Society of Saint Gregory

Thank you for doing so! We did work hard on it and were so grateful for all the generous help we received, including yours. Catherine Christmas was an enormous help, both with the model service sheet and, of course, with the music, but it was wonderful to see how SSG members and the Diocesan Choir ...

Just a note to say that I've now created a memorial page to Gill at http://millhousemedia.co.uk/gill-ness-collins/ . For the moment I've added a downloadable version of the service sheet for her funeral (on 22 July in Steyning) and another downloadable of her friend Betty Bishop's eulogy. Below that ...

Thanks for posting this here, Mary. We'd emphasise that all SSG members are welcome - please bring yourselves, your voices and a good appetite!

Allan & Rosemary

It says you're a human being, not a machine - thank God! asb, I run a business that depends on both my creativity and the skill of an excellent programmer. We aim to give the very best to our customers - but sometimes, despite our best efforts, something goes wrong. When it does, I have a very ...

It may reassure you to know, asb, that cathedrals can foul up just as badly or even more thoroughly than parish musicians. But that's what we are - and foulups come with the territory, in music as in life. To echo Tsume, life isn't about being perfect - that's God's territory. It's about having the ...

Interesting thread this. At one point we had the whole music group subjected to a grand inquisition (three or four years ago) because we actually dared to use a lesser-known setting for 'In the bleak midwinter' - and dared to have a couple of carols that some people didn't know. Apparently 'there ...

I sympathise with your embarrassment, asb, but that's not a good enough reason to leave either the forum or a place where you're doing your honest best. And yes, we all do foul up sometimes - however carefully we've prepared, and however prayerful and good our intentions are. Two things that might ...

Thought you might all like to know what actually happened with our Keralan Christmas music. Fortunately we have a Keralan councillor on the PPC, so he was the man I approached as soon as I'd got our PP's agreement to a Keralan component for Christmas. I asked him for suggestions for a) a carol (or ...

Thanks to oops and musicus for their thoughts. My idea was to bring out the musical talent among our newcomers - with some help from us - rather than foisting our 'version' of their music on them. My problem is that Keralan (i.e. southern Indian) music is rather less accessible than Polish music to ...

We constantly teeter on the brink of getting into trouble with two very similar psalms:

'To you, O Lord, I lift up my voice...'
'To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul...'

We haven't done it yet, but live in fear of singing 'To you, O Lord, I lift up my vole...'

Hi, everyone, Like a lot of East Anglian parishes, mine is now seeing a welcome influx of Eastern Europeans and Keralans. It's great to have them with us at Sunday Mass, and several are now playing active roles in parish life, but I'm looking for ways to reach out to them and involve them in our ...

Only just become aware of this - so sorry to be a latecomer. I agree with those who find the whole tenor of the original article - and the blog - totally repellent, and I can only echo those who say that this kind of personal attack simply serves to bring the Church into disrepute. Having said that ...

Hi, everyone, A quick word to let you all know that the report and pictures from this year's summer school are now up and visible on the main web site. If anyone needs a full-size, high quality version of any of these images to help publicise the SSG, please e-mail the webmaster quoting the number ...

I'm sorry no one has yet replied to you, and wish we could help -- but we're down in East Anglia! It sounds as though you've had a perfectly awful time (not unusual for a church musician, alas), and my heart really does go out to you. Come on, SSG, let's give a hand here! In the mean time our ...

Hi, Nick, Apart from the fact that I love Taize (especially when I get the chance to play some scrummy instrumental descants) we find a good practical spot for this kind of music is during the communion procession. The repetitive chant is ideal because people don't need their books to sing it. It ...