St. Gregory's Hall Interview: Kevin Allen

Kevin Allen is a well-known composer. His works, sacred and secular, have been performed in churches and concert halls throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. Based in Chicago, he is the founding director of the Collins Consort, American Composer’s Project, and Schola Immaculata. Mr. Allen is also the director of Schola Laudis at the Benedictine Monastery of the Holy Cross. He is Artist & Composer-in-Residence at St. Gregory's Hall. On Saturday, September 3, he will direct the music for a special Mass for the Feast of St. Gregory the Great. More info here.

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What drew you to sacred music and to composing, and what kept you in this realm of work?

It started early at Holy Angels School [in Chicago]. I had a fantastic music teacher, Sister Lorraine Quella, who was of the School Sisters of St. Francis; they were based in Milwaukee but staffing the school in Bronzeville. She was my music teacher for my entire time there at Holy Angels.

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