Choral group Floriani, shown performing in Napa, Calif., will be at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette on Saturday for a 7 p.m. concert. Admission is free. Freewill offerings will be accepted. (Contributed photo)

MARQUETTE — Choral group Floriani will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette.

Admission is free. Freewill offerings will be accepted.

Floriani is a men’s vocal quartet ensemble dedicated to performing and reviving sacred music. At their concert they offer a meditative experience as they perform an assortment of Gregorian chant, music from Eastern and Western traditions, and original pieces. In addition to the concert, Floriani will be singing at all of the weekend cathedral Masses: Saturday vigil at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Masses.

Graham Crawley, a member of the group, considers the concert a chance to return to a church that he considers a second home.

“I was born and raised in Phoenix, but my mom spent her childhood in Marquette. Every year we would ditch the desert heat and spend June through September with my grandparents, Jack and Mary Anne Kublin,” Crawley said. “So, I grew up spending tons of time in Marquette, and was basically raised at McCarty’s Cove and Mattson Park, fueled by Jean Kay’s pasties, Togo’s subs, and Frosty Treats. My parents were married in St. Peter’s, and it’s where I was baptized — it’s truly my second home, and every return brings with it the nostalgia and fond memories of childhood.”

Crawley has always loved music. “Some of my earliest memories are of listening to the Beatles with my dad. My grandpa, Jack, plays piano beautifully, so I was introduced to classical and jazz at a young age,” he said. Growing up, he played the saxophone for six years, but never formally sang. “(I) would just learn songs on my own by ear. It wasn’t until I attended Thomas Aquinas College in California at the age of 25 that I was introduced to sacred music,” Crawley explained.

In 2018, the college choir took on the name Floriani and began singing for Catholic Masses and Holy Hours in the surrounding area. Crawley and the other members went their separate ways after graduation, though a few members kept in touch on the possibility of pursuing Floriani in the future.

After a year or so, Crawley and his fellow ensemble members Giorgio Navarini, Thomas Quackenbush and Joseph Daly felt the call to pursue the mission full time. The men quit their jobs, moved to Phoenix and began working part-time at a parish while traveling the country to sing for Masses, concerts, and workshops.

“Since then, we’ve sung in over 50 parishes around the country, led a pilgrimage to Poland, recorded a few albums, and recently led our first Collegium–a liturgical music immersion for serious musicians, held at our alma mater,” he said.

He described getting to return to the U.P. to share the sacred music as wonderful, and a long time in the making. “(I was) most excited for my grandpa to finally hear us. He’s been a huge inspiration for me and has always been a great supporter of the arts,” Crawley said. “It’s also an honor to sing in such a beautiful church that has played so large a role in my family’s history.”

St. Peter Cathedral is at 311 W. Baraga Ave. in Marquette. To learn more about Floriani, go online to www.floriani.org.