The Society of Saint Gregory is the national society for liturgy and music in the Roman Catholic Church in the UK.

Founded in 1929, the Society of St Gregory has played an important role in the liturgical reform and continues to do so by promoting the study and understanding of the liturgy and resourcing and encouraging good pastoral practice in the public worship of the Catholic Church.

The Society’s interests and activities encompass music and composition, the ministry of readers, presiding at liturgy, liturgy with children and young people in schools and parishes, and Christian art and architecture.

Welcome

Fr Adrian Porter sj, SSG Chair, writes: “Welcome to the Society of St Gregory.  We are an association of people interested in good liturgy – the public worship of the Catholic Church.  Our members include singers and musicians, readers and  servers, bishops, priests and deacons, and ordinary lay folk who have an academic or pastoral interest in liturgy.

We publish a journal three times a year, hold an annual residential Summer School, run online and in-person training courses for those involved in liturgy in their parishes or schools, and organize  composers’ groups for those writing music for the liturgy.

Please take a look at our website.  Ask for a free copy of our journal, Music & Liturgy.  And, if its right for you, think about joining us.  You will be most welcome!”

News, views and reviews from the liturgical world . . .

New Psalm Settings

New Psalm Settings

On the First Sunday of Advent, the new Lectionary comes into force in the dioceses of England and Wales and Scotland. The 2024 Lectionary uses The Abbey Psalms and Canticles (2020) translation of...

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Finding Stuff

Finding Stuff

As the content of this website grows, we have introduced an index which allows you to find articles from the Society's journal, Music & Liturgy, blog posts which have retained their currency,...

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Crichton Lecture 2024

Crichton Lecture 2024

The Crichton Lecture 2024 takes place on Saturday this week, 23 November, online (Zoom) at 11am. The lecture is free and open to all - both Society of St Gregory members and anyone else interested....

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The Pattern of Scripture

The Pattern of Scripture

We are now in the final weeks of the Church’s year and the Scriptures used at Sunday Masses focus on the final revelation of the mystery of the Son of Man, who is Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark. ...

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New Carol

New Carol

Magnus Graham’s setting of the late medieval text, When Christ was born of Mary free, was highly commended by the adjudicators at this year’s Sacred Music Young Composers’ Competition, led by Dame...

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ESV-CE Translation

ESV-CE Translation

Fr Jamie McMorrin introduces the English Standard Version Catholic Edition (ESV-CE) translation which will be used at liturgy in Scotland and England and Wales from the First Sunday of Advent 2024. ...

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Composers Group

Composers Group

The next SSG Composers Group meeting is in two weeks' time, on Saturday 16 November starting at 2pm and finishing by 4pm. This will be one of our occasional teaching sessions. I have it in mind to...

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Iona Abbey Musician

Iona Abbey Musician

Iona Abbey is looking for a church musician.  Working at Iona Abbey offers the chance to live on a remote Scottish island, surrounded by beauty and community. As Musician, you will provide a variety...

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Desiderio desideravi

Desiderio desideravi

Fr Andrew Cameron-Mowat sj introduces the apostolic letter of Pope Francis, Desiderio desideravi, on the liturgical formation of the People of God. This article was first published in the Society of...

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Chant for Advent

Chant for Advent

Pluscarden Abbey The Season of Advent: Gregorian Chant from the Monks of Pluscarden Abbey £12 from Pluscarden Abbey shop (pluscardenabbey.org/shop/cd) Review by Sr Margaret Truran OSB The 2023 CD...

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Revised English Hymnal

Revised English Hymnal

Review: The Revised English Hymnal The Canterbury Press (2023) £35 Review by Dr John Kitchen MBE We have waited a long time for this, but at last it has appeared:  the latest version of the English...

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Sancte Paule Apostole

Sancte Paule Apostole

CD Review: Sancte Paule Apostole Music from the Choir of Old Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church, Edinburgh 2CD £15 from osp.org.uk Review by Dan Divers This 2 CD set, entitled Sancte Paule Apostole,...

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