Choir
A choir (; also known as a quire, chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which spans from the Medieval era to the present, or popular music repertoire. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm and face gestures.
A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the choir) and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls, but this distinction is far from rigid. Choirs may sing without instrumental accompaniment, with the accompaniment of a piano or pipe organ, with a small ensemble (e.g., harpsichord, cello and double bass for a Baroque piece), or with a full orchestra of 70 to 100 musicians.
The term “Choir” has the secondary definition of a subset of an ensemble; thus one speaks of the “woodwind choir” of an orchestra, or different “choirs” of voices or instruments in a polychoral composition. In typical 18th- to 21st-century oratorios and masses, chorus or choir is usually understood to imply more than one singer per part, in contrast to the quartet of soloists also featured in these works.
Quire (noun)
One-twentieth of a ream of paper; a collection of twenty-four or twenty-five sheets of paper of the same size and quality, unfolded or having a single fold.
Quire (noun)
A set of leaves which are stitched together, originally a set of four pieces of paper (eight leaves, sixteen pages). This is most often a single signature (i.e. group of four), but may be several nested signatures.
Quire (noun)
A book, poem, or pamphlet.
Quire (noun)
A choir.
Quire (noun)
One quarter of a cruciform church, or the architectural area of a church used by the choir, often near the apse.
Quire (verb)
To prepare quires by stitching together leaves of paper.
Quire (verb)
To sing in concert.
Choir (noun)
Singing group; group of people who sing together; company of people who are trained to sing together.
“The church choir practices Thursday nights.”
Choir (noun)
The part of a church where the choir assembles for song.
Choir (noun)
One of the nine ranks or orders of angels.
“Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones are three of the choirs of angels.”
Choir (noun)
Set of strings (one per note) for a harpsichord.
Quire (noun)
four sheets of paper or parchment folded to form eight leaves, as in medieval manuscripts.
Quire (noun)
any collection of leaves one within another in a manuscript or book
“the scribe numbered the quires of his manuscript as well as the leaves”
Quire (noun)
25 (formerly 24) sheets of paper; one twentieth of a ream
“the package contained two quires of tracing paper”