Chant Courses

I am involved in planning two important chant courses, which I can now announce.

Gregorian Chant is not easy--nothing worthwhile is easy. But it can be leant and here are some opportunities to learn it at a subsidised rate in an enjoyable setting.


First, a unique three-day course from St Catherine's Trust:

RESIDENTIAL CHANT COURSE
TO RUN ALONGSIDE THE
ST CATHERINE’S TRUST FAMILY RETREAT.
Friday 27th March (afternoon)
to Sunday 29th March (lunchtime),
at Ardingly College, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH17 6SQ.

It is open to men and boys over 16 with at least some experience of singing chant.

Prices: no extra fee for members of a family attending the Retreat.
For a single person: £50:
Special rates for groups from a particular schola.

Directed by Mr Nicholas Gale, Director of Music at St George’s Cathedral, Southwark, and Head of Academic Music at the London Oratory School.

For more on Nick Gale see here; for more on the St Catherine's Trust Family Retreat see here (see here for a report on last year's). For an application form please email mailto://info@stcatherinestrust.org

Secondly, there will be a

Chant Training Day with
Phillip Duffy on
Saturday 23rd May
at SS Gregory & Augustine, Oxford

This will be his third visit, and it is not to be missed. Mr Duffy, long an associate of the late Dr Mary Berry, was Director of Music at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral for 30 years, but more importantly he understands chant inside out and is a really inspirational teacher. These training days are enormous fun and very helpful for people at a wide range of levels of experience. See the report of last year's event.

The day starts at 9.30 and ends with Mass; Mass starts at 3.30pm.

Last year we had special sessions for priests which were very much appreciated; assuming there is demand, we will do this again.

Fees: £20; HALF PRICE for students and FREE for clergy.

Email me to book a place: mailto://joseph.shaw@philosophy.ox.ac.uk