Home › Glossary › Letter A

Alternating chorus

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A chorus structure where groups alternate responses in performance.

Detailed Definition
Alternating chorus refers to a poetic or musical structure where two different choruses or refrains alternate throughout the composition, each appearing at regular intervals. This technique creates a call-and-response effect or presents contrasting perspectives within a single work. Alternating choruses can represent different voices, competing ideas, or complementary themes, building complexity through their juxtaposition while providing structural regularity through their recurring patterns. Common in ballads and folk songs.
Example
Example in poetry:
CHORUS A: “The river keeps its silver name.” CHORUS B: “The river keeps no name at all,” creates alternating communal voices; a call-and-response poem may alternate “We remember” with “Do we remember?” so each chorus challenges the other; Greek tragedy alternates choral song and dramatic speech, while an alternating chorus can divide the chorus itself into two groups; in a contemporary performance poem, one group might repeat “Say her name” while another supplies names or dates; alternating refrains can embody conflict, duet, debate, or the changing perspectives of day and night
Additional Notes
Alternating chorus is a technique in which a recurring section (chorus) of a poem, song, or dramatic verse is sung or spoken by different groups or individuals in turn, creating an antiphonal effect.
Also Known As
Responsive chorus Call-and-answer chorus Echo chorus Antiphon
Skip to main content