Difference Between Choir and Chorus

In a formal setting, when there is a lead singer, but there are also a group of singers who repeat the lines sung by the lead singer, it is referred to as a chorus. There are some songs that are sung only in chorus, while there are songs that require a chorus only for a few lines. There is another word choir used to refer to a body of singers singing in unison, which makes the situation confusing for many as they cannot differentiate between the two words. This article makes an attempt to differentiate between chorus and choir to enable readers to use the correct word depending upon settings as well as context.

There is this overwhelming opinion of experts that choir is a group of singers performing in unison in a church setting. Choral music is a special music written for this group of singers to perform in unison. There is a music conductor called a choir master in case of a choir. Usually, there is a four part harmony in 4 distinct sections to be sung by the choir. Thus, a choir is a group of singers who perform in church settings singing religious themes.

Sometimes, a chorus is a part of a song that repeats, though invariably it is a group of singers singing together the same lines in theatrical settings. In school, it is the word choir that is preferred over chorus. You hear friends saying they are parts of a choir or have a bigger part to play.

Chorus is a larger group of singers, while a choir is a smaller body of singers. One big difference lies in the fact that in a chorus, singers sing in unison any general background musical part, at once (at the same instant). In a choir, we see specific singers having specific lines to sing.