Gregorian Chant Workshop Day

Join the Cathedral Choir and Fr Gerard Byrne, Organist Fraser Pearce, and Gregory Treloar for a chant workshop day finishing with sung vespers in Nottingham Cathedral.

The day will begin with talks on the history of chant, the reason for it's importance in Catholic church music and as well as workshops for singers of all abilities culminating in Sung Vespers in the Cathedral.

The day is open to anyone with no prior musical training necessary and is aimed at anyone who wants to feel more confident in singing chant and know more about it's rich history.

Fr Gerard Byrne studied music at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh and Liturgy at the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome. He studied Gregorian Chant with Drs Greta Mary Hair, Alberto Turco and Mary Berry. He works for the Scottish National Liturgical Commission and typeset and edited the music for the new ESV Lectionary. Fr Byrne is currently the Parish Priest of St Brigid’s parish in the Archdiocese of Glasgow.

Fraser studied voice and organ at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. In addition to his work as a high school music teacher and later head of religious education, Fraser has held music posts in Presbyterian, and Anglican settings before becoming a Catholic. In 2016, Fraser founded and directed Schola Una Voce, providing a full range of sacred music from Pontfical Masses to weekly Vespers. In 2022, inspired by the teaching of Pope Benedict and the example of Mary Berry, Fraser founded a chant ensemble and education project called Cantores Matris Dei. He is organist of St Brigid's Church on the south side of Glasgow where liturgies in both the ordinary and extraordinary forms are celebrated according to the rich musical heritage of the Roman Rite. He is a father of three and a Benedictine Oblate of Pluscarden Abbey.

There will be time for Lunch in which you are welcome to bring your own or pop out and get something locally.

There will refreshments available throughout the day.