The story so far...

Welcome back again to hear how our Spring 2026 chant course is going.

Part I and Part II went so well!  Despite the weather, travel and colds, we managed to get through the first two parts swimmingly. Participants have come from as far as the West Midlands, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex as well as from all over the Diocese of Portsmouth which includes Oxfordshire, parts of Dorset, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight. Virtually everyone still wants to stay on board and develop their singing skills in this intricate genre and style developed over millennia to create a soothing and sacred sound worthy for worship of Our Creator.

Our next and final part of the course will take place on Saturday 14 March 2026 at Portsmouth RC Cathedral as usual - St John's, Bishop Crispian Way, PO1 3HG.

Please do come along to hear our over 60-strong choir accompany the Dominican Rite Mass at the Cathedral in less than 3 weeks' time. You are very welcome, no matter what your beliefs are. Everyone benefits from hearing such sacred music.

Here are a few snippets from a reflection on Part I by one of our participants new to singing chant that highlights the standard of the training received from both our director and liturgist:

What I appreciated most... was the way it combined intellectual depth, practical musicianship and lived liturgical experience into a single, coherent day... grounded in history, attentive to musical structure and rooted in the spiritual and acoustic reality of chant as something sung in worship rather than merely studied in theory. By the end of the day... I felt not only informed but amazed at the beauty of the music...

Rather than presenting chant as a static, monolithic tradition, the session traced its development across centuries and regions... Chant is often spoken of as ancient but hearing about the manuscript traditions, the development of neumatic notation and the evolution of modes helped me see it as a living thread running through medieval monastic communities, cathedral foundations and eventually modern revivals... It deepened my respect for the generations of singers who carried this music forward long before staff notation stabilised it on the page...

I had previously enjoyed Gregorian chant for its serenity and fluidity but had not fully appreciated the underlying architecture that shapes that apparent simplicity...

Singing chant within the liturgy, in a sacred space designed for resonance and worship, transformed it from an artistic exercise into a spiritual offering. 


Come along and see / hear for yourself what this person was talking about in the above reflection:


PDF of the above flyer













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Breaking news...

  Link to PDF of above flyer Breaking news... For all Gregorian chant lovers:  A treat is in store! Listen this Sunday morning, third Sunday in Lent, at 08:30 BBC Radio Berkshire – 95.4 FM, 104.1 FM BBC Radio Oxford – 95.2 FM BBC Radio Solent – 96.1 FM, 103.8 FM On Sunday 8 March at 8.35am, Neville McNally, our Portsmouth Gregorian chant course organiser, will be in a live interview with BBC presenters from their Oxfordshire studios on BBC South. The programme will be going out live on all three of the following frequencies on this Sunday morning, third Sunday in Lent, at 08:35 BBC Radio Berkshire – 95.4 FM, 104.1 FM BBC Radio Oxford – 95.2 FM BBC Radio Solent – 96.1 FM, 103.8 FM The producer reached out to ask if Neville might talk about what the course wishes to achieve, the history of the chant and to give live instructions on air to the presenters on how to sing chant. Neville is delighted to have this opportunity to share what our Portsmouth Gregorian chant course is all ...
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Antonia Moffat of EWTNGreatBritain interviews Dominic Bevan at mid-point of the course

Filled with enthusiasm...   What is it with Gregorian Chant! Dominic Bevan's enthusiasm  @EWTNGreatBritain https://www.youtube.com/@EWTNGreatBritain/shorts Subscribe 📱 Has Modern Life Made Us Blind to Beauty? 🎶 Is Ancient Church Music Popular Again? Here is Antonia's article with more details on the EWTN website Don't forget to tune in with BBC South on Sunday for more on all things chant 08:30 Sunday 8 March 2026 BBC Radio Berkshire – 95.4 FM, 104.1 FM BBC Radio Oxford – 95.2 FM BBC Radio Solent – 96.1 FM, 103.8 FM and come and hear us sing the chant on part III of our III part course ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 15:00 Saturday 14 March 2026 live at the  Dominican Rite Mass in St John's RC Cathedral Bishop Crispian Way Portsmouth PO1 3HG ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Renowned Liturgist and Chant Scholar to Lead Participants into the Heart of Gregorian Chant

  Abbot Xavier Perrin OSB Joins Teaching Team for Portsmouth Gregorian Chant Course 2026 Renowned Liturgist and Chant Scholar to Lead Participants into the Heart of Gregorian Chant FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Portsmouth, UK – The Portsmouth Gregorian Chant Course 2026 is delighted to announce that Abbot Xavier Perrin OSB, the esteemed Abbot of Our Lady of Quarr Abbey on the Isle of Wight, will be joining its team of teaching experts. Abbot Xavier brings a wealth of experience and spiritual depth to the programme, deepening the course’s commitment to nurturing both musical skill and spiritual understanding in Gregorian Chant. With a lifelong familiarity with Gregorian Chant, Abbot Xavier is not only a distinguished liturgist and scholar, but also an accomplished teacher of theology. His years as a monk have seen him pray Gregorian Chant daily, making it his spiritual sustenance and infusing his teaching with authenticity and devotion. As a result, he is uniquely equipped to guide particip...
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Dominican Prior Joins Expert Team for Portsmouth Gregorian Chant Course 2026

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dominican Prior Joins Expert Team for Portsmouth Gregorian Chant  Course 2026 Portsmouth, UK – The Portsmouth Gregorian Chant Course 2026 is proud to announce the addition of Father Matthew Jarvis OP, Prior of St Dominic’s Priory (the Rosary Shrine), London, to its distinguished teaching team. As a preacher and author, Father Matthew brings exceptional expertise in both Gregorian and Dominican Chant, enriching the course’s unique blend of musical mastery and spiritual depth. Joining forces with Benedictine liturgist Abbot Xavier Perrin OSB and Course Director Dominic Bevin, Father Matthew will participate in the 3 rd  workshop of the 3-part course to guide participants through the theory, history, and expressive practice of Chant. The course, held at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth, features three one-day workshops on the second Saturdays of January (10th), February (14th), and March (14th) 2026. Open to all— beginners and experienced singers alike...
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Press release: Major Gregorian Chant Course is flourishing at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth

  For immediate release Once again over 60 are due to gather for Major Gregorian Chant Course continuing at St John’s Cathedral, Portsmouth Portsmouth, UK – St John’s Cathedral is hosting the Portsmouth Gregorian Chant Course, a three-part workshop series drawing more than 60 participants from across the country. Launched on 10 January 2026, the course welcomes both beginners and experienced singers, offering expert instruction in the art and practice of Gregorian chant. Led by Music Director Dominic Bevan, a distinguished graduate of the Royal College of Music, the course provides a rare opportunity to explore the historical and liturgical significance of chant. Participants are grouped by experience and receive hands-on coaching in both performance and leadership skills. The workshops culminate in a public Mass at 3pm on 14 February and 14 March, where the newly-formed choir will perform the chants learned during the course. Organisers report a vibrant and enthusiastic response f...
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Fantastic feedback after first workshop

We have had great comments made by our participants from the first workshop:) They are looking forward to the next two in February and March, none more so than Antonia Moffat of EWTN Great Britain who sings the praises of Gregorian chant and all our efforts to give it due energy at our first workshop last Saturday at St John's Cathedral in Portsmouth UK. The immediate fruits of the workshop consisted of our whole cohort being given the privilege of singing chant we had learned earlier in the day, at the 3pm Latin Mass in honour of Our Lady, said by Fr Serafino Lanzetta of the Marian Franciscans based also in Portsmouth. We were a mixed bag of singers of all ages and experience in singing chant, many for the very first time at a Latin Mass setting. We thank God for having had this opportunity, and are very happy that our sponsors can be proud of their confidence in our ability to rise to the occasion - as Antonia put it "the sound of heaven" - a tall order! One that was n...
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