Participants of the History of Castles and Cathedrals Concert Music workshop will learn more about some of the music that will be performed at the Oct. 10 concert; Castles, Cathedrals & Colonies today.

During the workshop, Richard Rossi, director of Orchestral and Choral Activities, will lead participants through the history of Gregorian chant and baroque music.

The Camerata singers will also perform at the workshop to demonstrate chants and show the different groupings in the music that will be performed at the concert.

The Camerata Singers are an ensemble made up of Concert Choir members that is based off of the popular Florentine Camerata.

“A matter of fact,” Rossi said, “there were some well known people in that group.”

Many famous men at the time made up the Florentine Camerata.

Members of the Florentine Camerata included Giulio Caccini, Pietro Strozzi and Vincenzo Galilei and Count Giovanni de’ Bardi.

The group, which focuses on music from before 1750, will be demonstrating Gregorian chants.

The Camerata Singers learned Gregorian chants from the original script found in the “Liber Usualis.”

The “Liber Usualis” is a book containing several Gregorian chants that are written in neumes, a form of notation.

Pieces performed by the group will include “Heilig ist Der Herr” (Holy is the Lord) by Andreas Hammerschmidt, “Misericordias Domini” by Francesco Durante and “Domine, Ad Adjuvandum Me Festina” (Lord, My God, Assist Me Now) by Giovanni Battista Martini.

Rossi will also teach participants more about the baroque period music.

“They will be able to see a historical development, moving from chants to the baroque period,” Rossi said.

The Academy of Lifetime Learning will sponsor the workshop.

It will start at 7 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Doudna Fine Arts Center.

Tickets for the event are $25 for Academy of Lifetime Learning members and $45 for non-members.

Sam Bohne can be reached at 381-7942 or shbohne@eiu.edu.