The Historical Development of Modern Choirs

In my previous article, I discussed the different human voice groups. Now I would like to introduce the choir: the broadest setting in which these groups can make music separately or together. Derived from Greek “khoros”, Latin “chorus” and Italian “coro”, the Turkish word “koro” refers to a group of performers who come together to sing monophonic or polyphonic works. Vocal music began to be used in religious ceremonies at the dawn of ancient civilisations, initially for magical rather than artistic purposes. Religious choirs were later established in monasteries and churches. With the Crusades, choral music moved beyond religion to tell stories of heroism. Although choral music has existed since the earliest humans with different functions, characteristics and purposes, it has naturally undergone important structural changes. We can identify three main periods in the formation of today's choirs.

1. The obscure period: from the beginning to the 1400s. With no surviving sound material, reliefs and paintings are the only direct evidence of choirs from this period. Other findings and approaches suggest that people sang collectively for mourning, entertainment, celebrations and rituals, following the rules and discipline appropriate to each purpose.

From around 2000 BCE, the term “chorus” in Ancient Greece referred not only to singing groups but also to individuals and groups making music, including instrumentalists.

2. Formation and development: 1400–1750. This period laid the foundations for today's choirs. During the Renaissance, Baroque and Viennese Classical eras, religious choirs, mainly in churches, provided the basis for the modern structure. Notation, voice groups and ranges such as soprano, tenor and alto were identified; research into choral vocal technique began; and the importance of the conductor, who sang the work along with the choir, came to be recognised.

3. The development period: from around 1750 onwards. The importance of choirs for individuals and society came to be understood, and choral practice became a field of scientific research and development. New approaches to individual and group voice training and improvements in notation accompanied advances in tempo markings such as moderato, andante and presto, and dynamics such as p, mf, f, crescendo and diminuendo. Professional training opportunities for conductors also developed. The first example of a modern choir was founded at the Berlin Sing-Akademie in 1791.

Minanur Balcan
Rekor Sanat – Singing Teacher