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.]
1. A member of a choir of singers. a. of a church choir; now spec. a choir-boy.
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.
1859. Geo. Eliot, A. Bede, 20. A melody … sung by the pure voice of a boyish chorister.
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 cœlestiall Choristers, make musicke before the Throne of God.
1858–62. Beveridge, Hist. India, II. IV. ii. 19. Heavenly quiristers, nymphs and demons.
1870. Rossetti, Blessed Damosel, 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, -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. (1888), I. 49. [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.
