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.
Scarborough fair
Gregorian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Without no seams nor needle work
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Between the salt water and the sea strands
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
And bind it all in a bunch of heather
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
The song "Scarborough Fair" is a traditional English ballad that tells a story of love and loss. The lyrics begin with the singer asking if the listener is going to Scarborough Fair, a popular 17th-century fair in Yorkshire, England. The singer then requests the listener to pass on a message to a former lover who lives there. The singer implores the listener to tell the former lover to make them a cambric shirt without any seams or needlework, which would prove her devotion and love.
The lyrics then progress, with the singer asking the listener to tell the former lover to find them an acre of land between the salt water and the sea strands, which can be viewed as an impossible task. But if she succeeds, the singer promises that she will be a true love of his. Lastly, the singer asks the former lover to reap the land with a sickle of leather and bind it all in a bunch of heather. These tasks are repeated throughout the song, with Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme serving as a repeating motif.
In the end, the song can be interpreted as a ballad of love that is unattainable, with tasks that are impossible to carry out, and memories that hurt. The song's haunting melody and powerful lyrics have made it a widely recognized and beloved traditional English ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you going to Scarborough Fair
Are you planning on attending the Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
These are a list of herbs that are commonly used in folk medicine and other remedies.
Remember me to one who lives there
Can you pass along a message to someone who lives at the Scarborough Fair?
She once was a true love of mine.
I used to be in love with this person who now resides at Scarborough Fair.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
Can you ask her to create a new shirt for me out of cambric?
Without no seams nor needle work
I would like this shirt to be created without the use of any seams or needlework.
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
If she creates this shirt for me, then she will have won back my love.
Tell her to find me an acre of land
Can you also ask her to locate an entire acre of land for me?
Between the salt water and the sea strands
I would prefer this land to be between the salt water of the ocean and the sand or rocks of the beach.
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
If she is able to find and procure this land for me, I will once again consider her my true love.
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
If she is able to locate and obtain this land, then I would like her to harvest it using a sickle made of leather.
And bind it all in a bunch of heather
After harvesting, I would like her to bundle and bind everything together using heather.
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
If she is able to complete all of these tasks, I will be convinced that she is my true love once again.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HAYLEY WESTENRA, NICK INGMAN, NICK PATRICK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@RoxyWrites
@@shirenebolton4668 Yes, I have heard this a few times, it's lovely and I'm partial to this group. However, that is not what I meant by "versions" and I should clarify -- This is a modern version and modern versions are based on only one developed stream of the many Medieval versions of "Scarborough Fair."
What I'm getting at is that this ballad's origins are not just a different arrangement of the music, this ballad was written with many different sets of lyrics over many years.
Ex: this version does not use the typical lyrics of "Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme" and several Medieval versions supposedly also did not. There is a very good reason for that. The line signifies the use of herbs to terminate pregnancy. A Medieval morning-after pill was made with them if you like. I studied herbalism for a while and learned that it was not just midwives who knew how to do this, but most women. However, this being a very controversial subject, even today, you might not be surprised by the fact that most midwife knowledge was common knowledge to women centuries ago and was stripped out of western culture when the church gained the upper hand and tried to suppress public medicinal knowledge as we moved toward a much more male-dominated society and the control of pregnancy became something men wanted and began to ensure to cement political and societal control through manipulation. These days it's controlled through legislation (similar construct) and the removal of access to women's healthcare which is another reason things like Medicare for all are so incendiary. But, back to the herbs.... Some of these four herbs were often mixed with pennyroyal herb and blue cohosh if they were available (Not pennyroyal oil please note, that's very toxic as prepared, but the herb itself) because it causes uterine contractions while the blue cohosh causes the uterine wall to shed layers inducing menstruation and preventing an embryo from taking hold.
Separate from all that, there are several interpretations of Scarborough Fair (the Simon & Garfunkel version you mention is one) that is constructed to reflect the impossible expectations of young people upon prospective lovers, a dynamic that is as old as the original ballads and beyond. The lyrics reflect in older interpretations, a set of impossible tasks to challenge the strength of a lover's feelings (which was one of the original themes of SF as a Medieval ballad. And also as the place where one might obtain the herbs needed if one's lover was found to be either married or had been untrue and marriage called off... Ex: "Are you going to SF? Parsley sage rosemary and thyme... Remember me to one who lives there" - this could easily be code for "pick the herbs up for me or tell my ex I've done with him," etc.
Now, anecdotally it is conjectured that the phrase Scarborough Fair was also interpreted at one time as 'code' for lovemaking...meeting a lover at the Fair. I am still discovering lyrics from various versions of this ballad going back centuries. It was more of a hobby while I was in the SCA (medieval reenactment group).
These days I'm more interested in the song from an herbalist's perspective, but the thing about music that lasts this many centuries is that it has something to tell us about who we are as human beings, about history, and about the way we treat each other.
I will say that my own studies have made it quite clear to me that I want a world that doesn't require women to talk in code, forget what they know about herbs and medicine, doesn't allow a church or any dogmatic religion to take away women's right to access healthcare as they see fit. I also want to see us learn from our past instead of repeating it over and over.
This is probably more information than you wanted! LOL. Sorry, writer. Enjoy the music, Be well, be safe.
@Arturo7881
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine.
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt (in the deep forest green)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Tracing of sparrow on snow-crested ground)
Without no seams nor needle work
(Bedclothes the child of the mountain)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)
Tell her to find me an acre of land
(A sprinkling of leaves)
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
(Washes the grave with silvery tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strands
(And polishes a gun)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
(Blazing in scarlet battalions)
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
(A cause they've long ago forgotten)
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
@user-mz8dx4ms2m
Are you going to Scarborough Fair
Parsley,sage,rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
Tell her to make me a cambric shirt
(Oh the side of a hill in the deep forest green)
Parsley,sage,rosemary and thyme
(Tracing of sparrow on the snow crested brown)
Without no seams nor needle work
(Blankets and bedclothes the child of the mountain)
Then she`ll be ture love of main
(Sleeps unaware of the clarion call)
Tell her to find me an acre of land
(On the side of a hill a sprinkling of leaves)
Parsley,sage,rosemary and thyme
(Washes the grave with silvery tears)
Between the salt water and the sea strand
(A soldier cleans and publishes a gun)
Then she`ll be a true love of mine
Tell her to reap it with a sickle of leather
(War bells blazing in scarlet battalion)
Parsley,sage,rosemary and thyme
(Generals order their soldiers to kill)
And gather it all in a bunch of heather
(And to fight for a cause they`ve long ago forgotten)
Then she`ll be a true love of mine
Are you going to Scarborough Fair
Parsley,sage,rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She once was a true love of mine
@Trifaceable
I think this is my favourite version of Scarborough Fair. The chant gives the song such a mystical aura.
@larsvanlenteren8117
Yeah. So does the reverb overdose.
@zimanarine2780
Listen to celia pavey from voice Australia. Also a haunting rendition
@walkawaycat431
Sarah Brightman is the best cover version, in my opinion. This is very good though.
@YorkyOne
@@walkawaycat431
If you want to hear a different but to my ears more authentic version give Robin and Barry Dransfield's recording a listen.
No herbs, a slightly different tune and absolutely saccharine free.
@walkawaycat431
@@YorkyOne I'll give it a listen. Thanks
@shirenebolton4668
Oh My God!!!!! This song is hauntingly sweet and enchanting....
OMG.........
@RoxyWrites
This song was written originally in the Medieval period and has many versions.
@shirenebolton4668
@@RoxyWrites Hi!!!.........So far I have heard the version made by Simon and Garfunkel and the Gregorian version. The version by Nox Arcana is really good too. Take a listen to it when you have a chance. Let me know what you think. 😘
@RoxyWrites
@@shirenebolton4668 Yes, I have heard this a few times, it's lovely and I'm partial to this group. However, that is not what I meant by "versions" and I should clarify -- This is a modern version and modern versions are based on only one developed stream of the many Medieval versions of "Scarborough Fair."
What I'm getting at is that this ballad's origins are not just a different arrangement of the music, this ballad was written with many different sets of lyrics over many years.
Ex: this version does not use the typical lyrics of "Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme" and several Medieval versions supposedly also did not. There is a very good reason for that. The line signifies the use of herbs to terminate pregnancy. A Medieval morning-after pill was made with them if you like. I studied herbalism for a while and learned that it was not just midwives who knew how to do this, but most women. However, this being a very controversial subject, even today, you might not be surprised by the fact that most midwife knowledge was common knowledge to women centuries ago and was stripped out of western culture when the church gained the upper hand and tried to suppress public medicinal knowledge as we moved toward a much more male-dominated society and the control of pregnancy became something men wanted and began to ensure to cement political and societal control through manipulation. These days it's controlled through legislation (similar construct) and the removal of access to women's healthcare which is another reason things like Medicare for all are so incendiary. But, back to the herbs.... Some of these four herbs were often mixed with pennyroyal herb and blue cohosh if they were available (Not pennyroyal oil please note, that's very toxic as prepared, but the herb itself) because it causes uterine contractions while the blue cohosh causes the uterine wall to shed layers inducing menstruation and preventing an embryo from taking hold.
Separate from all that, there are several interpretations of Scarborough Fair (the Simon & Garfunkel version you mention is one) that is constructed to reflect the impossible expectations of young people upon prospective lovers, a dynamic that is as old as the original ballads and beyond. The lyrics reflect in older interpretations, a set of impossible tasks to challenge the strength of a lover's feelings (which was one of the original themes of SF as a Medieval ballad. And also as the place where one might obtain the herbs needed if one's lover was found to be either married or had been untrue and marriage called off... Ex: "Are you going to SF? Parsley sage rosemary and thyme... Remember me to one who lives there" - this could easily be code for "pick the herbs up for me or tell my ex I've done with him," etc.
Now, anecdotally it is conjectured that the phrase Scarborough Fair was also interpreted at one time as 'code' for lovemaking...meeting a lover at the Fair. I am still discovering lyrics from various versions of this ballad going back centuries. It was more of a hobby while I was in the SCA (medieval reenactment group).
These days I'm more interested in the song from an herbalist's perspective, but the thing about music that lasts this many centuries is that it has something to tell us about who we are as human beings, about history, and about the way we treat each other.
I will say that my own studies have made it quite clear to me that I want a world that doesn't require women to talk in code, forget what they know about herbs and medicine, doesn't allow a church or any dogmatic religion to take away women's right to access healthcare as they see fit. I also want to see us learn from our past instead of repeating it over and over.
This is probably more information than you wanted! LOL. Sorry, writer. Enjoy the music, Be well, be safe.