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BIO
The Full Story
Christopher Jasper is the founder and director of the Gregorian Chant Academy. He has sung in choirs and Gregorian scholas since a young boy soprano and has assiduously studied & sung Gregorian Chant since 1997, directing in various locations since 2007. He is thoroughly versed in both Semiology and Dom Mocquereau's Solesmes Method. Some of the places he has directed include:
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Mel Gibson's private Holy Family Chapel in Agoura Hills, CA (2007-2009)
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the historic Five Wounds church in San Jose, CA (2009-2011)
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Cathedral of St Thomas Aquinas in Reno, NV (2011-2012)
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St Joan of Arc Catholic Church in Coeur d'Alene, ID (2013-2018)
In addition to personal study and experience, some of his studies and training include:
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Advanced studies at the Abbey of Solesmes (2010) under the direction of the late Dom Daniel Saulnier, former director of chant research at Solesmes.
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Advanced studies at Le Centre d'Etudes Superieures de la Renaissance in Tours, France (2013) under the direction of the late Dom Daniel Saulnier
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Former postulant and current oblate of the traditional Benedictine Monastero di St Benedetto in Norcia, Italy.
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Regular correspondence with Dom Saulnier, Msgr Alberto Turco and Giacomo Baroffio
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Schola Cantor and choir member under Mr Jeffrey Morse from 2001-2007 at St Stephen the First Martyr, in Sacramento, CA (Mr. Morse was friend and student of the late Dr Mary Berry/Sr Thomas More)
"Chris Jasper is a brilliant young chant scholar...
Those who know Chris expect great things from him.
Chris Jasper is in a sense a musical 'grandchild' of
[Dr Mary Berry/Sister Thomas More.]"
~ Jeffrey Morse, from a comment on Chant Cafe in 2010
Having originally pursued a career in acting and filmmaking, graduating from the New York Film Academy in Hollywood, CA in 2008, Christopher ultimately decided to give up this pursuit after experiencing first-hand how morally depraved the industry is. He then decided to pursue a career as a director of sacred music, earning his living as a professional welder and fabricator in the meantime. In 2014, he entered and became a Postulant at the traditional Benedictine monastery - now abbey - in Norcia, Italy: Monastero di San Benedetto. After discovering this was not his vocation, he left as an Oblate of the monastery and remains so to this day.
In January of 2021, he simultaneously launched the Gregorian Chant Academy on YouTube and a modest fine woodworking company (Jasper Woodworking). In February of 2022, he closed the woodworking business and has worked fulltime on the Academy ever since. On Pentecost of 2023, the Academy merged with Floriani Sacred Music, the Academy serving as Floriani's online educational division and Christopher as Floriani's 5th member of the ensemble. Floriani - and hence, GCA - is a 501c-3 non-profit organization. To learn more about Floriani, visit: https://www.floriani.org.
Christopher is currently married with 5 children, living in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where they attend St Joan of Arc Catholic Church, a Traditional Latin Mass parish of the Fraternity of St Peter.