CHORUS, originally a special feature in the Greek drama. During the most flourishing period of Attic tragedy the chorus was a troop of male performers, wearing masks and repre senting male or female characters, who, during the whole representation, were spectators of the action. In the intervals of the action the chorus chanted songs relating to the subject of the performance and which were intended either to augment the impression or to express the feeling of the audience on the course of the action. Sometimes it even took a direct part in the action by observations on the conduct of the dramatic characters, by advice, consola tion, exhortation or dissuasion. It usually rep resented a part, generally the oldest portion of the people, where the action happened, some times the counsellors of the king, etc. The chorus was an indispensable part of the repre sentation. In the beginning it consisted of a great number of persons, sometimes as many . . . .
as 50; but the number of the tragic chorui was afterward limited to 15; while the chorus in comedy numbered 24. The exhibition of a chorus was in Athens an honorable civil charge, and was called choragy. (See CHORAGUS). The leader or chief of a chorus was called coryphmus, who spoke in the name of the rest when the chorus participated in the action.
The.chorus was often divided into two part; who sung alternately. The divisions of the chorus were not stationary, but moved from one side of the stage to the other; from which cir cumstance the names of the portions of verse which they recited, strophe, anti-strophe. and epode, are derived. But it cannot be determined in what manner the chorus sung. It is probable that it was in-a sort of solemn recitative, and that their melodies, if we may call them so, con sisted in unisons and octaves, and were very simple. They were accompanied by flutes, With the decline of ancient tragedy the chorus was omitted. Some modern tragedians, as Ra cine in France and Schiller in -Germany, have attempted, with more or less success, to imitate or revive the Greek chorus. Shakespeare has employed devices founded on it.
Chorus, in modern music, is that part of a composite vocal performance which is executed by the whole body of the singers, in contradis tinction to the solo airs and concerted pieces for selected voices. The singers themselves are also called the chorus.