CHOIR. In religious worship, an organ ized body of singers. In ceremonial Christ,san religions, the choir officials and choristers, or other singers taken collectively, are spoken of as the choir. Typical choral organizations, such as those of Catholic and Episcopal cathe drals and churches are usually divided into two sets of voices, the one sitting on the north and the other on the south side of the chancel, and are known by the respective titles of Cantons Decani from their nearness to the Cantor (or Precentor) and to the Decanus (or Dean). In most cathedrals and collegiate chapels, the Decani side is held to he the side of honor, the best voices are placed there, and all the verses or soli parts, if not otherwise directed, are sung by that side, which is also considered the •first choir* (coro primo) in eighth-part music.
In crrehitectuse, the eastern limb of a cruci form church or the eastern portion of any church. In the latter case it is more commonly styled the chancel (q.v.), and is frequently con structionally lower and narrower than the main part of the building. The ordinary daily serv ices in a cathedral or collegiate church are held in the choir. While architecturally the term choir is applied to the entire portion of the church east of the crossing, the eastern limb is itself divided into three portions: (a) the "ritual choir," containing the stalls for the singers and comprising the western portion of the architectural ehdir; (b) the presbytery, next cast of this, containing seats for the laity (a term sometimes applied to all of the choir cast of the "ritual choir") ; (c) the sanctuary, containing the altar and sedilia, and divided from the remainder by a low railing. In cer tain cases there is even a fourth division called the rectro-choir, cOmprisitig one or more bays cast of the sanctuary. It should be noted that
the "ritual choir," or place for the singers, does not invariably correspond with the architectural choir. Sometimes it includes the crossing and one or more bays of the nave, or again, as at Westminster Abbey, London, and in Spanish cathedrals generally, it is in the nave, from the remaining portion of which it is separated by a massive wall of screen. In buildings where the rituAl choir is entirely east of the crossing, the choir screen is placed be tween the eastern piers of the crossing. Ili many cathedrals, the organ is placed upon the choir screen. In several cathedrals the choir is quite as long as the nave, and in some parish churches even longer, but the usual proportion of choir to nave is as one to three. In many. French churches the choir terminates polygon-. ally with encircling chapels and this termination is known as a chevet. The choir of the cathe dral of Saint John the Divine in New York, city is built after this plan. In England the square east end is the most common in Gothic. churches, although in Norman ones the semi circular apse is not infrequent. In the Middle Ages, the choir, as the most indispensable por-• tion of the church, was erected first, the nave, regarded practically as a stately approach to the choir, was built later, a century or more some-' times intervening between the completion of the choir and that of the nave. The cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York is being erected after the mediaeval custom. The choir' was completed for consecration and service in April 1911, and the construction of the nave, was begun in 1916.