CHORUS, in dramatic poetry, one or more persons present on the stage during the representation, and supposed to be bystanders, without any share in the ac tion. Tragedy in its origin was no more than a single chorus, who trod the stage alone, and without any actors, singing di. thyrambics or hymns in honour of Bhc chus. Thespis, to relieve the chorus, added an actor, who rehearsed the ad ventures of some of their heroes ; and JEschylus, lnding a single person too dry an entertainment, added a second, at the same time reducing the singing of the chorus, to make more room for the recitation. But when once tragedybegan to be formed, the recitative, which at first was intended only as an accessory part, to give the chorus a breathing time, became a principal part of the tragedy. At length, however, the chorus became inserted and incorporated into the action: sometimes it was to speak, and then their chief, whom they called Coryplimus, spoke in behalf of the rest : the singing was performed by the whole company ; so that when the Coryphseus struck into a song, the chorus immediately joined him.
The chorus•sometimes also joined the actors, in the course of the representa tion, with their plaints and lamentations on account of any unhappy accidents that befel them : but the proper function, and that for which it seemed chiefly re tained, was to show the intervals of the acts : while the actors were behind the scenes, the chorus engaged the specta tors ; their songs usually turned on what was exhibited, and were not to contain any thing but what was suited to the subject, and had a natural connection with it ; so that the chorus concurred with the actors for advancing the ac tion. In the modern tragedies the cho rus is laid aside, and the music supplies its place.
Cannes, in music, is when, at certain periods of a song, the whole company are to join the singer in repeating certain couplets or verses.