Society of Saint Gregory

The reality of children from Catholic schools lacking in the tradition of attending Mass in their parish is a big problem. There is a sense of community within school that becomes fragmented as soon as you try to transfer things from school to parish. I am faced with that difficulty tonight when the...

Well, I read Paul Inwood's article about the use of instruments days before hearing Sunday Worship on Radio 4 this Sunday (28th October) Listen here Take the first hymn in this broadcast (around 4 minutes into the clip) - Immortal Invisible - an unglorious mix of all the instruments available with t...

Does that mean we have to foretell the contents of issue 4? I received No. 3 this morning. Don't post after midnight, Musicus.

Chant and Pray was good for me and good for the SSG. Westminster Cathedral is overtly upholding the tradition of chant as the sung prayer of the Church. SSG members, and many others, went to the Cathedral on Saturday to learn how this chant the prayer of the Church. I do not believe that SSG came ov...

I don't think there's a satisfactory answer to the original question because new music keeps drawing from older styles. Composers' Group often brings us pieces influenced by many different earlier forms (as described in the regular M&L report). Nor do different generations do not adhere consiste...

If you can accompany somewhere where the singing is robust, that will help you greatly. There is nothing more nerve racking than playing piano to sparse singing. The hardest bit is always the introduction - keep it simple. (Nazard - if you can get past the introduction of Christ Triumphant, it's OK ...

I will tell you of my recent experience of a mass in my parish. First, please read page 2 of the thread "in quires and places" held in late 2004. I have long been told of the teachings of the Church's documents that form the basis of the model of singing used in our parish. I have a very s...

When we were discussing the use of Latin last July, I was thinking of setting an English translation of O Sacrum Convivium, and I asked if anyone was able to provide a faithful translation . I was just thinking of going back to the idea, which never took off last year. Don't stop making such suggest...

From a practical point of view, chant is a flexible method of setting words to music offering a simple solution to the problem of setting non-metrical or irregular texts. Of course, the Church is not promoting "any old chant" but I see no reason for it to frown on composers trying to emplo...

After all, the difference between a fine and a mediocre composition often lies not so much in the quality of the basic musical ideas, but in the techniques by which they are presented. Part of me agrees and another part of me disagrees with this statement. I think there must be an intrinsic quality...

I think that's one of the secrets of good writing- make the tune one that people think they already know, even if they don't.

Funny you should say that -see here

I wish people were more ready to wake up to the fresh and new.

Dot

Prompted to this by the St Patrick's thread, but felt it more appropriate as a possible tip for composers. Our use of folk tunes for hymns and liturgical music is long established by the likes of Vaughan Williams and John Bell, to give just two examples. Perhaps the tradition fades as one seeks to s...

Here's a tip I've probably mentioned before: GO TO A COMPOSERS' GROUP MEETING! Yesterday, five of us met at Salford. I have returned not only with a happy memory of time spent with like-minded friends, a renewed incentive to write, but also an mp3 of our live session on my song, to which a piano par...

I find these latest views of Thomas very refreshing. Whether we're singing the Mass or singing at Mass, isn't it the point when the singing takes hold of the assembly (voices, hearts, or both) at which it is felt to be at its most empowering? It's palpable, as on occasions such as a recent Deanery M...

...but plenty of space for the choir, seven in number!