Biography
The German Gregorian group began performing in the late 1990s. The musicians decided to conquer the scene originality: they come to the public in monastic vestments and play popular songs to the manner of Gregory Chorals. Despite the entourage, their music has nothing to do with religion: the choral sound of pop and rock-songy is complemented by instrumental support, and concerts turn into bright show with lively sound.The history of creation and composition
The history of the creation of Gregorian is inextricably linked with the ideological inspirer of the project by Frank Peterson, a musician, producer and an arguer. Frank come from Hamburg and since childhood he was fond of music, playing the piano. At the 20th age, the guy went to work in the store, where they traded the musical equipment, and there he recorded the first demo. After the recording came to the producers, Peterson quickly found a new job - now he played the keys at the star Pop scene of the 80s - Sandra singer.
The musician made friends with the producer and her husband of artist Mikhael Kretu and eventually became a co-authored in writing music. The idea of combining religious binders with dance rhythms came to them in Ibiza in 1989, as a result of which the project of Enigma was born, overnightly conquered the musical world. Here, Frank was under the pseudonym F. Gregorian, which will later give the name to the team of pseudomonov from Hamburg.
Peterson left Enigma in 1991 and started working on his own project, the material to which he wrote almost alone. Help the musician Composer Thomas Schwartz and the Keystone Mattias Meisner. Vocal Parts on the "Sadisfaction" record performed Birgit Freud and the wife of the musician Susan Espella - a duet, known as the Sisters of Oz.
The album turned out to be interesting, but could not compete with Enigma on the music market. Therefore, Frank postponed the idea and engaged in other projects. Peterson produced 4 Sarah Brightman disks, 3 Solnitsa Princessa singer and opened a recording studio. A man decided to return to the GRegorian project in 1998, collecting a team from Yana Erica Cora, Michael Saltau and Carsten Hoshismann.
The concept of the future album was the selection of songs that were cultivated in the period 1960-1990. The hits of these times were supposed to be recycled in the spirit of the Gregorian bindings, giving them a powerful choral sound. The selection was made carefully and strictly, only the best of the best were the final sheet - Metallica, Eric Clapton, Rem, Dire Straits and other marked performers of the era.
Musicians tried to reveal each composition from an unexpected side, pose a new arrangement to it and accession. 12 vocalists from the English Church Chora, who got used to singing in major cathedrals was invited to record. In the place of singers in different years, dozens of performers visited.
Now, Richard North, Johnny Klokarkas, Chris Tikner, Richard Coller, Garry O'beñni, Richard White, Rob Finerell, Daniel Williams and Brandan Matthew, are responsible for the vocal parties. In addition to them, the keysters Yang-Eric Cor and Karsten Hismann, Drummer Roland Pala and Harry Raisman, guitarist Gunter Laudan. Sarah Brightman and her younger sister of Amelia are the soloist women.
Music
Having gathered in 1998 new participants, Peterson began to record a second album called "Masters of Chant". Work on the plate went to the year. Carefully selected material was processed, in the Hamburg Studio NEMO Studios recorded instrumental parties, and the vocal tracks were decided to write in the "field conditions".Frank feared that the studio sound of the Grigorian choralov would kill all magic. Therefore, together with vocalists, went to the English Cathedral, where, surrounded by burning candles, the musicians sang all the material.
Peterson was engaged in information and production and by the end of 1999 was ready to submit to the public with the original and powerful drivers on the songs "Nothing Else Matters", "Losing My Religion", "When A Man Loves a Woman" and other world hits. The album's output was accompanied by a huge success: the record was hitting the sales records and became platinum in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Norway. On the popularity wave, the team organized the first large tour, where she appeared before the public in the image of the monks who fulfill loved songs in an unusual genre.
To comply with the necessary entourage, Gregorian concerts were carried out not at standard sites, but in the buildings of old cathedrals. They sang musicians extremely lively, in combination with a visual number of the show produced an impressive effect. By 2001, the Group prepared 10 music clips, which were filmed against the background of mountains and ancient castles. Video intercouction published in the form of a DVD called "Masters of Chant in Santiago De Compostela"
The following material, which was decided to feed Gregorian, became rock ballads. However, as a single, which anticipates a new plate, was decided to release the song of his own essay "Moment of Peace".
Album "Masters of Chant. Chapter II "was released in October 2001 and consisted of 12 tracks, among which the Caverns on the" Stairway to Heaven "LED Zeppelin," Wish You Were Here "Pink Floyd and" Child in Time "Deep Purple. As a bonus track for a number of European countries, the version of Hit "Voyage, Voyage" of the French group Desireless, where the Women's Vocal Party was performed by Sarah Brightman.
The album repeated the fate of the previous one: he was successfully sold, it will also be filmed by DVD with clips, and the concert tour of Europe captured 60 cities, where the musicians performed in the temples and theaters. Already a year later, the gregorian discography is replenished with a plate "Masters of Chant. Chapter III, "where performers rethinking the creativity of Sting, Elton John and other world stars. The song "Join Me" of the famous Finnish team of HIM is presented in the form of a dance remix - forms with which the Gregorian has not worked.
Since then, the Group every year represents a new release, which shows its own vision of various musical material - from the medieval classics to the superhits of modernity, from Christmas hymns to the tracks "Rammstein". In their repertoire, "Ave Maria" and "So Sad", "My Immortal" and "Hell's Bells" fits organically.
The output of albums is accompanied by stable commercial success, as evidenced by the sale of 15 million disks. Gregorian concert geography spreads to 3 dozen countries. Speeches turn into lively and emotional shows, where thousands of spectators sink musicians during the performance of songs that have proven themselves as the best of the best.
Gregorian now
The group continues creative activities, working on new tracks and speaking with concerts. The last album was released in 2017 and was called "Holy Chants". It is known that in 2019, Frank Peterson is engaged in recording the next record in the studio Nemo Studios in Hamburg. The name and content of the future release is not yet announced.
Gregorian does not lose popularity, as evidenced by the grandiose tour, scheduled for 2020 and entitled "20/2020". Tour started on December 31, 2019 in the Historische Stadthalle's Hall of the German city of Wuppertal. As part of the tour, the musicians will visit the Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium, France and other countries. Speech in Russia is scheduled for February 20 and will be held in Moscow at Crocus City Hall.
The group has an official account in Facebook, where there is a photo and video, shares creative plans and represents a tour of the chart.
Discography
- 1991 - Sadisfaction
- 1999 - Masters of Chant
- 2001 - MASTERS OF CHANT CHAPTER II
- 2002 - Masters of Chant Chapter III
- 2003 - MASTERS OF CHANT CHAPTER IV
- 2004 - The Dark Side
- 2005 - The Masterpieces
- 2006 - MASTERS OF CHANT CHAPTER V
- 2006 - Christmas Chants
- 2007 - Masters of Chant Chapter VI
- 2008 - Christmas Chants & Visions
- 2009 - Masters of Chant Chapter VII
- 2010 - The Dark Side Of The Chant
- 2011 - Best of 1990 - 2010
- 2011 - Masters of Chant Chapter VIII
- 2012 - Epic Chants
- 2013 - Masters of Chant Chapter IX
- 2014 - Winter Chants
- 2015 - Masters of CHANT X: The Final Chapter
- 2017 - Holy Chants
Clips
- MOMENT OF PEACE
- "The Gift"
- "Still I'm Sad"
- Wish You WERE HERE
- "HYMN"
- "Child in Time"
- "Sacrifice"
- "Lady d'Arbanville"
- "EVERYBODY'S GOTTA LEARN SOMETIME"
- "WORLD WITHOUT END"
- "Ordinary WORLD"
- "I Still Have't Found What I'm Looking For"
- "ONLY You"
- "TEARS IN HEAVEN"
- "Voyage, Voyage"