Dom Gregory Murray OSB (27 February 1905 – 19 January 1992) was a British monk of

Downside Abbey Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England and the senior community of the English Benedictine Congregation. Until 2019, the community had close links with Downside School, for the education of children aged 11 to 18. Both the abbey ...

, and an organist and composer. His over-riding interest as a musician was to provide music that would enhance the Roman Catholic liturgy.Moore, A
'Murray, Gregory'
''Grove Music Online''. Online resource, accessed 23 Nov. 2023.

Biography

Early life

Anthony Murray was born on 27 February 1905 in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies in a loop on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea, London, Chelsea ...

, LondonDom Gregory Murray. ''The Times'' (London, England). 64242. Thursday, Jan. 30, 1992 to Arthur Joseph Mandeville Murray (1870–1909) and his wife Gertrude Mary Murray, nee Santiero (1869–1940).1911 England Census Class: RG14; Piece: 342 He was educated in the choir school of

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral, officially the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, is the largest Catholic Church in England and Wales, Roman Catholic church in England and Wales. The shrine is dedicated to the Blood of Jesus Ch ...

under the aegis of Sir Richard Terry, and at Ealing Abbey School. In 1923 he began his life as a monk at Downside Abbey, taking the name Gregory. In 1927 he became a Fellow of the

Royal College of Organists The Royal College of Organists (RCO) is a charity and membership organisation based in the United Kingdom, with members worldwide. Its role is to promote and advance organ playing and choral music, and it offers music education, training and de ...

. In 1929 he graduated from the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

with a degree in history.

Priest

Murray was ordained priest at

in Somerset in 1932. He remained a member of the community at Downside although spending some time away from there: periods between 1939 and 1945 at

Ealing Abbey The Abbey of Ealing is a Roman Catholic Benedictine monastery located on Castlebar Hill in Ealing, England. It is part of the English Benedictine Congregation. The shrine is dedicated to Saint Benedict of Nursia. In 2020, the Abbey had fourtee ...

, a daughter house of Downside; from 1948 to 1952 as parish priest of St. Benedict's,

Hindley, Greater Manchester Hindley ( ) is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan in Greater Manchester, England. It is east of Wigan and covers an area of . Within the boundaries of the Historic counties of England, historic county of Lancashire, Hindley (which ...

; and from 1952 to 1987 as parish priest of St Benedict's,

Stratton-on-the-Fosse Stratton-on-the-Fosse is a village and civil parish located on the edge of the Mendip Hills, south-west of Westfield, north-east of Shepton Mallet, and from Frome, in Somerset, England. It has a population of 1,108, and has a rural agricult ...

, adjacent to Downside.

Liturgical composer

Murray made a significant musical contribution to Catholic liturgy in respect of the development of congregational participation, notably in the 1939 ''Westminster Hymnal'', and ''A People's Mass'' (1950) with Latin text and in 1975 adapted by the composer to suit post-Vatican II English text with the title 'A New People's Mass'). It is a simple and tuneful setting, with sales of more than two million copies at the time of Murray's death. In 1963, ''A People's Mass'' was adapted by

John Dykes Bower Sir John Dykes Bower (13 August 190529 May 1981) was an English cathedral organist who served in Truro Cathedral, Durham Cathedral and St Paul's Cathedral. Background Bower was born in Gloucester into a musical family, a descendant of the hymn ...

for

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

use, with Murray's blessing. It was published as 'A People's Communion Service'. Apart from compositions for the organ and the liturgy there are also some choral works. He also composed and edited much music for, and championed the revival of interest in, the

recorder Recorder or The Recorder may refer to: Newspapers * ''Indianapolis Recorder'', a weekly newspaper * ''The Recorder'' (Massachusetts newspaper), a daily newspaper published in Greenfield, Massachusetts, US * ''The Recorder'' (Port Pirie), a newsp ...

Liturgical scholar

Murray was considered an authority on the liturgical use of

plainchant Plainsong or plainchant (calque from the French ; ) is a body of chants used in the liturgies of the Western Church. When referring to the term plainsong, it is those sacred pieces that are composed in Latin text. Plainsong was the exclusive for ...

, and published two books on the subject. The first, ''Gregorian Rhythm'' (1934), was superseded by the second, ''Gregorian Chant according to the manuscripts'' (1964). In this he diverged radically from his earlier work, and the generally accepted Solesmes interpretation of plainchant. He was a keen supporter of the use of the vernacular in Catholic worship, a position illustrated in his ''Music and the Mass'' (1967), which discussed the centrality of music in the reformed liturgies being promoted by the

Second Vatican Council The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the or , was the 21st and most recent ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. The council met each autumn from 1962 to 1965 in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City for session ...

Organist

As an organist Murray was widely known for his ability to improvise on the organ and he established a national reputation as a recitalist from his regular appearances on the BBC, giving organ recitals from Downside. The ''Homage to Delius'' hints at Dom Gregory's prodigious facility for improvisation. However, his duties as a priest and monk inhibited the further development of a performing career.

Personal life

Aside from his musical activities and religious duties, Murray had a lifelong interest in the Gospel of St Matthew and in playing chess, cricket, football and tennis.

Works

Compositions and arrangements

Oboe

* (1957) Oboe Album

Organ

Recorder

Voice(s)

=Hymnody

Writings

References

External links

* Catalogue details of Murray's published work held in UK libraries can be found at: *#
Murray, Anthony Gregory
in ''Jisc Library Hub Discover''. Online resource, accessed 3 November 2023. *#
Murray, Dom Gregory
in ''Jisc Library Hub Discover''. Online resource, accessed 3 November 2023. * Jeff Ostrowski
''Dom Gregory Murray's People's Mass''
Corpus Christi Watershed, 24 March 2013. Online resource, accessed 25 November 2023.
The pipe organ in the Abbey church at Downside
is listed on the UK National Pipe Organ Register. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Gregory Alumni of St Edmund's College, Cambridge English classical composers 20th-century British organists Clergy from London Musicians from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham People from Fulham People educated at St Benedict's School, Ealing