As in a group of singers? Never seen "quire" in that context - or, I think, in any other.

But, related discussion: Ostchor

and the rest of the LEO archive on "quire": http://dict.leo.org/forum/alphabeticIndex.php?postBack=alphabeticindex&lp=ende&l...

Ich habe es noch nie für die singende Gruppe Menschen gesehen - eher für die architektonischen Gegebenheiten siehe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choir_%28architecture%29

Definitely obsolete. Still in BE use , however, in order to convey an "antique" effect eg a local choir specialises in 18th/19th century church music of a certain sort and calls itself the Purbeck Quire.

It famously occurs in a rubric in the Book of Common Prayer (following the Third Collect in the Order for Morning Prayer, I think): "In quires and places where they sing, here followeth the anthem." (It is about as obsolete as 'followeth'.)

"In quires and places..." has been used as the title of at least one recording of choral music. Perhaps that was where eric saw it.

Perhaps that was where eric saw it.

No, it's a spelling that I've see occasionally, here and there.