Gregorian - The Masters of Chant
Gregorian Masters of Chant is a German group, band or more appropriately a male choir who sing medieval-inspired re-interpreted pop and rock music.
Gregorian has brought the plainsong* or plainchant style of singing into a modern setting, delighting audiences that span the generations.
The group dresses in medieval monk-styles robes and records their music accompanied by an orchestra in old churches that have been converted into recording studios. Their live concerts have been performed in old castles.
Frank Peterson is the mastermind behind Gregorian's unique, blended, haunting and moving sound. He carefully selects songs and re-interpret modern pop and rock songs in the Gregorian Masters of Chant style. Since a Gregorian chant is made up of five notes it limits the musical choices songs that are quite minimal in scale range. Note: Because the group uses instrumental accompaniment, their music is only Gregorian Chant-inspired, rather than a true Gregorian Chant style.
Much like other classical crossover sensations, Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman (who has recorded with them), Gregorian enjoys a wide range of fans. Young and old alike are happily united at the numerous live concerts.
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* Plainchant or Plainsong is an unaccompanied sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church, or the liturgical chants of the early Catholic Church.
Photo Source: Gregorian. Live at Kreuzenstein Album Cover.
Gregorian - Amelia Brightman - The Moment of Peace
On YouTube
For More on the Gregorian - Master of Chant
- Gregorian - Masters of Chant - The Process
- From their Biography, the process by which the music is selected. More about the process used by Frank Peterson to select the music adapted by Gregorian.
- The Original Gregorian Masters of Chant - Overview
- An overview on the Masters of Chant, the Gregorians.
- Gregorian - Masters Of Chant Chapter VI
- A review of the latest album, Chapter VI and the release their exceptional earBOOK "Chants & Mysteries."
- News of the Gregorians
- Another website with news of the Gregorians music.
Gregorian Videos
On YouTube
After watching the collection of Gregorian videos, you can vote for your favorite one.
Gregorian - Masters of Chant Discography
- 1991: Sadisfaction (as Enigma)
- 2000: Masters of Chant
- 2001: Masters of Chant Chapter II
- 2002: Masters of Chant Chapter III
- 2003: Masters of Chant Chapter IV
- 2004: Gregorian - The Dark Side
- 2005: The Masterpieces (Best Of CD + Live DVD)
- 2005: The Masterpieces Jewel Case! (Live DVD + Best of CD)
- 2006: Masters of Chant Chapter V
- 2006: Christmas Chants
- 2007: Masters of Chant Chapter VI
An Interview with Frank Peterson, Mastermind of Gregorian
- The Age: Q&A: Frank Peterson
- The mysterious, medieval sound of chanting monks, blended with classic rock and '80s pop songs, has taken the world by storm.
Gregorian & Amelia Brigthman - Join Me
On YouTube
Gregorian's Song Selection and Recording Process
Defining Gregorian Chants & Choosing Songs
A Gregorian chant is made up of five notes, what they call a pentatonic scale, which limits you on one hand, as our music is made up of 12 notes. So I had to choose songs that are quite minimal; it's about tones in the melody.
Recording - In Church Studios
Over the last 20-30 years in England, lots of churches got sold to private people, and five or six churches in London alone have been converted to studios. They take a church, put a new floor in, some air-conditioning and a dividing wall, and that's your control room.
Creating a Tranquil Environment
All our singers are classically trained, from the best English church choirs, so it was a challenge for them to put headphones on and sing to a backing track. We tried to make it as tranquil for them, as good a vibe as we could. The studio atmosphere is quite cold and technical, even though the old church organ and all those things are still there.So to make it more homey and comfortable, we'd call up the studio the week before and ask them to put up 200 candles, and we'd dim the lights.
Source: Best S. August 2001. Q&A: Frank Peterson. The Age Company.
Photo Source: Phuong Tran. Church Candles. Royalty Free Use.
List of Gregorians Songs
Add your favorite if it is not on the list.
Be sure to vote.
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Tears in Heaven - Eric Clapton
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Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon and Garfunkel
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Sacrifice - Elton John
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Heroes - David Bowie
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Send Me an Angel - Real Life
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With or Without You - U2
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Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
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Brothers in Arms - Dire Straits
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Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin
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Sounds of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel
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Ordinary World - Duran Duran
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Imagine - John Lennon
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Gregorian Masters of Chant Collection of Albums
Available on Amazon
Gregorian's Phenomenal Success
Gregorian enjoys an in international and multi-generational fans base. Their fans come from Germany, all over Europe, Finland, Singapore, Japan, South Africa and they have recently been making inroads in the United States, thanks to the local PBS stations.
Much like other classical crossover sensations, Josh Groban and Sarah Brightman (who has recorded with them), Gregorian enjoys a wide range of fans. Young and old alike are happily united at the numerous live concerts.
Gregorian Masters of Chant - On Tour in the United States
Oct. 24 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theater
Oct. 25 - New York, NY - The Concert Hall
Oct. 27 - W. Palm Beach, FL - Kravis Center
Oct. 28 - Denver, CO - The Gothic Theater
Oct. 30 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wilshire Theater (Postponed)
Oct. 31 - Las Vegas, NV - TBA
- Gregorian Masters of Chant - Tour Dates, Buy Tickets
- Information on the Tour Dates, locations and how to purchase tickets.
Photo: Cover of Gregorian the Masterpieces
The Latest News on Gregorian Masters of Chant
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGregorian: Live at Kreuzenstein Castle
Available on Amazon
This DVD is scheduled to be released in the end of October, on October 23, 2007.You can pre-order you copy of the Gregorian: Live at Kreuzenstein Castle now.
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 10/17/2007)
Gregorian Live - On PBS
Watch for Gregorian Live on Your Local PBS Station
Dramatic lighting and atmospheric dry ice, fire and mirrors combine with this ethereal sound to elevate a musical experiment from a curious concept to an incomparable artistic experience.
Watch for Gregorian Live or request that this program is broadcast on your own local PBS Station.
Source: Description of Gregorian Live from WLIW
- Gregorian Live - On Detroit PBS
- Information on ordering Gregorian Live from Detroit Public Television.
- Gregorian Live on WLIW
- The choir Gregorian Masters of Chant interprets modern pop songs in the style of the chants in a performance filmed live at the magnificent gothic Kreuzenstein Castle in Austria.
- The Original Gregorian Masters of Chant
- Information about the Gregorian Masters of Chant Tour and new Video release, Gregorian Live.
Gregorian with Amelia Brightman - Peace on Earth
On YouTube
Gregorian Christmas
Available on Amazon
Gregorian Christmas Chants
Amazon Price: (as of 12/25/2009) 
Gregorian - From the Photo Gallery
Photo: Gregorian Website. Downloads
Gregorian Music on eBay
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A Squidoo Lens on the Catacombs
When I think of monks, I also think of the Catacombs, the underground burial places, the mysterious labyrinths and tunnels.This lens takes a look at the land of the dead, beneath the ground.
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Take a Trip Underground to Visit The Catacombs....and the Dead
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Far beneath the city streets of Paris lies the bone remains of more than 6 million people, in an elaborate labyrinth of passages, tunnels and corridors. It is a place of mystery, of intrigue, of history and of death. One can easily get lost or diso...
Early Origins of Gregorian - Enigma
On YouTube
With Enigma Frank Peterson proved that the sound of monks sells music.
Gregorian Mastes of Chant Available on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byGregorian Chants Information from Wikipedia
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic liturgical music within Western Christianity that accompanied the celebration of Mass and other ritual services. It is named for Pope Gregory I, Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604, who is traditionally credited for having ordered the simplification and cataloging of music assigned to specific celebrations in the church calendar. The resulting body of music is the first to be notated in a system ancestral to modern musical notation. In general, the chants were learned by the viva voce method, that is, by following the given example orally, which took many years of experience in the Schola Cantorum. Gregorian chant originated in monastic life, in which celebrating the 'Divine Office' eight times a day at the proper hours was upheld a...
What is a Gregorian Chant?
Plainsong - The Liturgical Chant of the Roman Catholic Church
Gregorian chant, monophonic, or unison, Latin choral music, or plainsong is used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.The style is named after St. Gregory I the Great, pope from 590-604, who is said to have collected and codified the music of the Roman liturgy around the year 600.
Before St Gregory codified the music, the rapid spread of Christianity had seen various kinds of chant develop, such as Spanish chant in the West, Byzantine in the East, and the choral music of Milan that now lives on today in the form of Ambrosian Chant.
In Rome, Gregorian chant was sung in a "schola cantorum", places where singers were specially trained and which became the ideal schools for singers all over Europe.
A Pentatonic (5 note) Scale
In contrast to the normal musical scale, a Gregorian chant is sung in a pentatonic scale, made up of five notes, what they call a pentatonic scale.
With only five notes, the musical range is limited and creates the characteristic chanting monk style.
Sources:
The Original Gregorian. What is Gregorian Chant?
Wikipedia. Gregorian Chant.
Image Source:
Wikipedia. Wikimedia. Graduale Aboense, hymn book of Turku, Finland. 14th-15th century. Public Domain.
Gregorian Chants for Meditation
Available on Amazon
A Squidoo Featured Lens on Gregorian Chants
From lens master extraordinaire, Margaret Schaut, a lens on Gregorian Chants.-
Gregorian Chant Video Showcase
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Something is so serene and spiritual about Gregorian Chant. The Latin prayers of the Psalter, it is the traditional Latin Liturgy especially of monasteries. Far older than any Protestant denomination, the Gregorian Chanting is bringing people ba...
More About Gregorian Chant Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
- Gregorian Chant: Songs Of The Spirit
- No one would have predicted it the extraordinary success of an album of Gregorian chant recorded by a choir of cloistered Benedictine monks from the monastery of Santo Domingo de Silos in northern Spain.
- GREGORIAN CHANT - Select Resources
- Gregorian Chant is still the own liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church. This site includes
select resources on plainchant or Gregorian Chant. - Gregorian Masters of Chant - History
- A look at the characteristics of Gregorian Chant.
A Reviewer's Comments on Gregorian Chant - Lost in Meditation
Completely Atmospheric Music.
- Whether used for meditation, background music to everyday activities, or a soundtrack to a much needed relaxation session in your solitude, gregorian chant is a peaceful and almost heavenly way to enjoy some time off in another world...
Reviewed by One of Many
True Gregorian Chants - Gregorian Chant and the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos
Available on Amazon
Gregorian Buzz
The Latest News Relating to Gregorian from Google
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byReader Feedback on this Gregorian Video Showcase
Your place to leave comments, feedback, thoughts and suggestions
What do you think of Gregorian?
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Reply
- Comfortdoc Comfortdoc Oct 19, 2007 @ 8:39 am
- Sarah Brightman is one of my favorite female singers, so I was surprise to find that I liked Amelia's vocals even more as the featured female singer with Gregorian.
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Reply
- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Oct 19, 2007 @ 1:58 am
- Well done! Amelia sings as beautifully as her sister.
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Reply
- rms rms Oct 18, 2007 @ 2:59 pm
- I love this lens! 5*
by Comfortdoc
Kirsti A. Dyer MD, MS, FT is a respected physician, an expert in life challenges, loss, grief & bereavement, professional health educator, profess...
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