Chorister
A singer who is a member of a choir, for example at an opera house or in concert.
What it means
A chorister is a member of a choir who sings not as a soloist but together with other singers in the same voice part. The term is used especially for professional members of an opera or broadcasting choir, but it can also refer generally to anyone singing in a choir.
Musical use
Opera houses maintain a chorus of choristers as a fixed ensemble alongside soloists and orchestra, appearing in many works that depict crowds, soldiers, or other groups on stage. Concert and broadcasting choirs likewise employ professional choristers for the large choral works of the repertoire, from oratorios to symphonic choral works.
A chorister should be distinguished from a soloist, who sings an independent, individually shaped part, and from an amateur singer in a community choir, even though both are sometimes called by the same word.
Performance practice
As a chorister you practice a particular balance: your voice must blend tonally with the group and never stand out, while still needing the same technical security as a soloist's.