chorister
(ˈkɒrɪstə(r))
Forms: 4 queristre, querestere, 4–7 querester, 5 querestur, 6 queryster, querrister, quirrester, queristere, coruster, 6–8 querister, quirister (also arch. in 9), 7 querrester, quirester, quirrister, quorister, 7–9 choirister, 7– chorister.
[ME. querestre, -istre, prob. ad. Anglo-Fr. cueristre var. of cueriste, ad. med.L. chorista after cuer, quer choir: see chorist. The older pronunciation (ˈkwɪrɪstə(r)) came down to the nineteenth century.]
1. A member of a choir of singers. a. of a church choir; now spec. a choir-boy. Also, a choir-leader (U.S.).
| c 1360 Song Deo Gratias in E.E.P. (1862) 124 Alle þe queristres in þat qwer . On þat word [Deo gracias] . fast gon þei cri. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 511 With inne þe quere..He herde queresters full mery syng. 1563 Act 27 Hen. VIII, c. 42 §1 in Oxf. & Camb. Enactm. 12 Chapleines, Clerkes, Corusters. 1595 Spenser Epithal. xii, The Choristers the ioyous antheme sing. 1602 Segar Hon. Mil. & Civ. iii. xlviii. 184 The Quoristers and instruments of Musicke made melody. 1611 Cotgr., Enfant de cœur, a Quirester, or singing boy. a 1672 Wood Life (1848) 133 note, Sung by two thousand quoristers. 1765 Sterne Tr. Shandy (1802) viii. vi. 116 Like a quirister. 1766 Entick London IV. 11, 13 priests, and four choiristers. 1769 in Plymouth Church Records (1920) II. 332 To choose one or more Persons (since our dear Brother John May is taken from us by death who was our former Chorister) to lead in singing in the publick Worship. 1777 Ibid. 353 Deacon Crombie, our former Chorister, had left ye usual Singer's Seat. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede 20 A melody..sung by the pure voice of a boyish chorister. 1930 W. R. Moody D. L. Moody 141 Moody had engaged a young man..to be chorister in his church and Sunday school. |
b. of an angelic choir.
| 1584 Constable Poems (1859) 61 The angel-quiristers of th' heavenly skyes. 1614 T. Adams Devil's Banquet 231 Angels and Cherubins, the coelestiall Choristers. 1858–62 Beveridge Hist. India II. iv. ii. 19 Heavenly quiristers, nymphs and demons. 1870 Rossetti Blessed Damozel iii, Her seemed she scarce had been a day One of God's Choristers. |
c. One of a flock of singing birds.
| 1596 Lodge Marg. Amer. 115 All you winged queristers of woode. 1674 Playford Skill Mus. Pref. 4 The birds of the Air, those pretty Winged Choristers. 1814 Cary Dante (Chandos) 195 The feather'd quiristers. |
† 2. A singer. (often depreciative.) Obs.
| 1589 Marprel. Epit. (1843) 30 Among your roring quiristers. 1601 Cornwallyes Ess. ii. xlvi. (1631) 293, I am not mooued against Nero for anything more (excepting his Quiristers occupation). 1640 Gent Knave in Gr. i. i. B iiij, To say truth, I am no good Querister. |
† 3. Gr. Antiq. A member of the chorus. Obs.
| 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 456 Placed last in the dance by him who was the master chorister. |
† 4. (?) One of a band. Obs.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden vii. xli, Þe secounde Edward..loved strongliche oon of his queresters [v.r. qwysteres, whistrers; L. unum aliquem familiarem]. c 1460 Towneley Myst., Iuditium (1836) 310 Primus Dæmon. Now thou art myn owne querestur, I wote where thou wonnes. 1550 Bale Image Ch. I vij, Mahometes doctoures and the popes queristers, yea still they are aloft in their beastly beggerye. |
5. Comb. as chorister-bishop, chorister-boy.
| 1649 J. Gregorie Learned Tracts 113 The Episcopus Choristarum was a Chorister Bishop chosen by his fellow Children upon S. Nicholas daie. Ibid. 117 In Case the Chorister Bishop died within the Moneth, his Exsequies were solemnized with an answerable glorious Pomp and Sadness. 1817 Coleridge Biog. Lit. II. xxiii. 289 A hymn..sung on the stage by the choirister boys! 1876 Darwin Autobiog. in Life & Lett. I, At Cambridge..I sometimes hired the chorister boys to sing in my rooms. |
Hence choristership, the office of a chorister; choristry, the performance of choristers (rare).
| 1536 Act 27 Hen VIII, c. 42 §1 in Oxf. & Camb. Enactm. 13 Chaplenshippes, Clerkeshippes, Corustershippes. 1862 Mrs. H. Wood Mrs. Hallib. ii. i. (1864) 156 Frank had leave to try for the vacant choristership. 1851 Dobell Poems, Harps of Heaven, Rolling a sea of choristry. |