don’t give up

1999 I came across the “Gregorian”  – Masters of Chant – heard them over the radio when I was home in Sweden for Christmas and since day I been hooked on them. Have all their 8 albums and there is a new release coming out now in September. Can’t get theirs CD’s in Sweden anymore so I buy them through “amazon.de” or “amazon.com”

Not a believer as such and to church I only go if invited, but I have always like church music … as young when all other girls played piano – I played organ, all by accident – there wasn’t any more free pianos for practice on through Sunday school, so I toke on the organ.

“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 – this was the only album in that style.

In 1998, Peterson and his team Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann 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. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists – previously acclaimed session and choir singers – were then hired to record the tracks.

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.

Others who contribute to the vocals or sound of Gregorian are Sarah Brightman (under the pseudonyms Hepsibah or Sarah Hellmann), Amelia Brightman (Sarah Brightman’s younger sister), Frank Peterson, and staff of Nemo Studio among others.” – text; wikipedia.org

If you want to watch the video turn of the media player in the end of this post.

Just love the way they turn our all time favorite tracks into to something so unique – they have even done their version of “Arrival” by “ABBA” in 2009. My personal favorite of all big song they have taken on is “Metallica” – “Nothing Else Matters” – from their first album “Masters of Chant” released in 1999.

Peter Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up” with Sarah Brightman is the only original track I find on “SoundCloud” – a stunningly beautiful version and from their first album too. Also I love the lyrics – words that talks to every one of us – that we shouldn’t give up, because we aren’t alone and there is so many reasons for us to carry on – that we shouldn’t be ashamed for our failures and we all have a place where we belong.

My music taste is very broadminded, just like me and seems like endless. I hope that you will watch the video – because then you notice their voices and you and the surrounding they are in are stunning plus of course they make a such good job on one of biggest rock classics ever.  

“In this proud land we grew up strong
We were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail

No fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I’ve changed my face, I’ve changed my name
But no one wants you when you lose

Don’t give up
‘cos you have friends
Don’t give up
You’re not beaten yet
Don’t give up
I know you can make it good

Though I saw it all around
Never thought I could be affected
Thought that we’d be the last to go
It is so strange the way things turn

Drove the night toward my home
The place that I was born, on the lakeside
As daylight broke, I saw the earth
The trees had burned down to the ground

Don’t give up
You still have us
Don’t give up
We don’t need much of anything
Don’t give up
’cause somewhere there’s a place
Where we belong

Rest your head
You worry too much
It’s going to be alright
When times get rough
You can fall back on us
Don’t give up
Please don’t give up

‘got to walk out of here
I can’t take anymore
Going to stand on that bridge
Keep my eyes down below
Whatever may come
And whatever may go
That river’s flowing
That river’s flowing

Moved on to another town
Tried hard to settle down
For every job, so many men
So many men no-one needs

Don’t give up
’cause you have friends
Don’t give up
You’re not the only one
Don’t give up
No reason to be ashamed
Don’t give up
You still have us
Don’t give up now
We’re proud of who you are
Don’t give up
You know it’s never been easy
Don’t give up
’cause I believe there’s the a place
There’s a place where we belong”

Photos provided by and thanks to:
gregorianmastersofchant.ning.org/last.fm/tvtropws.org/amazon.com