Spring 2026 Seminars

Saturday, February 7, 2026

Online – 11 a.m. Eastern Time

"The Method of Sight-Singing Gregorian Chant as Taught by Guido of Arrezzo" Part I – Prof. John Nowik

This seminar invites singers, organists, clergy, and directors of sacred music to rediscover Gregorian chant as it was originally taught—long before keyboards, fixed pitch, or modern solfège. Drawing on medieval sources and the pedagogical legacy of Guido of Arezzo, the presenter reveals how chant can be read with clarity and confidence through relative pitch, interval relationships, and the hexachord system (ut–re–mi–fa–sol–la). By stepping outside modern habits and into the logic of medieval chant pedagogy, participants gain practical tools to sight-read unfamiliar chants, understand mi–fa and hard and soft B, and experience chant once again as a living, communal, and deeply accessible musical language.

Saturday, March 21, 2026

Online – 11 a.m. Eastern Time

"The Method of Sight-Singing Gregorian Chant as Taught by Guido of Arrezzo" Part II – Prof. John Nowik

This is a follow-up to the seminar that invites singers, organists, clergy, and directors of sacred music to rediscover Gregorian chant as it was originally taught—long before keyboards, fixed pitch, or modern solfège. Drawing on medieval sources and the pedagogical legacy of Guido of Arezzo, the presenter reveals how chant can be read with clarity and confidence through relative pitch, interval relationships, and the hexachord system (ut–re–mi–fa–sol–la). By stepping outside modern habits and into the logic of medieval chant pedagogy, participants gain practical tools to sight-read unfamiliar chants, understand mi–fa and hard and soft B, and experience chant once again as a living, communal, and deeply accessible musical language.

Saturday, April 25, 2025

Online – 11 a.m. Eastern Time

"Symbolism of Sacred Music"

– Prof. Andrew Mahon

What is sacred music—and why does it matter?

This seminar invites participants on a sweeping theological and historical journey to rediscover the true purpose of music in worship. Moving beyond stylistic debates, we begin by examining the fundamental functions of music itself—dance, sentimental expression, assertory proclamation, and devotional worship—and ask the essential question: Which of these truly belong in the sacred liturgy, and which do not?

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