chapel

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chapel a small building for Christian worship; part of a large church or cathedral with its own altar and dedication. The word is recorded from Middle English and comes via Old French from medieval Latin cappella, diminutive of cappa ‘cap or cape’ (the first chapel being a sanctuary in which St Martin's cloak was preserved).
chapel of ease a chapel situated for the convenience of parishioners living a long distance from the parish church; the term is recorded from the mid 16th century.
Chapel Royal the body of clergy, singers, and musicians employed by the English monarch for religious services, now based at St James's Palace, London. Among members of the Chapel Royal have been Thomas Tallis, William Byrd, and Henry Purcell.

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