Gregorian (band)
Gregorian is a
German band, headed by
Frank Peterson, performing
Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern
pop and
rock songs. Because it features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment, the music cannot be considered true Gregorian chant.
Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of
Enigma. Under this concept, they recorded the 1991 album
Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson's wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album in that style.
In 1998, Peterson and his team re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. After the songs were chosen, twelve vocalists - previously acclaimed session and choir singers - were hired.
Each Gregorian album is initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson's
Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the "cold and technical" studio atmosphere.
[Q&A: Frank Peterson. The Age. August 26, 2001. Retrieved August 6, 2006.]The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more
Masters of Chant albums in the same style. Their 2004 album,
The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire consistent with the title.
In 2005,
The Masterpieces, a
compilation album with a live DVD, was released.
A fifth Masters of Chant album was released on March 31, 2006.
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Sadisfaction (1991)
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Masters of Chant (2000)
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Masters of Chant Chapter II (2001)
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Masters of Chant Chapter III (2002)
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Masters of Chant Chapter IV (2003)
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The Dark Side (2004)
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The Masterpieces: Best Of + Live DVD (2005)
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Masters of Chant Chapter V (2006)
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Official site*
Fan site*
English Fan site*
Polish Fan site
