It's very good to see the increase in interest in Gregorian chant. Nick Gale visited this parish a couple of years ago and introduced our choir to the chant. He is actively involved in promoting the chant wherever possible and this Press Release is on his Gregorian Chant website:Ash Wednesday 2010 sees the launch of the first of three educational CDs of Gregorian Chant for use in parishes. The Chant is performed by a small group of singers from the Choir of St George's Cathedral, London, under the direction of Nick Gale. Nick is a UK-based teacher of Gregorian Chant and the Director of Music at St George's Cathedral. Volume One of Cantus Angeli, (Chants of the Ordinary,) features complete performances of seven Gregorian Masses, the Ambrosian Gloria, the Asperges and Vidi Aquam, three Credos and a selection of alleluias with verses. The singers are chosen for the simplicity of their tone and the acoustic for its gentle resonance; the consequent clarity and simplicity of the performance makes the Chant accessible to the average parish and gives the CD a more pedagogical focus than most similar productions.
January saw the lauch of the Gregorian Chant Network of which Nick is a member.
I have heard that your new Archbishop is not a fan of the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite so I guess he may not be keen on Gregorian Chant either!
ReplyDeleteJudging from the music chosen for his Mass of Instalation in a couple of days will give the clergy and the laity of Southwark a taste of what is to come!