Women in identical beautiful dresses stand in orderly rows on the stage. Behind them, rising to small elevations, are men in strict black suits.

A wave of the conductor's hand, and choral singing began to sound. The word "choir", which comes from the Greek choros and Latin chorus , What means crowd, assembly, are called groups of people performing vocal music and works composed for this group.

Of course, not every group can be called a choir. There are vocal ensembles consisting of several, sometimes more than ten, people. The choir differs from them in a significantly larger number of performers.

All members of the choir are divided into several groups, most often into four. In the children's choir, voices are divided into high and low; high voices are sopranos, low voices are altos.

Adult choirs can be of different composition: male, female and mixed. In a mixed choir, all the main voices are present: soprano (high female), alto (low female), tenor (high male) and bass (low male). Sometimes, if the composition being performed has more than four different parts, each of the groups is divided into first and second voices: first and second sopranos, first and second altos, and so on.

For choral singing, composers compose special works: songs, choirs, choral poems. D. D. Shostakovich wrote 10 choral poems to the words of revolutionary poets.

The choir is one of the main "characters" of many operas. Not a single mass scene can do without it. Let us recall, for example, "The Scene under Kromy" from Mussorgsky's opera "Boris Godunov", which shows a picture of popular unrest. The image of the insurgent people is conveyed through the choral song "Dispersed, cleared up ...".

M. Mussorgsky. Choir "Gaida! Dispersed, cleared"
(opera "Boris Godunov" act 4, scene 3)

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The majestic choir "Glory" sounds in the final scene of Glinka's opera "Ivan Susanin".

M. I. Glinka. Chorus "Glory"
(from the epilogue of the opera "Ivan Susanin")

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The choir is an indispensable participant in the performance of oratorios and cantatas, where he is given a very large place.

Some choral works are written without accompaniment. This performance is called a cappella.

The choir resembles a perfect polyphonic instrument. All means of musical expression are available to him: transparent pianissimo and majestic fortissimo, colossal rises and instantaneous falls in sonority, slowing down or speeding up the tempo. Choral sound can convey the subtlest shades of feelings embodied in music, it can draw picturesque musical pictures. No wonder choral singing is one of the most beloved forms of amateur art in our country.

In their manner of singing, choirs differ from each other. Choirs performing classical music and contemporary works sing with a "covered", "round" sound. These are the Leningrad Academic Glinka Chapel, the A. A. Yurlov Republican Chapel, the Big Children's Choir of the Central Television and All-Union Radio, the Boys' Choir of the A. V. Sveshnikov Moscow Choir School. Folk choirs sing in a special manner, the so-called open sound. Remember, for example, the sound of the Pyatnitsky Choir, the Northern Folk Choir and other similar musical groups.

(Greek choros), ..1) a singing group (from 12 people; female, male, children's or mixed) ... 2) A piece of music for choral performance ... 3) In the ancient Greek theater, an obligatory collective participant, a collective protagonist of the performance. It is also used in the modern theater. --- in Western Christian churches, originally a place in front of the altar, intended for choristers; later, the entire eastern (altar) part of the temple. --- a river in the Far East of Russia, in the Khabarovsk Territory, the right tributary of the Ussuri. 453 km, basin area 24.7 thousand km2. The average water consumption is 387 m3/s. Floating.---see. Gor.

2. pl. choirs, ov. A piece of music intended to be performed by such a group. Execute x. || Wed. HYMN, CANZONA, CONCERT, ODE, CHORAL.

3. pl. No, trans. About voices, statements of many people. H. indignant exclamations. Choir (adv.) - 1) about singing: together, in a group (sing in chorus); 2) trans. about the statement, actions, etc.: message, together (answer the question in unison).

4. pl. choirs, ov, obsolete A cluster, a multitude of someone X. angels. "On the ocean of air ... choirs of slender luminaries float quietly in the fog" (Lermontov).

Small academic dictionary of the Russian language

choir

BUT, pl. choirs and choirs, m.

1. East

An obligatory collective participant in ancient Greek tragedy and comedy.

Singing group performing vocal works.

Gypsy choir. Conduct the choir.

The theater had an exemplary choir and first-class soloists. Yuriev, Notes.

A piece of music intended to be performed by a group of singers.

I did not write a cantata for the school anniversary, but simply a choir, which the pupils should sing at the celebration. Tchaikovsky, Letter to N. F. Meck, 27 Sept. 1885.

|| what.

The totality of any sounds emitted, sounding at the same time.

The birds flopped heavily into the water, and soon their contented quacking joined the numerous chorus of duck voices. Korolenko, In desert places.

For a moment there was silence of deep charm, which was immediately replaced by a chorus of enthusiastic exclamations. L. Andreev, Angel.

3. whom or which. Obsolete

A group of musicians who play the same instruments (as part of an orchestra or separately).

And unanimously thundered from the balcony, Amid the consoling ringing of Plates, spoons and knives, The whole choir of Uhlan trumpeters. Lermontov, Tambov Treasurer.

|| what.

A set of identical musical instruments that perform a piece of music, sounding simultaneously.

Chorus of violins.

The Bacchantes, with cries and laughter, Made a grape feast, And the chorus of tympans, flutes and lyres Merged noisily with the distant echo. A. K. Tolstoy, Crimean essays.

4. trans.; whom.

A set, a group of people, according to expressing some kind of judgment, opinion, etc.

About one estate of the Heirs, an angry chorus Starts an obscene argument. Pushkin, Eugene Onegin.

|| what.

A lot of the same opinions, judgments, etc., expressed at the same time.

Chorus of ridicule.

Killed! .. Why sobs now, Empty praises an unnecessary choir. Lermontov, Death of a Poet.

5. what. Trad.-poet.

Cluster, multitude (celestial bodies).

Frosty night, the whole sky is clear; The marvelous choir of heavenly luminaries Flows so quietly, so in harmony. Pushkin, Eugene Onegin.

Choirs of slender luminaries float quietly in the fog. Lermontov, Demon.

6. in meaning adv. chorus.

b) all at once, simultaneously, together (about some kind of statement).

The rest of the grooms thanked Kapiton Averyanych in chorus. Ertel, Gardenins.

7. Muses.

In stringed musical instruments - paired, tripled, etc. strings.

(Greek χορός)

Compiled dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

choir

(Greek choros). The combination of several singers with different voices, or instruments, to perform a polyphonic work. 2) in ancient comedies and tragedies, a certain number of singers representing the people. 3) in the organ: tubules of the same kind.

Depending on the gender and age of the singers, choirs can be classified as follows:

· mixed choir(the most common type of choir) - consists of female and male voices. The female voices make up the soprano and alto parts, the male voices make up the tenor and bass parts. Within each part, there is usually a division into first (higher) and second (lower) voices: sopranos I and II, altos I and II, tenors I and II, basses I and II;

· boys and youths choir- consists of the same four main parts as the mixed one, but the soprano part is performed by boys - trebles, the part of altos - countertenor - by young men singing in falsetto; the parts of tenors and basses in such a choir, as well as in a mixed one, are performed by men;

· male choir- consists of tenors and basses, with the division of each part into two voices: first (high) and second (low) tenors and first and second basses. The part of the first tenors can be expanded with countertenor singers singing (in falsetto) an even higher part, tessitura outside the usual male vocal range;

· female choir- consists of sopranos and altos, with the division of each part into two voices: first and second sopranos and first and second altos;

· children's choir- consists of two parts: soprano (treble) and altos, sometimes from three - sopranos (trebles) I and II, and altos; other options are also possible.

From the point of view of the manner of singing, there are:

· academic choirs-- singing in an academic manner based on the standard of the European academic (opera-concert) singing tone;

· folk choirs- singing in the folk style.

By the number of participants there are:

· chamber choirs-- from 12 to 30-50 participants;

· large choirs-- from 50 to 120 participants;

· combined choirs- up to 1000 participants, gather for a while from different teams. Such compositions have the status of "happing performance" and do not belong to the performing arts proper, as they are more of a propaganda and educational direction.

Choirs may have different status.

· professional choirs. They can be both independent and supported by the state. Consist of professional singers. Conduct regular concert activities.

· amateur choirs unite people for whom singing in the choir is a hobby. They can exist at palaces of culture, clubs, municipalities, at organizations and institutions, at non-musical educational institutions (a very common form), etc.: student choir, staff choir, veteran choir.

· Church choirs. Their main activity is participation in church services. Church choirs of a high musical level may also conduct concert activities. Both professionals and amateurs sing in church choirs. The artistic director of the church choir - the regent - must be not only a choirmaster, but also an expert in church services.

· Training choirs exist in musical educational institutions (music and pedagogical schools, colleges, conservatories, music academies, institutes of art and culture, etc.) that train professional personnel in the field of choral art and musical education

Definition of "choir"

A.A. Egorov in his work "Theory and practice of working with the choir" defines the choir as a more or less numerous group of singers performing a vocal-choral work. Moreover, each part is sung by several homogeneous voices. In this, the choral group, as a vocal organization, differs significantly from the chamber vocal ensemble (duet, trio, quartet, etc.), in which each individual part is always entrusted to only one performer. The most typical, pure form of the choir is the a cappella choir, i.e. a group singing without instrumental accompaniment. Another type of choir group - a choir group accompanied by a piano, an ensemble of instruments or an orchestra - is no longer completely independent: it shares its performing tasks with instrumental accompaniment.

V.G. Sokolov: “A choir is such a group that is sufficiently proficient in the technical and artistic and expressive means of choral performance necessary to convey the thoughts, feelings, ideological content that are embedded in the work.”

P.G. Chesnokov: “Chorus a cappella” is a full-fledged union of a significant number of human voices, capable of conveying the subtlest bends of spiritual movements, thoughts and feelings expressed in the performed composition. The choir is such a collection of singers, in the sonority of which there is a strictly balanced ensemble, a precisely adjusted system and artistic, clearly developed nuances.

Thus, the chorus is an extremely capacious concept. It is usually regarded as a musical and singing group whose activity is the creative process of choral music-making (or choral performance). The basic basis of each choral part is a unison, which implies the complete unity of all vocal and choral components of the performance - sound formation, intonation, timbre, dynamics, rhythm, diction, in other words, the choir is an ensemble of vocal unisons. Choral performance is expressed in two forms of music - singing without accompaniment (a cappella) and singing with accompaniment. Depending on the method of intonation - in natural or tempered tuning - the role of intonation increases. Accurate intonation (system) and balanced sound (ensemble) in the choir are the main conditions for his professionalism.

A well-coordinated choir is always perceived as a vocal orchestra consisting of human voices, and therefore requires the constant and systematic attention of the choirmaster / conductor from the moment the choir sings to the concert performance on the stage. The structure in the choir depends on the skill and training of the singers participating in it, as well as on the personal and professional qualities of the conductor-choirmaster, his will, knowledge, and experience. The synthesis of two types of arts (music and poetics) introduces specific features into choral creativity. A logical and meaningful combination of music and words defines the concept of the vocal-choral genre. A good choir is always distinguished by technical and artistic and expressive performance, where, along with the problems of the ensemble and the system, the tasks of musical and literary interpretation are solved.

In musicological literature, when characterizing performance, it is customary to single out three of its components: the composer, the performer and the listener. Another important element of the performing act is left without attention - a musical instrument, with the help of which the performer realizes the author's intention, recreating it in live sound. This is explained by the fact that in most types of musical performance the musician is not directly related to the quality of the instrument. Another thing is the choir, which is a living organism, formed in accordance with the artistic tastes and criteria of the choirmaster - the master who created it. This organism can be flexible and clumsy, understanding and slow-witted, benevolent and aggressive, enthusiastic and indifferent. The spirituality of the choral instrument requires a special attitude towards it, since this feature of it makes it both the most intelligent and receptive, and the most unstable and changeable. The latter circumstance is due to the fact that its main qualitative parameters (brightness and beauty of sound, purity of intonation, unity of the ensemble, timbre richness, loudness, overall vocal range, articulatory “mechanism”) cannot be fixed for a long time, but are recreated and updated at each rehearsal. conductor-choirmaster, who in the choral genre is not only a performer, but also the author of the instrument (like a violin maker) and its tuner (like a piano tuner).

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In the history of Russian choral studies, many definitions of the concept of "choir" were given: from "assembly of singing" to "ensemble of singing unisons". Here is some of them:

“The choir is such a collection of singers, in the sonority of which there is a strictly balanced ensemble, a precisely adjusted system and artistic, clearly developed nuances” (PG Chesnokov) 1 .

“A choir is a more or less numerous group of “singers performing a vocal work” (A.S. Egorov) 2 .

“A choir is a group of singers organized for joint performance. In the choir, the quantitative and qualitative ratio of voices must be observed, ensuring the possession of all the elements of choral sonority, necessary for the implementation of the performing tasks facing it” (GA Dmitrevsky) 3 .

“The choir is an organized group of singers... In the understanding of the Soviet listener, the choir is a creative group whose main purpose of performing activity is the ideological, artistic and aesthetic education of the masses” (K.K. Pigrov) 4 .

“A choir is a team that is sufficiently proficient in the technical and artistic and expressive means of choral performance necessary to convey thoughts, feelings, and ideological content that are embedded in a work” (Vl.G. Sokolov) 5 .

“A choir is a singing group performing vocal music with instrumental accompaniment or a cappella” (N.V. Romanovsky) 6 .

“The choir is a large vocal and performing group, which, through the means of its art, truthfully, artistically fully reveals the content and form of the performed works and, through its creative activity, contributes to the ideological and artistic education of the masses. As a musical and performing "instrument" choir

1 Chesnokov P.G. Chorus and management. - M., 1961. - S. 25-26. 2 Egorov A.S. Theory and practice of managing the choir. - L.; M., 1951. - S. 13.

3 Dmitrevsky GL. Choir and choir management. - M., 1957. - S. 3.

4 Pigrov K.K. Choir leadership. - M., 1964. - S.21.

6 Sokolov Vl. Choir work. - 2nd ed.-M., 1983. - S. 5.

6 Romanovsky N.V. Choral dictionary. - M., 1980. - S. 124.

The concept of the choir

is an ensemble of vocal unisons” (V.I. Krasnoshchekov) 1 .

As you can see, in each of these definitions, the emphasis is either on structural organization, or on technical and artistic parameters, or on goals and objectives. By linking together the various essential features that different authors put into the concept of "chorus" and critically evaluating them, the author of this book considers it possible to propose the following generalizing formulation: choir- this is a vocally organized performing group, the basis of which is an ensemble of intonation, dynamic and timbre fused groups that have the artistic and technical skills necessary to translate the musical and poetic text of the work into live sound. This definition, perhaps, quite accurately establishes the distinctive features of the concept, its content and boundaries.

According to the composition of voices, the choir is homogeneous (male, female, children's) and mixed(i.e. consisting of male and female or male and children's voices). Another category - boys' choirs - requires clarification, since it can be represented by a homogeneous choir (if only boys sing in it) and mixed (if young men singing male parts sing along with the boys).

A normal full mixed choir consists of four parts: soprano, alto, tenor and bass. But sometimes in a mixed choir one or even two choral parts from heterogeneous groups of voices are missing (for example, the part of altos or tenors). Such a composition is usually called an incomplete mixed choir. In professional choral performance, this type of choir, as a rule, does not occur. Among amateur choirs, it is quite common. Particularly often, an incomplete mixed composition is found in amateur factory and club activities, in schools, colleges and universities. So, for example, the situation is quite typical when only 5-6 men sing in a choir with 40 participants. In this case, most often tenors and basses are combined into one choral part.

1 Krasnoshchekov V.I. Questions of choral science. - M., 1969. - S. 81-82.

54 Chapter 3. Chorus as a performing "instrument"