What Is Chancel?
Chancel is an area in the church that is reserved for the clergy and the choir. Within the chancel is the asylum with the altar. It is that part of the church that is located really close to the altar. In early days, it was an area that was right behind the altar where the religious chants were sung and mostly also included the choir stalls. The word “chancel” is derived from the French usage of chancel from an early Latin word ‘cancelli’ meaning “lattice”. It was a part of the apse. It is basically a semicircular recess, which is covered with a hemispherical vault. It is semi-circular or polygonal section of the asylum at the liturgical east end, which is generally beyond the altar.
