CHORAL, or CHORALE (Ger. choral and corale). This form of melody, to which sacred songs or hymns are sung by the congregation in unison, may almost be said to belong ex clusively to the German Protestant Church, this style of music having been introduced by Luther in the early part of the 16th century. These hymns were written by Luther in the vernacular, founded on the simpler tunes, and arranged to music which was more rhythmic than that in general use. This change appealed to the people and brought out the wonderful power of music to kindle religious passion. This change also had a great effect upon church music throughout Germany, and within a short time after its introduction a literature of remarkable dignity, simplicity and earnest ness was produced. During the 16th and 17th centuries many excellent examples of chorales were brought forth, probably the most import ant, though not the first, of the early collections being the 'Enchiridion,) or hand-book, pub lished by Luther and his friend Walther, at Erfurt, in 1524. This book contained a preface by Luther himself, and was undoubtedly the foundation for the extensive number of collec tions which continued to appear till the latter part of the 17th century, but which, for many reasons, religious as well as political, shortly after that time ceased to be popular. Chorales were generally accompanied on the organ, and this custom, together with that of playing and writing so-called figured chorales, soon led to a greater development of harmony and counter point, so that the art of playing became orfirst importance to the successful singing of the chorale.
Many of the chorales were original, many were revisions of old church tunes, and some were adapted from altogether secular sources. Of these latter, the most famous collection was that of Claude Goudimel, published in Paris in 1565, the majority of which were soon incor porated into the German collections, and one of which, 'Old Hundred,) became very popu lar in England. Others taken from secular sources are 'Herr Christ der einig' Gott's Sohn,) taken from 'Ich Wirt' ein Fraulein klagen,> and
thut mich verlangen,' which appears several times in Bach's