Choir, quire sb.

Forms: α. 3 quer, 3–6 quere, 4 queor, queyr, 4–6 queer, 5 qwer, 5–6 qwere, qweer, 6 queare, north. qwhere, where; 6–7 queere. β. 5–6 quyre, queyere, 6 quiere, quyer, 6–7 quiere, 6– quire. γ. 7– choir, (8 choire). [ME. quer, quere, a. OF. cuer choir of a church (mod.F. chœur):—L. chorus company of dancers, dance; company, band; (in med.L.) body of singers in church, place for singers in church; a. Gr. χορός dance, company of dancers or singers: cf. CHORUS. The change from ME. quēre, to quyer, quire, goes exactly with that of brere and frere to brier, friar. The spoken word is still quire, though since the close of the 17th c. this has been fictitiously spelt choir, app. as a partial assimilation to Gr.-L. chorus, or F. chœur.

  The spelling quire has never been altered in the English Prayer-book.]

  1.  The organized body of singers in cathedral or church service.

  † a.  The clergy of a cathedral or collegiate church engaged in performing the church service: formerly more or less coextensive with CHAPTER Obs.

c. 1300.  St. Brandan, 305. Tuelf other freres of the queor.

c. 1305.  E. E. P. (1862), 82. Alle þe Canouns of þe queor.

1518.  Wriothesley, Chron. (1875), I. 12. The Bishop of London, with all Powles quier, receaued him.

1556.  Chron. Gr. Friars, 75. The qweer of Powlles had a commandment from the dene.

  b.  The band of singers who perform or lead the musical part of the service in a church or chapel.

  A cathedral choir consists of the vicars choral or minor canons, lay-clerks, and choristers. This body is divided into two sets of voices sitting in the south and north sides of the chancel, called respectively decani and cantoris (i.e., dean’s and precentor’s side) who sing antiphonally. (But in some cases the positions are reversed.)

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 192. Whanne þer ben fourty or fyfty in a queer þre or foure … lorellis schullen knacke þe most deuout seruyce þat noman schal here þe sentence.

1553.  T. Wilson, Rhet., 76 b. The Chaunter … made the whole quier, that then was redy for syngyng, to fall streight a laughyng.

1597.  Morley, Introd. Mus., 156. To haue plaide it on the Organes with a quier of singing men.

1632.  Milton, Penseroso, 162. Let the pealing organ blow To the full voic’d quire below.

1795.  Mason, Ch. Mus., iii. 207. Singing Men, much less singing Women, as a separate Choir, made no part in the few simple orders, which St. Peter and St. Paul had regulated and appointed.

1823.  Byron, Juan, XIII. lxii. The silenced quire.

1869.  Ouseley, Counterp., xiv. 91. In writing for two choirs, it is always desirable to make the harmony of each choir complete.

1879.  Grove, Dict. Mus., s.v., ‘Choir’ is also used for the singers in churches of all kinds; and for the portions into which a chorus is divided when the composition is written for two, three, or any other number of ‘choirs.’

1884.  F. M. Crawford, Rom. Singer, I. 24. The choir answers from the organ loft.

  † c.  transf. The singers in the Jewish temple; also, in a heathen temple. Obs.

1382.  Wyclif, Judg. ix. 27. The querys maad of syngers, thei wenten into the temple of her god. Ibid., Neh. xii. 39. Two queris of men preisende stoden in the hous of God.

1651.  Hobbes, Leviath., III. xxxiii. 202. The Psalmes were written … for the use of the Quire.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 546. The bright Quire their kindred Gods invoke.

  2.  That part of a church appropriated to the singers; spec. the part eastward of the nave, in which the services are performed, separated from the rest of the building by a screen or screens, usually of open work; the chancel. (Now so called chiefly in cathedrals and such large churches as show the cathedral or minster type.)

1297.  R. Glouc., 4593 (Rolls). At glastinbury his bones suþþe me fond . & þere at-uore þe heye weued · amydde þe quer ywis.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XX. 293. In a fair towme in the queyr.

a. 1450.  Le Morte Arth., 3138. In A chapelle, Amydde the quere, That bold baron they beryed thare.

1480.  Robt. Devyll, 30. He went … Towardes the quyere.

1480.  Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccli. 322. He lyeth worshipfully in a new chapel on the south-syde of the quyre.

1535.  Fisher, Wks., I. 366. Comming to the quire. Ibid., 367. Quyer.

1549.  Prayer Bk. Edw. VI., Morn. Pr. Rubric, The priest beyng in the queer shall begynne wyth a loude voyce the Lordes prayer.

1568.  Grafton, Chron., II. 256. Buried in the Quier, or upper parte of Paules Churche.

1591.  Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 266. The forme on the north side of the queare.

1635.  Brereton, Trav. (1844), 115. Divine service … is performed in the quire or chancel.

1662.  Bk. Com. Prayer, Morn. & Even. Prayer Rubric, In Quires and Places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem.

1708.  Kersey, Choir, the Quire of a Church, that part of it where Divine Service is said or sung.

1751.  Chambers, Cycl., In nunneries, the choir is a large hall, adjoining to the body of the church; separated by a grate, where the religious sing the office.

1815.  Wordsw., White Doe, I. 112. Can she be grieved for quire or shrine Crushed as if by wrath divine?

1874.  Parker, Illust. Goth. Archit., I. iv. 102. St. Hugh’s choir of Lincoln Cathedral is the earliest building of the pure Gothic style, free from any mixture of the Romanesque, that has been hitherto found in Europe or in the world. Ibid. (1875), Gloss. Archit., s.v. Church, The name of chancel and choir became synonymous, but usage now generally confines the name of choir to the cathedrals or large churches.

1875.  B. Taylor, Faust, IV. iii. II. 269. The rising … sun already lights the choir.

  transf.  c. 1600.  Shaks., Sonn., lxxiii. Those boughes which shake against the could Bare ruin’d quiers, where late the sweet birds sang.

  † b.  Phrase. To keep one’s choir (cf. to keep CHAPEL). Obs. Prov. To rob the church to mend the choir, etc.

c. 1400.  Sowdone Bab., 566. Fye, preest … Go home and kepe thy Qwer.

c. 1510.  Barclay, Mirr. Gd. Mann. (1570), ciij. Uncouer not the Church, therewith to mende the quere. Ibid. (1514), Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847), 17. Some pill the churche, therewith to leade the quere.

1516.  Will of R. Peke, Test. Ebor., V. 74. All other clarkes that kepes daly ther where ijd.

Sc. Proverb.  He rives the kirk to theik the quire.

  † c.  Lady quire: = Lady chapel. Obs.

1512.  Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 36. To be buried … in the Lady qwere.

1550.  in Peacock, Eng. Ch. Furniture (1866), 166. Ye alter in our lady gwerre … ye alter in nycholas gwerre.

  † d.  As a place for the CHURCH-BUCKETS.

1651.  Cleveland, Poems, Rebell Scot., 35. Not all the buckets in a Countrey Quire Shall quench my rage.

1666.  Dryden, Ann. Mirab., ccxxix. Some run for buckets to the hallow’d Quire.

  3.  gen. A company of singers; spec. an organized body of singers who perform at concerts, etc.; a choral society or institution.

a. 1553.  Udall, Royster D., V. vi. (Arb.), 86. Let me fet your quier, that we may haue a song.

1595.  [R. Wilson ?], Pedlers Prophecie, D 3 b.

1663.  Cowley, Verses & Ess. (1669), 116. What Princes Quire of Musick can excell That which within this shade does dwell?

1770.  Langhorne, Plutarch (1879), I. 566/1. The choirs which the cities sent to sing the praises of Apollo.

1832.  G. Downes, Lett. Cont. Countries, I. 107. A choir of fair singers of Brientz usually accompanies the party.

1880.  Grove, Dict. Mus., II. 261. During this winter [1827–8] Felix [Mendelssohn] … formed a select choir of 16 voices, who met at his house on Saturday evenings.

  b.  transf. and fig. of angels, birds, echoes, etc.

1592.  Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 840. Still the quier of ecchoes answer.

1626.  Bacon, Sylva, § 253. Where Eccho’s come from severall Parts … they must … make as it were a Quire of Eccho’s.

1628.  Sir J. Beaumont, Bosworth F., 115. Like bright Apollo in the Muses Quires.

1667.  Milton, P. L., XII. 366. They … by a Quire Of squadrond Angels hear his Carol sung.

1672–5.  Comber, Comp. Temple, I. x. § 3. 229. The great mistery of the Trinity, which the Celestial Quire owns by their Trisagium.

1704.  Addison, Italy (1733), 186. Feather’d Quires that warbled in the shade.

1880.  E. White, Cert. Relig., 82. As if a quire of angels filled the firmament with their songs.

  4.  Each of the nine orders of angels in the heavenly hierarchy.

1642.  R. Carpenter, Experience, III. iv. 17. Say, that there are nine Orders, or Quires of Angels.

1667.  Milton, P. L., III. 666. Hath brought me [Satan] from the Quires of Cherubim Alone thus wandring.

1848.  Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., IV. ii. 222. My report Shall … win the quires of heaven To love and honour him.

  5.  Cf. CHORUS sb. 1.

  a.  A band of dancers, or of dancers and singers (in ancient heathen worship, etc.).

1656.  Cowley, Pindar. Odes (1669), 21. Lo how the Years to come, a numerous and well-fitted Quire, All hand in hand do decently advance, And to my song with smooth and equal measure dance.

1764.  Goldsm., Trav., 243. How often have I led thy sportive choir With tuneless pipe, beside the murmuring Loire.

1818.  Shelley, Rev. Islam, III. xxiii. Like a quire of devils, Around me they involved a giddy dance.

  † b.  A dance (or ? a carol). Obs. rare.

1535.  Coverdale, Lam. v. 14. Our mery quere [1611 our dance] is turned in to mourninge.

  6.  gen. An organized company or collection, a band (of persons, or fig. of things); sometimes with the idea of rhythmical motion or regular order as of dancers. (Cf. CHORUS sb. 2.)

1382.  Wyclif, Song Sol. vi. 13. Queres of tentes [Lat. choros castrorum].

1590.  Shaks., Mids. N., II. i. 55. And then the whole quire hold their hips, and loffe.

1622.  Bacon, Hen. VII., 105. The King euer willing to put himselfe into the Consort or Quire of all religious Actions.

1692.  Ray, Creation, I. 52. The Hypothesis of every fixt Stars being a Sun … and having a Quire [1704 choire] of Planets … moving about him. Ibid., II. (1704), 309. Nature which hath so skilfully ranked and disposed this Quire of our Teeth.

1855.  Kingsley, Glaucus (1878), 12. The whole choir of cosmical sciences.

  7.  Comb., as in choir-house, -service; (in sense 2) choir-aisle, -chapel, -crypt, -door, -screen, -side, -stall; choir-boy, a boy who sings in a choir, a chorister; † choir-cope, a cope worn by a member of a choir; choir-master, a leader or director of a choir; choir-pitch (Mus.), see quot.; choir-wise adv., in the manner of a choir, antiphonally. See also CHOIR-MAN, -ORGAN.

1848.  B. Webb, Continental Ecclesiol., 24. It is cruciform, with an apse, but has no retrochoir or *choir-aisles.

1837.  Thackeray, Ravenswing, vii. He had been a *choir-boy.

a. 1300.  Saints Lives (1887), 227. Monekes … yreuested faire and in *queor-copes.

1853.  Rock, Ch. Fathers, III. II. 250. All the canons and clerks … took off the black choir-copes and arose clad in surplices.

1879.  Sir G. Scott, Lect. Archit., II. 29. Here we have still remaining the *choir-crypt.

1513.  Test. Ebor., V. 48. Afore the *quere dore in the church of Est Drayton.

1591.  Vestry Bks. (Surtees), 266. The seconde stall from the queare doore.

1883.  Pall Mall Gaz., 27 Dec., 2/1. The boys in the Abbey choir, to the number of twenty, have during the last few years been boarded in a *choir-house.

1860.  E. B. Ramsay, Remin. (1874), p. xlv. Choirs have been organized with great effect by *choir-masters of musical taste and skill.

1852.  Seidel, Organ, 22. Organs … tuned either in the so-called chamber-pitch … or in the *choir-pitch, which was a whole tone higher.

1643.  Cromwell, Lett., 10 Jan. (Carlyle). I require you to forbear your *choir-service.

1774.  T. Warton, Eng. Poetry (1840), III. 161. That part of our choir-service called the motet or anthem.

1661.  Heylyn, Hist. Ref., II. v. 59. A song sung *Quire-wise … Moses as Chanter.