Society of St Gregory Summer School

The Society of St Gregory aims to promote study, understanding and good practice in the music and liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church in the UK.  One way in which it does this is through the discussion forum, which was how I first came across the Society after an internet search on some liturgical topic.  Another way is through the annual Summer School, from which I recently returned.  This was my third Summer School in four years and I have greatly enjoyed and gained from each one.

People from all over the country – from cathedral music directors to guitarists in small parish music groups, choristers, cantors, psalmists, lectors and servers – headed towards Leeds, some taking as much as eight hours, thanks to chaos on the motorways, to share a few days with other like-minded individuals.  Old friendships were renewed, new friendships forged, smiles etched on everyone’s face – even this gruff northerner’s.

There are three reasons why the Summer School is so valuable:

1.    There is high-quality academic input which is never dry or boring, but always helps me to grow in my knowledge and understanding of my own ministry within my parish.

2.    I always come home with specific, practical ideas to employ within the liturgy in my own parish, either through the workshops or modelled in the excellent liturgies that punctuate the day.

3.    Simply meeting and talking with other liturgists, singers, musicians, etc., sharing anecdotes and experiences of our own ministry – there is a real sense of fellowship.

The importance of the third of these cannot be underestimated and it’s a great way of recharging the batteries for the next year.  It also broadens your horizons, helping you appreciate that you are part of a Universal Church – that, week in week out, in parishes around the country, there are others for whom the liturgy also means a great deal and who invest so much personal time and energy in the service of their local Church.

The overarching theme of this year’s Summer School was marking the quincentenary of the Reformation.  This was reflected in the keynote talks (which explored the history and ramifications of the Reformation as well as the ongoing move towards reconciliation) and in many of the liturgies. 

The range of workshops, as usual, had something for everyone – including one on Latin (which seemed to go down very well), examining what contributes to building up sacred space, building up a music ministry on limited resources, Lectio Divina, and Musicam Sacram – the Instruction on Music in the Liturgy published fifty years ago.

Add to all that some great evening social events and gatherings, good food and comfortable accommodation and it all made for a wonderful few days.  The rousing singing of Bernadette Farrell’s “All that is hidden” at the end of Saturday’s Mass was testimony to just how powerful the experience of the previous few days had been for all of us.

* This post is based on an article on the SSG website.