CHORALE, kb-r5'16 (Med. Lat. cho•alis, from Lat. chorus, Gk. xop6c, choros, dance, chorus). A melody to which hymns or psalms are sung in church by the congregation in unison. The Catholic Church service has from early times contained chorales, but the name is generally applied to thOse in the style introduced by Luther into the German Protestant Church in the Sixteenth Century. Realizing the great power of music to awaken religious emotion, he determined to carry his reforms into the music of the Church service, and to invigorate it with new life. lie selected simple tunes from many sources, sacred and secular, and arranged them to fit the hymns and psalms used in the service. Some of the most attractive of the ancient Latin hymns were chosen—the chorale "Herr Gott, Bich loben wir," is adapted from a song of praise by Saint Ambrose. German songs furnished material for many others.
The inspiration proved a great success; con gregations everywhere joined heartily in sing ing the familiar melodies, and their religious interest took a new growth. The chorale became a popular form of composition, and many fine examples of this style were written during the Sixteenth and Seventeenth centuries. The most important of the early collections of chorales was the one published by Luther and his friend .Tohann Walther, in 1524, called the Enchiridion. Chorales were intended always to have an organ accompaniment, which was usually contrapuntal, and as time went on these aceompaniments were made more and more elaborate by the organists, who found this a tempting field for display.
Originally chorales were strongly rhythmical in character, with frequent alternations of duple and triple rhythm; and this, being in direct con trast to the droning, unrhythmieal nature of the Gregorian chant, formed one of their greatest attractions. By a gradual process of change, however, this rhythmic element has disappeared, and chorales are now sung in notes of almost uniform length. German writers complain of this 'fattening-out' process, and regret the loss of character which has resulted. But even without its original rhythm, the fine simplicity and stately solemnity of the chorale render it an ideal form for the expression of religious fervor. Probably the most famous of all chorales is the one popularly accredited to Luther him self—"Ein' feste Burg ist unser Cott." This stirring tune has been incorporated into many compositions. It appears in one of Bach's can tatas, and in Mendelssohn's Reformation Sym phony; is heard in Wagner's Kaiser Harsch, and forms an important theme in Meyerbeer's opera Les Huguenots.
Bach's works abound in beautiful chorales, and when these are sung by a large chorus the et;ect is wonderfully impressive and inspiring.