Choron', Alexandre

ETIENNE, a French musical composer, B. at Caen, 1771. IIe founded in 1817 a musical school for children, which afterwards took the name of Institution Royale de Musique Religieuse. His principal work is his Principes de Composition des écoles d'Italie. D. 1834. Cho'ros Islands, 3 islands off the coast of Chili. The largest is in Lat. 29° 17′ S., Lon. 71° 36′ W. Chorus, (kõō'rus,) n. [Lat. chorus ; Gr. choros; W. cor, a round, a circle; Fr. chœur .) ( Ant . ) Among the Greeks, it denoted a number of singers and dancers employed on festive occasions, and also in the performance of plays. During the most flourishing periods of Attic tragedy, the C. consisted of a group of male and female personages, who remained on the stage as bystanders or spectators, and, during the intervals of the acting, chanted songs relating to the subject of the play. They sometimes even took part in the performance, by advice, comfort, consolation, or di uasion. In early times it consisted of a great number of persons, sometimes as many as 50; but it was afterwards limited to 15. The leader of the C. was called coryphœus, and sometimes the C. was divided into 2 parts, which sang alternately. With the decline of ancient tragedy, the C. also fell into disuse. In recent times some attempts have been made to restore the ancient C., as in Schiller's Bride of Mes sin a . (Mus.) A composition of 2, 3, 4, or more parts, each of which is intended to be sung by a plurality of voices. Also, the performers who sing those parts, and form what is called a chorus , or choral part of an orchestra. Chose, imp. and pp . of CHOOSE, q. v. Chose, ( shor ,) n. [Fr., Sp., and It. cos a ; from Lat. causa , a cause.] ( Law .) Personal property; a thing. - Chose in po e ion. A personal thing in po e ion. - Chose in action. A personal property whereof the owner has not po e ion (in the technical sense), but only a right of action to recover it; as a debt on bond or covenant. Chosen, ( chor'n,) pp. of CHOOSE, (q. v.) Chos'roes 1., or KHOSROU the Great, king of Persia, succeeded Cabades, A. D. 531. He was fierce and cruel, but po e ed many good qualities, and encouraged the arts and sciences. He concluded a peace with the Romans, but afterwards invaded their territories, and was repulsed by Belisarius. In the reign of Just in i an II., he attacked the Romans again, but was defeated by Tiberius. D. of vexation, 579. CHOSROES II., ascended the throne in 590, on the deposition of his father Hormidas, and is accused of having murdered him. His nobility conspired against him on account of his cruelties, and obliged him to fly to the Romans, who replaced him on the throne. He afterwards carried his army into Judea, Syria, and Egypt, and made himself master of Carthage, but was defeated by the Emperor Heraclius, and thrown into prison by his son. where he D. 627. Cho'ta, a town of Peru, cap of a prov. of same name, in the dep. Libertad, on a tributary of the Marañon, abt. 130 m. N. of Truxillo; pop . of prov. about 70,000. Cho'ta Nagpoor', in Hindostan See NAGPOOR. Chouans, (show'a,) n. pl. ( Hist .) The name popularly given, during the Vendéan civil war in France, to the peasants of Britt any and Lower Maine. This name was gradually extended to all the Vendéans, and was originally derived from the cry of the screech-owl, ( chat huant,) an imitation of which was a signal used during their nightly meetings. See VENDÉE. Chough, ( tshuff ,) n. [A. S. ceogh.] (Zool.) The Pyrrhocoraz graculus, a bird of the fam. Corvid a , somewhat larger and taller than the Jackdaw, whose habits it in many respects resembles. Choule, n. Same as JowWL, q. v. Choul'try, n. See CHOLTRY.