Kathleen Schlesinger

“ Gerbert gives illustrations of the fanciful chorus from the Dardanus letter and of two other instruments of later date; one of these represents a musician playing the Platerspiel, the other the bagpipe known as chevrette, in which the whole skin of the animal (a kid or pig) , with head and feet, has been used for the bag. Edward Buhle, [3] in his admirable work on the musical instruments in the illuminated MSS. of the middle ages, points out that Gerbert, [4] who gives the dates of his two MSS. as “6th and 9th centuries,” has a singular method of reckoning the date of a MS. ”

“ The chorus as a factor in drama survived only in the various imitations or revivals of the ancient Greek theatre in other languages. A chorus is found in Milton’s Samson Agonistes. The Elizabethan dramatists applied the name to a single character employed for the recitation of prologues or epilogues. Apart from the uses of the term in drama, the word “chorus” has been employed chiefly in music. ”

“ Boulogne Psalterium glossatum c. A.D. 1000, MS. No. 20, Bibl. publique. For reproduction of musical instruments see Annales archéologiques, tome iv. (1846) , p. 38; Cotton MS., Tiberius C. vi., 10th to 11th century, fol. ”