Gegorian Chant at Kastorkirche

Spent a most pleasant evening last week at a concert in the Basilika St. Kastor.

St. Kastor is the oldest of the Romanesque churches for which Coblenz is known. There has been a church on this site, near Deutsche Eck, since the middle of the 9th century. The present from the the church dates from the mid-12th century although a careful restoration was done after WWII as the church was hit by British bombers.

Combining this small gem of a church with a program of Gregorian Chant made the even special. The group, Schola Gregoriana Pragensis, is a group of professional singers from Prague who specialize in this form of music.

Listening to the Latin text of these chants sung in melodic vocals that resonated from the thick wall of this 1200 year old Romanesque church -- a church that was in place during the period in which this music originated -- made for a fitting and delightful evening.