Choir (architecture)

range of the choir of a typical church sketch

in sakralen architecture marks choir the altar area in churches. The choir a place intended for the singer near the altar was original.

In old-Christian time the choir without special architectural forming out is arranged and is partitioned only by barriers within the church room. Later it than independent part of the building stepped out and frequently - in particular in the Romanesque - over a crypt was increased. Therefore the name high choir comes.

The choir is usually at the eastern end of the church ship. The most prominent exception of this rule is the Peter cathedral in Rome. The choir consists of the choir house (called with square sketch also choir square) and the choir conclusion. This is called after geometry of the eastern conclusion. From the Romanesque the round choir conclusion Apsis is well-known, in Cistercian churches and the English gothic the straight choir conclusion (also flat or flat choir conclusion called) was preferred. The gothic the angular (polygonal) choir conclusions can be assigned. They are designated after the amount of the segment part (e.g. 5/8-Schluss).

The choir forms are continued to differentiate, which result from the relationship to the remainder of the church and their cultivations. Thus there is the drawn in choir, which is narrower than the central ship. A relay choir (also Benediktinerchor called) has a main choir and in its process itself shortening Nebenchöre. In the Romanesque and the gothic choirs with choir handling and chapel ring were built, the richest arrangement of this choir form find one in the cathedrals of France. With the Dreikonchenchor the transverse house arms end like the main choir with Apsiden (clover sheet plant). Here the Basilika is pc. To call Andreas in Cologne and the Elizabeth church in Marburg as example. Finally there were in that karolingischer time and the German Romanesque churches with double choir with the one east and a west choir was built. Example for this are the Mainzer cathedral, the Wormser cathedral, the Bamberger cathedral, Hildesheim (pc. Michael and pc. Godehard) and Bonn Münster.

The choir will provide typically with Chorgestühl , choir barriers and a choir tower. It was frequently defined by the Lettner in the Middle Ages.

In Protestant churches choir marks the lofts for the admission of the organ (organ choir), in-built into the nave, and the singers (singer choir).