Interesting article on the BBC website today about Decca searching for the right group of nuns to hit the bigtime . According to one exec:

“When you hear the sound of nuns chanting, it’s like an immediate escape from the challenges, stresses, pace and noise of modern living. “

Decca is hoping to be as successful as this as they were with the monks from Stift-Heiliginkreuz - as reviewed by Helen - see our reviews section.

Well, Decca if you’re reading this, I can wholeheartedly recommend Mother Nikola and the community at Minster! They are all excellent singers AND serve great tea too! What’s not to like?

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We will be singing Gregorian Chant Mass on the evening of Ascension Day in St. Peter’s, one of Canterbury’s mediaeval parish churches. Rev. Mark Ball has invited us to participate in this service. We hope to sing as much of the Ordinary of the Mass and the Propers as will fit in with Father Ball’s Order of Service.

We realise that a bit of practice may be needed! So we have organised a Workshop-practice day on Saturday 1^st May with Nick Gale, Director of Music at Southwark Catholic Cathedral.

Nick will give a two part workshop. In the morning we will run a session for absolutely anyone who wants to learn or revise the ‘Missa de Angelis’, the Gregorian Mass most often sung in parishes. This will include the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Agnus that are used in all Masses. It could also include the Creed and the Our Father and some other responses which the Congregation use at Mass.

In the afternoon session ‘improvers’ will rehearse the Propers such as the Introit, the Offertory and the Communion Antiphon. We hope that CGMS Members with a little experience of singing will come along here and get to grips with the special music which is sung only on Ascension Day itself.

Details of timings, venues and the Ascension Day Mass itself will be finalised in the near future and will be published here on the site. As always, our members will receive advance notice.

If you aren’t already a CGMS member and would like to be one step ahead of the crowd when it comes to booking on our events, see our membership page for details of how to apply.

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Our third Day of Chant will focus on Byzantine Chant. The day will be led by Dr. Alexander Lingas, one of the leading academics in the field of Byzantine and Orthodox Chant. He is also a Cantor for the Orthodox Church as well as the founder and Artistic Director of the internationally acclaimed choral ensemble Capella Romana.

As many people will be new to this tradition of Chant the majority of the texts will be in English, and the day will mainly comprise practical sessions exploring the notation of the music and the nuances of singing it.

The lectures and workshop part of the day will be taking place at Canterbury Christ Church University’s Canterbury campus.

We will be aiming towards a Service of Byzantine Reader’s Vespers which will take place in St. Mildred’s Church at 5 o’clock.

Tea and coffee will be provided on arrival but you will need to make your own arrangements for lunch; do feel free to bring sandwiches or, if you prefer, take advantage of the many excellent restaurants in Canterbury City Centre. There is also a café close to the seminar room we will be using.

Please email us at contact@gregoriansociety.org if you are interested and we’ll send you details of the day including costs and timing.

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