What is Choir Gown

choir

First of all, we must know what is choir.A choir (also known as chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus. The former term is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church and the second to groups that perform in theatres or concert halls, but this distinction is far from rigid. Choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Choirs are often led by a conductor or choirmaster. Choral music, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.

red choir robes|IvyRobes

Choir gowns also called choir robes or choir dresses,choir dress is the traditional vesture of the clerics, seminarians and religious of Christian churches worn for public prayer and the administration of the sacraments except when celebrating or co-celebrating the Eucharist. It differs from the vestments worn by the celebrants of the Eucharist, being normally made of fabrics such as wool, cotton or silk, as opposed to the fine brocades used in vestments. It may also be worn by lay assistants such as acolytes and choirs. It was abandoned by most of the Churches which originated in the sixteenth-century Reformation.

Like eucharistic vestments it derived originally from the formal secular dress of the Roman Empire in the first centuries of the Christian era which survived in church usage after fashion had changed.

Choir dress also differs from "house dress" which is worn outside of a liturgical context (whether in the house or on the street).