Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki was born between 1665 and 1667 in Rozbark, near Bytom. From around 1678 until 1683, he studied at the university in Prague in the department of liberal arts and philosophy, and later in Vienna, where around seven years later he received a licentiate in theology. In 1689 or 1690, he went to Cracow, where on December 23, 1690, he received four minor ordinations, and in 1691 became subdeacon, in February 1692 deacon, and a month later, priest. For the next two years, he lectured in rhetoric and poetry at the Academy of Chełmno led by the Pomeranian city’s missionary priests. Following his return to Cracow on October 1, 1694, he assumed the function of vicar to the Wawel Cathedral, and on January 10, 1698, was called to the post of chapel master (Magister capellae musices Ecclesiae Cathedralis Cracoviensis). His duties included conducting, preparing the repertoire, composing his own works, and copying voices from pieces by other composers. Most of his compositions in manuscript original and copy survived in the Archive Wawel Cathedral Chapter. After World War II, the manuscripts of two works – Completorium and Conductus funebris – were discovered in the archive of the previous Reformed parish church in Raków Opatowski near Kielce. Piotrków Chant – the name refers to the musical repertoire from the so-called Piotrków books, i.e. the liturgical books of the Roman Church for Polish dioceses published between the sixteenth and seventeenth century in Cracow.
