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.
High Hopes
Gregorian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a world of magnets and miracles
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
The ringing of the division bell had begun
Along the long road and on down the causeway
Do they still meet there by the cut
Running, before time took our dreams away
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
To a life consumed by slow decay
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
With friends surrounded
The night of wonder
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
Steps taken forwards -- but sleepwalking back again
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
At a higher altitude with flag unfuried
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
Eneumbered forever by desire and ambition
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Though down this road we've been so many times
The grass was greener
The light was brighter
The taste was sweeter
The nights of wonder
With friends surrounded
The dawn mist glowing
The water flowing
The endless river
Forever and ever
The lyrics of Gregorian's "High Hopes" describe the longing of the singer to return to a place of wonder and excitement that he and his friends once experienced. The opening lines set the stage, taking the listener beyond the horizon of their youth into a world where "magnets and miracles" are possible. The singer reflects on the boundless nature of their thoughts in those days, before the "ringing of the division bell" signaled a change.
As the song continues, we hear about the road that the singer and his friends traveled, and the memories that haunt them still. There are echoes of regret and sadness as they look back on the dreams they once had, knowing that time has taken them away. The imagery of the "myriad small creatures" trying to tie them to the ground speaks to the weight of responsibility and the daily grind that can erode a sense of wonder and possibility.
Despite all of this, the singer is still drawn to the horizon, searching for something that he knows he cannot find. The song's climax comes when he describes reaching a "dreamed of world" at a higher altitude, but even here he finds that he is "encumbered forever by desire and ambition." The grass was greener, the light was brighter, but these things have faded with time. And yet, the singer knows that he will always be drawn back to this place of wonder and dreams, despite the fact that he has been down this road so many times before.
Line by Line Meaning
Beyond the horizon of the place we lived when we were young
Reflecting back to the place we once called home when we were young, where the possibilities and opportunities seemed endless.
In a world of magnets and miracles
Living life in a world full of astonishing things happening at every step.
Our thoughts strayed constantly and without boundary
Our minds wandered freely without any restrictions or limitations holding us back.
The ringing of the division bell had begun
The beginning of a separation and the end of an era, with changes to how we live and see the world.
Along the long road and on down the causeway
Going through the journey of life, paved with twists and turns, which leads us to where we are today.
Do they still meet there by the cut
Wondering if others we have known in life still gather at the same familiar spot.
There was a ragged band that followed in our footsteps
Being a part of a group of individuals who shared similar experiences and went through comparable changes in life.
Running, before time took our dreams away
Holding onto our dreams and ambitions and chasing them before time runs out and we are unable to achieve them.
Leaving the myriad small creatures trying to tie us to the ground
Leaving the small trivial matters that hold us back and restrict us from moving forward.
To a life consumed by slow decay
Living a life that is slowly fading away and declining with time.
The grass was greener
The good old days, where things seemed much better and easier compared to our present.
The light was brighter
The world was a better, more vibrant, and lively place back then.
With friends surrounded
The presence of close friends who made everything seem better and more enjoyable.
The night of wonder
Memories of unforgettable and extraordinary moments that occurred at night.
Looking beyond the embers of bridges glowing behind us
Looking past the ruins of the past that have been left behind.
To a glimpse of how green it was on the other side
To reminisce about the good times that we may have missed, the joys and opportunities on the other side.
Steps taken forwards -- but sleepwalking back again
Taking progressive steps towards our dreams, but then unconsciously taking a step backward.
Dragged by the force of some inner tide
Being pulled back by an uncontrollable force within us that has the power to change the direction of our lives.
At a higher altitude with flag unfurled
Having reached higher grounds in life, achieving success.
We reached the dizzy heights of that dreamed of world
Successfully achieving and realizing our dreams and ambitions.
Encumbered forever by desire and ambition
Unable to escape the intense desire to pursue our ambitions, regardless of the challenges that come with it.
There's a hunger still unsatisfied
The need to continue chasing our dreams, as there's always something more we want to achieve.
Our weary eyes still stray to the horizon
Despite the tiredness we may feel, we still glance past where we are now, hopeful that the future holds more opportunities and experiences.
Though down this road we've been so many times
Although we've experienced the journey of life many times over, it still holds surprises and changes that we may not anticipate.
The taste was sweeter
The memories of the past had a richer and more potent quality to them.
The nights of wonder
Memories of the exciting and unforgettable experiences filled with a sense of amazement and bewilderment.
With friends surrounded
Surrounded by people we care about and cherish.
The dawn mist glowing
The beauty that comes with the start of a new day.
The water flowing
The water that is always moving and fluid, representing the journey of life.
The endless river
A metaphor for the cycle of life that continues endlessly.
Forever and ever
An endless cycle, symbolizing the idea that the journey never really ends.
Contributed by Natalie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Topus Uranus
Beautiful version
randomdave30
Of all Pink Floyd songs, this one seems to lend itself almost perfectly to the Gregorian Chant interpretation. Still, I would dearly love to hear the Gregorian Chant rendition of 'Arnold Layne'!
JJfan48
This fits the song PERFECTLY Outstanding job by this band
Dante William
I love this version, but the guitar solo at the end sounds like heaven!
Chris Hampton
You're very welcome. It is one of my favourite Gregorian covers and a very faithful version of a song that means a lot to me. Please check out my other videos and leave comments if you wish
Erikinha Kurtz
Maravilhoso!!!
Eckhard Ebeling
What a beautiful cover version, the choir are so emotional and powerful!
Chris Hampton
Glad you like it! You're right about The Division Bell being an underrated album. It's a big favourite of mine and has some very moving moments both musically and lyrically. High Hopes is one track I never get tired of hearing All the best
ShadowFox37
All incredibly underrated tracks. Agreed, my friend.
Michel M. Prins
it sounds perfect! the song is beautiful :D 5 stars!