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 (Peterson's wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, 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.
The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more Masters of Chant albums in the same style. Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire consistent with the title.
In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album with a live DVD, was released. A fifth Masters of Chant album was released on 31 March 2006. In 2006, a festive album was also released, titled Christmas Chants. A sixth Masters of Chant album was released on 28 September 2007. In 2009 a seventh Masters of Chant album followed.
Gregorian in 2009
On 8 September 2010 the next album, titled The Dark Side of Chant, was announced to be published on 15 October 2010.
The members of the Gregorian choir group are Richard Naxton (Naxos), Johnny Clucas (Johnny), Chris Tickner (Chris T.), Richard Collier (Rich), Gerry O'Beirne (Gerry), Lawrence White (Lorro) and Rob Fardell (Rob F.).
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.
A Spaceman Came Travelling
Gregorian Lyrics
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'Twas light years of time since his mission did start
And over a village, he halted his craft
And it hung in the sky like a star, just like a star
He followed a light and came down to a shed
Where a mother and child were lying there on a bed
A bright light of silver shone round his head
Then the stranger spoke, he said, do not fear
I come from a planet a long way from here
And I bring a message for mankind to hear
And suddenly the sweetest music filled the air
And it went la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la
Peace and goodwill to all men and love for the child
La la la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la, oh
This lovely music went trembling through the ground
And many were awakened on hearing that sound
And travelers on the road
The village they found by the light of that ship in the sky
Which shone all around
And just before dawn at the paling of the sky
The stranger returned and said, now I must fly
When two thousand years of your time has gone by
This song will begin once again to a baby's cry
And it goes la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la
Peace and goodwill to all men and love for the child
And I hear la la la la la la la la la
La la la la la la la, la la la la la la la la la
This song will begin once again to a baby's cry
Oh the whole world is waiting, waiting to hear the song again
There are thousands standing on the edge of the world
And a star is moving somewhere, the time is nearly here
This song will begin once again to a baby's cry
The lyrics of Gregorian's song A Spaceman Came Travelling tell a story of a spaceman who travels to Earth on his ship with a message of peace and goodwill. The spaceman's arrival is announced by the appearance of a star-like craft over a village, which catches the attention of many people in the surrounding area. The spaceman descends from his craft and enters a shed, where he finds a mother and child lying on a bed. The spaceman then delivers a message of peace and plays music that fills the air with the sweetest sound.
The song's lyrics combine elements of science fiction, spirituality, and Christmas themes. The story of the spaceman's visit to Earth parallels the story of the birth of Jesus Christ, with the spaceman representing an angelic figure who brings a message of hope and love to mankind. The song's chorus, which repeats the phrase "La la la la la," reinforces the idea that this message of peace and love transcends language and cultural barriers.
Line by Line Meaning
A spaceman came traveling on his ship from afar
An extraterrestrial being traveled on a spaceship from a distant location to Earth
'Twas light years of time since his mission did start
The alien had been on a long journey for years and years
And over a village, he halted his craft
He stopped his spaceship over a small town
And it hung in the sky like a star, just like a star
The spaceship looked like a bright, shining star in the sky
He followed a light and came down to a shed
The alien followed a source of light and landed at a small shelter
Where a mother and child were lying there on a bed
He found a mother and her newborn child sleeping in the shelter
A bright light of silver shone round his head
The alien had a shining silver aura emanating from his head
And he had the face of an angel and they were afraid
The angelic appearance of the alien caused fear in the mother and child
Then the stranger spoke, he said, do not fear
The alien spoke to reassure the mother and child and told them not to be afraid
I come from a planet a long way from here
He explained that he was from a distant planet far away from Earth
And I bring a message for mankind to hear
The alien had a message for all of humanity
And suddenly the sweetest music filled the air
A beautiful melody filled the air
And it went la la la la la la la la la
The music had a soothing, melodic sound
Peace and goodwill to all men and love for the child
The message of the music was one of peace, love, and goodwill towards all people, especially toward children
This lovely music went trembling through the ground
The music had a profound impact and could be felt throughout the area
And many were awakened on hearing that sound
The music caused many people to awaken and take notice
And travelers on the road
Even people passing by on the road could hear the music
The village they found by the light of that ship in the sky
The spaceship served as a beacon of light that led travelers to the village
And just before dawn at the paling of the sky
Right before the break of dawn, as the sky began to lighten
The stranger returned and said, now I must fly
The alien returned to his spaceship and prepared to leave
When two thousand years of your time has gone by
The alien promised to return in two thousand years of Earth time
This song will begin once again to a baby's cry
He promised that the same message of peace and love would be heard once again, accompanied by the cry of a newborn child
Oh the whole world is waiting, waiting to hear the song again
The whole world eagerly anticipates the return of the alien and the message of hope he brings
There are thousands standing on the edge of the world
There are many people around the world who are eagerly waiting for the alien's return
And a star is moving somewhere, the time is nearly here
A star is moving in the sky, indicating that the alien's return is near
This song will begin once again to a baby's cry
The message of peace and love will be heard again, just like it was on that fateful night, to the sound of a baby's cry
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chris De Burgh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind