I sang my first arrangement of a Vietnamese carol Cao Cung Lên by Gregory Notebaert in 2015. From that time I have grown to appreciate and love his arrangements and original compositions for choir and orchestra.

I have also known Gregory as conductor of both the International Choir and Orchestra of HCMC and the Saigon Chamber Consort where I sang in the bass sections.

Gregory’s arrangements and original compositions are both challenging and sensitive to the poetic line of the lyrics. Some of his compositions, like Rorate Cæli Desuper incorporate traditional themes and styles – like Gregorian chant – which make them both appealing to the audience and challenging and fun for the chorister alike.

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I met Grégory in September 2006 at the Conservatory of Roubaix, he was studying harmony and counterpoint with my colleague Franck Zigante and wanted to be trained as an orchestrator in my class.

His thirst for learning, his musical curiosity and his enthusiasm were as compelling as his personal involvement for studies, he, the atypical self-taught musician, who had felt unjustly rejected by some institutions. He achieved, within a few years, impressive progress, which allowed him to develop his skills, serving his passion: composition.

Since then, despite the geographical distance, a beautiful friendship binds us and I am very touched to see how important music is in his life. I closely follow the evolution of his compositions, which resemble him very much: generous, sensitive, with appealing melodies, a close relationship between text and music, and an unconditional love for counterpoint.

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I got to know Grégory at the start of his career as a composer. From his “youth” works to those of “maturity” today he has never stopped training and improving himself to acheive very successful compositions. They are both simple and complex. The unison versions of his liturgical pieces can be sung with the melody only, but can also be enriched with rich harmonies depending on the skills of the choir performing the works.

A few years ago, I commissioned a song for a training session that brought together nearly 500 people. The composition had to highlight the Word of God which was at the heart of the session. Music and lyrics are still trotting in people’s minds after 20 years. This song was an essential element of the success of this session, perfectly adapted and up to this ephemeral and demanding assembly.

Precise, poetic, witty and accessible, this is Grégory’s music.

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Grégory’s compositions touch me by its moving melodies… which dance, and by the force which emerges from a rich harmonization, which evolves with originality. His creations are always alive and beautiful to perform, from the simplest to the most complex.

We met at the ACCREL organization and I was also touched by the human qualities of a talented and skilled composer, who knows how to easily bond thanks to his openness and curiosity.

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I met Gregory in 2019 thanks to the Saigon Chamber Consort when I joined this magnificent baroque choir as a Soprano. I have to say that I have extremely positive memories of this experience. Greg is a demanding and lofty Choirmaster as the works he picked were not the simplest!

Thanks to his perseverance and rigor, we were able to achieve real progress, each at our level. Also sensitive and attentive to the huge heterogeneity of the group, he knew perfectly how to stimulate us thanks to an unfailing enthusiasm. I thank you very much for this beautiful meeting and wish you the best in all your musical achievements to come.

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Greg’s favorite field is liturgical music, and he excels in it. He has a concern for the ritual specifications, to write music that is “in close connection” with the various rites (as requested by Vatican Council II).

He is also concerned to help congregations participate liturgy through singing, while giving a place to the choir. His music is limpid, classical, full of finesse. His instrumental compositions breathe freshness and are a pleasure to listen to!

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With Grégory Notebaert I realized several liturgical songs as a lyricist. He understands the rhythm of words and the dynamics of sentences. His melodies are beautiful and are dressed in harmonizations that enhance the singing.

We are preparing together an upcoming CD with hymns of praise. The composition contest in Lyon in 2018, on the theme Laudato si, was a highlight of our collaboration. His musical work deserves attention.

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Gregory Notebaert is an extremely talented composer and director. Having sung under his baton for over three years in the International Choir and Orchestra of Ho Chi Minh City  as well as the Saigon Chamber Consort, I have had the chance to sing many of his original compositions.

His works are intellectually complex with fascinating rhythmic devices as well as melodically appealing. In my singing career of over 30 years, I have rarely seen a talent such as Greg.

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I really enjoyed playing violin with the other musicians to accompany Gregory’s Baroque Choir. Gregory rehearsed very thoroughly with us string players, with great attention to details. Even though we instrumentalists, and choir members were all non professionals, he encouraged each of us, and brought us up to an almost professional level.

On a personal level, he was very understanding and cheerful, at the same time as keeping his musical demands very high as a conductor, and thus he kept us progressing to a good level.

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