Editing Choir (section)

== History ==

===Antiquity===
{{Main|Music of ancient Greece}}
{{See also|Ancient music}}
[[File:NAMA Bacchantes.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|Relief, now in [[National Archaeological Museum of Athens|Athens]], showing [[Dionysus]] with actresses (possibly from ''[[The Bacchae]]'') carrying masks and drums]]

The origins of choral music are found in [[traditional music]], as singing in big groups is extremely widely spread in traditional cultures (both singing in one part, or in [[unison]], like in Ancient Greece, as well as singing in parts, or in [[harmony]], like in contemporary European choral music).<ref>{{cite book|first = Joseph|last = Jordania|author-link =Joseph Jordania|date= 2011|title =Why do People Sing? Music in Human Evolution|publisher= Logos|isbn = 978-9941401862}}</ref>

The oldest unambiguously choral repertory that survives is that of [[ancient Greece]], of which the 2nd century BC [[Delphic hymns]] and the 2nd century AD. hymns of [[Mesomedes]] are the most complete. The original [[Greek chorus]] sang its part in [[Greek drama]], and fragments of works by [[Euripides]] (''[[Orestes (play)|Orestes]]'') and [[Sophocles]] (''[[Ajax (play)|Ajax]]'') are known from [[papyri]]. The [[Seikilos epitaph]] (2c BC) is a complete song (although possibly for solo voice). One of the latest examples, ''[[Oxyrhynchus hymn]]'' (3c) is also of interest as the earliest [[Christian music]].

Of the [[Music of ancient Rome|Roman]] drama's music a single line of [[Terence]] surfaced in the 18th century. However, musicologist [[Thomas J. Mathiesen]] comments that it is no longer believed to be authentic.<ref>Warren Anderson and [[Thomas J. Mathiesen]]. "Terence", ''[[The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians]]'', ed. [[Stanley Sadie]] and [[John Tyrrell (musicologist)|John Tyrrell]] (London: Macmillan, 2001), xxv, 296.</ref>

===Medieval music===
{{Main|Medieval music}}
[[File:54-aspetti di vita quotidiana, canto in chiesa,Taccuino Sani.jpg|thumb|Church singing, ''[[Tacuinum Sanitatis]] Casanatensis'' (14th century)]]
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2020}}
The earliest notated music of western Europe is [[Gregorian chant]], along with a few other types of chant which were later subsumed (or sometimes suppressed) by the Catholic Church. This tradition of unison choir singing lasted from sometime between the times of [[St. Ambrose]] (4th century) and [[Gregory the Great]] (6th century) up to the present. During the later Middle Ages, a new type of singing involving multiple melodic parts, called [[organum]], became predominant for certain functions, but initially this [[polyphony]] was only sung by soloists. Further developments of this technique included [[Clausula (music)|clausula]]e, [[conductus]] and the [[motet]] (most notably the [[isorhythm]]ic motet), which, unlike the [[Renaissance music|Renaissance]] motet, describes a composition with different texts sung simultaneously in different voices. The first evidence of polyphony with more than one singer per part comes in the [[Old Hall Manuscript]] (1420, though containing music from the late 14th century), in which there are apparent ''divisi'', one part dividing into two simultaneously sounding notes.

===Renaissance music===
[[File:Cantoria luca della robbia22.jpg|thumb|upright|left|[[Luca della Robbia]]'s ''Cantoria'', ''[[Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Florence)|Museo dell'Opera del Duomo]]'', Florence]]

During the [[Renaissance music|Renaissance]], sacred choral music was the principal type of formally notated music in Western Europe. Throughout the era, hundreds of [[mass (music)|mass]]es and [[motet]]s (as well as various other forms) were composed for [[a cappella]] choir, though there is some dispute over the role of instruments during certain periods and in certain areas. Some of the better-known composers of this time include [[Guillaume Dufay]], [[Josquin des Prez]], [[Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina]], [[John Dunstaple|John Dunstable]], and [[William Byrd]]; the glories of Renaissance [[polyphony]] were choral, sung by choirs of great skill and distinction all over Europe. Choral music from this period continues to be popular with<ref>{{Cite web|url= http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/08331 |title=Dunstaple [Dunstable, Dunstapell, Dumstable, Donstaple, etc.], John|last=Bent|first=Margaret |date=1 January 2001|website=Grove Music Online|publisher=Oxford University Press}}</ref> many choirs throughout the world today.

The [[madrigal]], a [[partsong]] conceived for amateurs to sing in a [[Chamber choir|chamber]] setting, originated at this period. Although madrigals were initially dramatic settings of unrequited-love poetry or mythological stories in Italy, they were imported into England and merged with the more dancelike [[balletto]], celebrating carefree songs of the seasons, or eating and drinking. To most English speakers, the word ''madrigal'' now refers to the latter, rather than to madrigals proper, which refers to a poetic form of lines consisting of seven and eleven syllables each.

The interaction of sung voices in Renaissance polyphony influenced Western music for centuries. Composers are routinely trained in the "Palestrina style" to this day, especially as codified by the 18th century music theorist [[Johann Joseph Fux]]. Composers of the early 20th century also wrote in Renaissance-inspired styles. [[Herbert Howells]] wrote a ''Mass in the Dorian mode'' entirely in strict Renaissance style, and [[Ralph Vaughan Williams]]'s [[Mass in G minor (Vaughan Williams)|Mass in G minor]] is an extension of this style. [[Anton Webern]] wrote his dissertation on the ''[[Choralis Constantinus]]'' of [[Heinrich Isaac]] and the contrapuntal techniques of his [[serial music]] may be informed by this study.

===Baroque music===
[[File:Soloquartet and strings.jpg|thumb|right|Baroque cantata with one voice per part]]
The [[Baroque music|Baroque period]] in music is associated with the development around 1600 of the ''[[figured bass]]'' and the [[basso continuo]] system. The figured bass part was performed by the basso continuo group, which at minimum included a chord-playing instrument (e.g., [[pipe organ]], [[harpsichord]], [[lute]]) and a bass instrument (e.g., [[violone]]). Baroque vocal music explored dramatic implications in the realm of solo vocal music such as the [[monody|monodies]] of the [[Florentine Camerata]] and the development of early [[opera]]. This innovation was in fact an extension of established practice of accompanying choral music at the organ, either from a skeletal reduced score (from which otherwise lost pieces can sometimes be reconstructed) or from a ''basso seguente'', a part on a single staff containing the lowest sounding part (the bass part).

A new genre was the vocal [[concertato]], combining voices and instruments; its origins may be sought in the [[Venetian polychoral style|polychoral]] music of the [[Venetian School (music)|Venetian school]].
[[Claudio Monteverdi]] (1567–1643) brought it to perfection with his [[Vespro della Beata Vergine|Vespers]] and his Eighth Book of Madrigals, which call for great virtuosity on the part of singers and instruments alike. (His Fifth Book includes a ''basso continuo'' "for harpsichord or lute".) His pupil [[Heinrich Schütz]] (1585–1672) (who had earlier studied with [[Giovanni Gabrieli]]) introduced the new style to Germany. Alongside the new music of the ''[[seconda pratica]]'', contrapuntal motets in the ''[[Prima pratica|stile antico]]'' or old style continued to be written well into the 19th century. Choirs at this time were usually quite small and that singers could be [[vocal weight|classified]] as suited to church or to chamber singing. Monteverdi, himself a singer, is documented as taking part in performances of his Magnificat with one voice per part.<ref>Richard Wistreich: [https://web.archive.org/web/20160131222106/http://em.oxfordjournals.org/content/XXII/1/7.citation "'La voce e grata assai, ma..' Monteverdi on Singing"] in ''[[Early Music (journal)|Early Music]]'', February 1994</ref>

Independent instrumental accompaniment opened up new possibilities for choral music. [[Anthem|Verse anthem]]s alternated accompanied solos with choral sections; the best-known composers of this genre were [[Orlando Gibbons]] and [[Henry Purcell]]. [[Grands motet]]s (such as those of [[Jean-Baptiste Lully|Lully]] and [[Michel-Richard Delalande|Delalande]]) separated these sections into separate movements. [[Oratorio]]s (of which [[Giacomo Carissimi]] was a pioneer) extended this concept into concert-length works, usually based on Biblical or moral stories.

{{listen|type=music|filename=Handel - messiah - 44 hallelujah.ogg|title=Hallelujah Chorus|description=The Hallelujah Chorus, from [[George Frideric Handel]]'s [[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]], is one of the most famous choruses of all time}}
A pinnacle of baroque choral music, (particularly oratorio), may be found in [[George Frideric Handel]]'s works, notably ''[[Messiah (Handel)|Messiah]]'' and ''[[Israel in Egypt]]''. While the modern chorus of hundreds had to await the growth of Choral Societies and his centennial commemoration concert, we find Handel already using a variety of performing forces, from the soloists of the ''[[Chandos Anthems]]'' to larger groups (whose proportions are still quite different from modern orchestra choruses):

{{quote|Yesterday [Oct. 6] there was a Rehearsal of the [[Coronation Anthems (Handel)|Coronation Anthem]] in [[Westminster Abbey|Westminster-Abby]], set to musick by the famous Mr Hendall: there being 40 voices, and about 160 [[violin family|violins]], [[Trumpet]]s, [[oboe|Hautboys]], [[timpani|Kettle-Drums]] and Bass' proportionable..!|''Norwich Gazette'', October 14, 1727}}

Lutheran composers wrote instrumentally accompanied [[cantata]]s, often based on [[chorale]] [[hymn tune|tunes]]. Substantial late 17th-century sacred choral works in the emerging German tradition exist (the cantatas of [[Dietrich Buxtehude]] being a prime example), though the Lutheran church cantata did not assume its more codified, recognizable form until the early 18th century. [[Georg Philipp Telemann]] (based in Frankfurt) wrote over 1000 cantatas, many of which were engraved and published (e.g. his ''Harmonische Gottesdienst'') and [[Christoph Graupner]] (based in Darmstadt) over 1400. The cantatas of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] (1685–1750) are perhaps the most recognizable (and often-performed) contribution to this repertoire: his obituary mentions five complete cycles of [[Bach cantata|his cantata]]s, of which three, comprising some 200 works, are known today, in addition to [[motet]]s. Bach himself rarely used the term cantata. Motet refers to his church music without orchestra accompaniment, but instruments playing [[colla parte]] with the voices. His works with accompaniment consists of his [[Passions (Bach)|Passions]], [[Missa (Bach)|Mass]]es, the [[Magnificat (Bach)|Magnificat]] and the cantatas.

A point of hot controversy today is the so-called "Rifkin hypothesis," which re-examines the famous "''Entwurff''" Bach's 1730 memo to the [[Leipzig]] City Council (''A Short but Most Necessary Draft for a Well Appointed Church Music'') calling for at least 12 singers. In light of Bach's responsibility to provide music to four churches and be able to perform double choir compositions with a substitute for each voice, [[Joshua Rifkin]] concludes that Bach's music was normally written with [[OVPP|one voice per part]] in mind. A few sets of original performing parts include ''ripieni'' who reinforce rather than slavishly double the vocal quartet.

===Classical and Romantic music===
{{unreferenced section|date=July 2020}}
Composers of the late 18th century became fascinated with the new possibilities of the symphony and other instrumental music, and generally neglected choral music. [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s mostly sacred choral works stand out as some of his greatest (such as the "Great" Mass in C minor and [[Requiem (Mozart)|Requiem]] in D minor, the latter of which is highly regarded). [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]] became more interested in choral music near the end of his life following his visits to England in the 1790s, when he heard various Handel oratorios performed by large forces; he wrote a series of masses beginning in 1797 and his two great oratorios ''[[The Creation (Haydn)|The Creation]]'' and ''[[The Seasons (Haydn)|The Seasons]]''. [[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]] wrote only two masses, both intended for liturgical use, although his ''[[Missa Solemnis (Beethoven)|Missa solemnis]]'' is probably suitable only for the grandest ceremonies due to its length, difficulty and large-scale scoring. He also pioneered the use of chorus as part of symphonic texture with his [[Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)|Ninth Symphony]] and [[Choral Fantasy (Beethoven)|Choral Fantasia]].

{{listen|type=music|filename=Johannes Brahms - Op.45 Ein Deutsches Requiem - (04) Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen.ogg|title="Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen"|description=(How lovely is thy dwelling place) from ''[[Ein deutsches Requiem]]'' by [[Johannes Brahms]]}}
In the 19th century, sacred music escaped from the church and leaped onto the concert stage, with large sacred works unsuitable for church use, such as [[Hector Berlioz|Berlioz]]'s ''[[Te Deum (Berlioz)|Te Deum]]'' and [[Requiem (Berlioz)|Requiem]], and [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]]'s ''[[Ein deutsches Requiem]]''. [[Gioacchino Rossini|Rossini]]'s ''Stabat mater'', [[Franz Schubert|Schubert]]'s masses, and [[Giuseppe Verdi|Verdi]]'s [[Requiem (Verdi)|Requiem]] also exploited the grandeur offered by instrumental accompaniment. Oratorios also continued to be written, clearly influenced by Handel's models. Berlioz's ''[[L'enfance du Christ]]'' and [[Felix Mendelssohn|Mendelssohn's]] ''[[Elijah (oratorio)|Elijah]]'' and ''[[St. Paul (oratorio)|St Paul]]'' are in the category. Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Brahms also wrote secular cantatas, the best known of which are Brahms's ''[[Schicksalslied]]'' and ''[[Nänie]]''.

A few composers developed a cappella music, especially [[Anton Bruckner|Bruckner]], whose masses and motets startlingly juxtapose Renaissance counterpoint with chromatic harmony. Mendelssohn and Brahms also wrote significant a cappella motets. The amateur chorus (beginning chiefly as a social outlet) began to receive serious consideration as a compositional venue for the part-songs of Schubert, [[Robert Schumann|Schumann]], Mendelssohn, Brahms, and others. These 'singing clubs' were often for women or men separately, and the music was typically in four-part (hence the name "[[part-song]]") and either a cappella or with simple instrumentation. At the same time, the [[Cecilian movement]] attempted a restoration of the pure Renaissance style in Catholic churches.

===20th and 21st centuries===
In the United States, development of mixed choirs was pioneered by groups such as [[The St. Olaf Choir]] and [[Westminster Choir College]]. These groups were characterized by arrangements of hymns and other sacred works of christian nature which helped define the choral sound of the United States for most of the 20th century. Secular choral music in the United States was popularized by groups such as the [[Dale Warland Singers]] throughout the late 20th century.

The Big Choral Census online survey was established to find out how many choirs there were in the UK, of what type, with how many members, singing what type of music and with what sort of funding. Results estimated that there were some 40,000 choral groups operating in the UK and over 2 million people singing regularly in a choir. Over 30 percent of the groups listed described themselves a community choirs, half of the choirs listed sing contemporary music although singing classical music is still popular. Most choirs are self funding. It is thought that the increase in popularity of singing together in groups has been fed to some extent in the UK by TV progammes such as [[Gareth Malone]]'s 'The Choir'.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Number of UK choirs at all-time high |url=https://www.prsformusic.com/m-magazine/news/number-uk-choirs-time-high |access-date=2023-05-16 |website=www.prsformusic.com |language=en}}</ref> In 2017, the Purwa Caraka Music Studio Choir of Indonesia began the trend when they covered children's songs in a choral arrangement for the film ''[[A Note to God|Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Junianto |first=Beno |date=23 May 2017 |title=Film 'Surat Kecil untuk Tuhan' Pamer Mini Album |url=https://www.viva.co.id/arsip/918390-film-surat-kecil-untuk-tuhan-pamer-mini-album |work=VIVA|access-date=29 April 2024}}</ref>

Apart from their roles in liturgy and entertainment, choirs and choruses may also have social-service functions,<ref>
{{cite journal
| last1                 = Hilliard
| first1                = R. E.
| title                 = The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus: A historical perspective on the role of a chorus as a social service
| journal               = [[Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services]]
| date      = 2002
| volume                = 14
| issue                 = 3
| pages                  = 79–94
| doi                   = 10.1300/J041v14n03_04
| s2cid = 140495373
| quote                 = This descriptive study is an investigation into the history of the formation of the nation's first gay men's chorus, and its relevance to the lesbigay community as a social service.}}</ref> including for mental health treatment<ref>[https://www.abc.net.au/local/audio/2013/10/10/3866564.htm "The Choir of Unheard Voices"] by Laura Hegarty, [[ABC Tropical North]], 10 October 2013</ref> or as therapy for [[homeless]] and disadvantaged people, like the [[Choir of Hard Knocks]]<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2007/07/2008525172825610172.html |title=Australia's Choir of Hard Knocks |publisher=[[Al Jazeera Media Network|Al Jazeera]] |date=23 July 2007}}</ref> or for special groups such as [[Military Wives]].