876. Hiles, Catech. Organ (1878), i. 3. The first, or lowest Manual, which is called the Choir Organ contains pipes of a narrow measure, and a soft, delicate, and somewhat penetrating tone.
