Richard Collier and Chris Tickner were interviewed after a tv-show in Magdeburg (Germany) on January the 16th, 2004

1. How did you become members of Gregorian?
Richard: Quite simply, I received a telephone call just before the first Gregorian tour asking if I was free for three weeks to go on a tour around Germany. It was the first project with the group which I seem to recall took place in April 2000. At that stage I knew nothing of Gregorian. Four years later, I'm glad to say that my answer was yes.
Chris: I was there from the very start. A friend, John Langley, booked me for a recording session to discover whether a group of singers that he had fixed could make the sound that was required by Frank Peterson to launch the project. This turned out to be successful.

2. Where did you grow up and where do you live nowadays?
Richard: I was born in a village near a small town in the middle of England called Stafford. We moved from there when I was seven to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Chris: I spent my early life in Guildford, 50km south of London. I was at university in London and moved back to south east London in 1996.

3. What kind of musical education have you got?
Richard: Both of my parents were quite musical, my father was the organist at the local parish church and my mother could also play the piano. I started to play the violin when I was four. When I was seven I got a scholarship to sing in the choir of King's College Cambridge. From then on I never really stopped singing although I never thought it would become my profession. After leaving school I went to music college in Glasgow (the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama) where I studied for five years. But as a musician, you never stop studying.
Chris: I joined the local church choir in 1958 and then went on to be one of the first horisters at Guildford Cathedral under the famous choir trainer, Barry Rose. I later went on to London University and studied singing with John Carol Case and Laura Sati.

4. Have you sung anywhere else before being a Gregorian?
Richard: Yes. Like all of the guys in the group I have sung all around. Personally on top of working extensively in the UK I have sung quite a lot in France, Switzerland and Belgium. Until I joined Gregorian this had almost all been in the classical mode of singing in all of its various genres: choral, opera, oratorio and recital.
Chris: I have sung with many choral groups and done numerous solo dates with organisations such as the London Bach Society, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Monteverdi Choir, Schutz Choir and groups too numerous to mention. I have also for many years sung in many London professional church choirs.

5. Do you still sing for other projects or with other groups except Gregorian?
Richard: Oh yes. We're musicians. When we're not performing with Gregorian we still have to maintain our other contacts. I don't have much solo work at the moment, but I still sing regularly with choirs here in London and in Switzerland. The life of the wandering minstrel hasn't changed for hundreds of years (although it's a lot easier these days with air travel!)
Chris: Yes - anyone else who pays me!

6. What are you favourite activities in your leisure time?
Richard: I'm a bit of a fitness addict so I spend quite a bit of time either on my bicycle or at the gym or walking up in the hills near my parents. I took the first exams to become a fitness instructor last year (something else to keep me occupied when I'm not performing.) Maybe I should become the personal trainer to the guys when we're on tour! As well as this I cycle everywhere in London (it's quicker and cheaper!). The rest of the guys are quite used to me turning up to rehearsals in my lycra, but they still don't like the outfits very much. (makes a change from our monks garb though!)
Chris: I sail a racing Wayfarer dingy at the Medway Yacht Club. I also enjoy golf, walking, architecture and travel. I am also a member of an English-beer preservation society, universally acknowledged as the best beer in the world!

7. Are you religious?
Richard: For someone who goes to church several times a week, no I'm not. Maybe it's because I've been regularly singing church services since I was 7 years of age that I'm not!
Chris: This is between me and my God.

8. Have you ever been in a monestary for a longer time?
Richard: One of the longest periods I ever spent in one monastery was when we filmed the tv special for the third album in Tubingen. Of course I've visited many monasteries and other religious foundations either to sing there in services or to give concerts or just to visit. They are some of the most beautiful and interesting buildings in the world, but I wouldn't want to spend my whole life there (and my wife wouldn't be too pleased with the idea either!)
Chris: No. However, I have spent a wonderful day in a Franciscan monastery in Chilworth where the hugely famous Victorian composer Albert Ketelby was inspired to compose 'In a Monastery Garden' - a much loved and admired piece. The devotion of the Franciscans was a great inspiration but I decided that celibacy wasn't for me.

9. What is so fascinating about Gregorian?
Richard: The ability to combine the old with the new and produce music which enables us as classical singers to bring our slant on some of the classic songs of our time. The chance to perform those songs I never dreamed I would or could. It's like a kid's dream come true!

10. What do you think is the reason for Gregorians popularity?
Richard: I think it's because we sing some fantastic songs (so thanks to the original song writers and to our producers for picking them and arranging them for us) and we sing them in a way that people find it easy to listen to.!
Chris: Firstly, I think it is relaxing and laid back. Secondly, the selection of songs is reminiscent for people of a certain age. Finally, I think the quality of singing on the last album is superb as is the production and guitar work.

11. How do you feel wearing monksuits?
Richard: Most of the time? Hot!
Chris: For the most part, very hot.

12. Do you think it is easy to sing famous popsongs in Gregorian style?
Richard: As I've mentioned before, all of the guys are classically trained singers and we all sing or have sung in church choirs. So it just takes a few minutes at the beginning of a recording session to hit exactly the right style (as even in church singing there are lots of ways of interpreting music). It's sometimes a bit hard not to get carried away with the music and start singing it how you remember the original version being sung.
Chris: You bet! The bigger the hit, the better the audience reaction. The best example I can offer you is 'Hymn' in Berlin on the last tour. Wow! What a fabulous response.

13. What kind of music do you listen to privately?
Richard: All sorts. Anything from Donizetti to Dire Straits, Mozart to Madonna, Kiri to Kylie (couldn't think of a classical composer beginning with K). Although my wife and I always have a battle in the car as to whether it's pop or classical that gets played. (if I tell you she's an Aussi does that give you any clues as to the outcome?!)
Chris: The music of Thomas Tallis, who is known as 'the father of English church music', gives me enormous inspiration, as does J S Bach's organ music. Other musical heros who I love to listen to are Nat King Cole, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, Roy Orbison, Dido, The Wurzels, The Pitkins and the fabulous chanteuse Doris Plunge-Warbler.

14. What are your future plans for Gregorian?
Richard: There are so many great songs which I think would work in our style. If the choice was down to me we'd record them all and be touring every year. Unfortunately we live on planet earth and not up in cloud cuckoo land and there has to be some degree of reality. Hopefully we will be touring later this year although we don't know yet for how long. Also we're hoping to release another album, but like everything in the world of music, it's not really down to us but relies on the mighty. I'll be happy to keep on singing as long as people keep on buying our cd's and coming to our concerts!
Chris: Heavy Gothic!
Semi-naked dancers, fire eaters, lots of leather and Gunther Lowden standing front of stage giving it large, with a pantomime camel crossing the stage.
The monks, in the meantime, sing heavy metal lyrics ......... Yeah!

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