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Scan 32
A dictionary of musical terms, 1891
52 lines. Read by computer on 16 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Chanter. A name given to the singing priest on duty. [Lay vicars.]
2Chanter à livre ouvert (F.) To sing at sight.
3Chanterelle (F.) (1) The first or highest string upon instruments played with a bow. The E string of the violin and the A of the viola and violoncello. (2) The highest string of a guitar or lute.
4Chanterres (F.) A name given to ballad or poem singers in mediæval times.
5Chanteur (F.) A male singer.
6Chanteuse (F.) A female singer.
7Chantry. Endowed foundations in the Romish Church, instituted for the due performances of requiem masses for the repose of the soul of the founder and his family.
8Chant-royal (F.) A form of early French poetry set to music. A song in honour of God, the Virgin, or the saints.
9Chantry priest. A singing priest attached to a chantry.
10Chapeau chinois (F.) A set of small bells arranged in the form of a Chinese hat.
11Characteristischer Ton (G.) The leading-note.
12Characters. A general name for the signs employed in music.
13Characterstücke (G.) Pieces of music written with the intention of describing certain impressions by means of sound.
14Charivari (F.) Mock music, clatter.
15Chasse (F.) Hunting; à la chasse, in the hunting style.
16Chatzozerah (H.) A straight trumpet, with a bell or pavillon. It was chiefly used in the Hebrew ritual, but was also blown as a battle-call in warfare.
17Check-spring. A small spring added to assist the return of action in the mechanism of an organ.
18Chef-d'attaque (F.) The leader of an orchestra or chorus.
19Chef-d'œuvre (F.) The master-work of any composer.
20Chef-d'orchestre (F.) (1) The leader. (2) Conductor of an orchestra.
21Chelidonizing (Gk.) Singing the swallow-song, a popular song sung by Rhodian boys in the month Boëdromian, on the return of the swallows, and made into an opportunity of begging.
22Chelys (Gk.) (1) The lyre of Mercury. (2) In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries a bass-viol and division-viol.
23Cheng. The Chinese organ, which consists of a series of tubes having free reeds. It is held in the hand and blown by the mouth.
24Cherubical hymn. The ter sanctus, or trisagion in the service of the Holy Communion, "Holy, holy, holy," &c.
25Chest of viols. A set of instruments necessary for a "consort of viols." They were six in number, namely two trebles, two tenors, and two basses.
26Chevalet (F.) The bridge of a stringed instrument.
27Cheville (F.) A peg for a violin, guitar lute, &c.
28Chevroter (F.) To skip, quiver, to sing with uncertain tone, after the manner of goats. Alla vibrato.
29Chiara (I.) Clear, distinct, pure, e.g.: chiara voce, clear voice; chiara quarta, a perfect fourth.
30Chiaramente (I.) Clearly, purely, distinctly.
31Chiarezza, con (I.) With brightness, clearness.
32Chiarina (I.) A clarion or trumpet.
33Chiave (I.) (1) Key or clef. (2) A failure. [Fiasco.]
34Chica. The name of a dance popular among the Spaniards and the South American settlers descended from them.
35Chiesa (I.) Church. Sonata di chiesa, a sacred sonata.
36Chiffres (F.) Figures. Basse chiffrée, figured bass.
37Chikarah. A kind of fiddle used by the Hindoos.
38Chime. (1) To play a tune on bells by means of hammers, or swinging the clappers, the bell remaining unmoved. It is opposed to ringing, in which the bells are raised, that is, swung round (2) A carillon.
39Chirimia (S.) An oboe; the portion of the oboe in which the mouthpiece is inserted.
40Chirogymnast. Finger-trainer. A contrivance for strengthening the fingers.
41Chironomy (Gk.) Gesticulation by the use of the hands. Directions given by movements of the hand.
42Chiroplast. Finger-former. An instrument invented by Logier, in 1810, to facilitate the proper method of playing the pianoforte.
43Chitarone. [Theorbo.]
44Chitarra (I.) A guitar.
45—— col arco (I.) A violin with sides gently curved, as in a guitar; without corners, as in an ordinary violin.
46Chitarrina (I.) A small Neapolitan guitar.
47Chiterna. [Quinterna.]
48Chiudendo (I.) Closing, ending.
49Chiuso (I.) Close, hidden, concealed. Canone chiuso, a close canon.
50Chœur (F.) [Chorus.]
51Choir. (1) A part of a cathedral or chapel set apart for the singers. (2) The choristers or other singers taken collectively are spoken of as the choir.
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