NEW MEMBERS

Who can join?

You do not need to be an experienced singer, and you do not need previous knowledge of Gregorian chant.

The Choir may suit you if you:

We welcome men and women of all ages. Musical literacy is helpful but not essential.

Because the Choir sings for the liturgy, a certain level of commitment is required.

Members are expected to:

The Choir is friendly and supportive, but it is not casual: we work steadily to improve our singing and understanding of chant.

Rehearsals take place once a week at 7:00 pm on Wednesday evenings and usually last about 75 minutes.

Rehearsals include:

The atmosphere is focused but relaxed, and questions are always welcome.

Singing Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant is sung in unison, in Latin. It is learned primarily by listening and repetition.

New members are introduced to:

No auditions are held, but new members may be asked to spend an initial period listening and singing quietly until they feel confident.

If you are interested, you are very welcome to visit a rehearsal before deciding whether to join.

This gives you the chance to:

Please contact us in advance so we know to expect you.

The books we use for singing are:

Gregorian Missal, published by the Abbaye St Pierre, Solesmes in France. This contains the chants for all Sundays and major Feast Days. It provides English translations of the Latin texts. The Missal provides:
- the Ordinary chants: settings of texts used at Masses throughout the year; and
- Proper chants: settings of texts pertaining to a particular Sunday or Feast Day.
The Parish Book of Chant, published by the Church Music Association of America. This contains a selection of chants and hymns.

Choir members receive loan copies of the Gregorian Missal. Both books are accessible on the internet by clicking on the links above.

We rehearse at the Maurice Fowler Hall, 1A Montpelier Avenue, Ealing, London W5 2DY. The Hall is a pink prefabricated building to the rear of the house on that site: see the photographs at the foot of this page.
By car: There are no parking restrictions in Montpelier Avenue, and plentiful parking is available in the evenings.
By public transport: it’s a 15 minute walk from Ealing Broadway Station, or take the 297 bus from Haven Green (bus stop Z4) to Mount Avenue/Castlebar Hill (bus stop SV).

If you would like more information, or would like to arrange a visit, please email us at gregorianchantealing@gmail.com, or use the form on the Contact Us page.