Chœur

As Printed on a Score

Labels the choir staves on the first system (Chœur, Chœurs), with the voice parts named on each staff; later systems may abbreviate or omit it. Over a passage, Chœur marks where the chorus enters against soloists, until a solo voice is named again.

Also spelled: choeur, chœurs, choeurs

How Composers Use It

When writing for chorus, lay out the voices clearly — usually four staves, or two in short score — and mark divisions and solos explicitly. A choir’s balance and stamina differ from an orchestra’s: keep tessituras moderate, give the singers places to breathe, and thin the orchestra under the words you need heard. In opera the word marks the chorus as a character entering the drama.

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