Posted on 07/27/2010 6:05:51 AM PDT by NYer
.- An order of cloistered Benedictine nuns in France has signed a deal with Universal Music to produce an album of Gregorian chant. The abbess said that after time in prayer the nuns decided the effort could touch people’s lives.
The nuns of the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation (Abbey of Our Lady of the Annunciation), near Avignon, France, won a worldwide search to find the world’s finest female singers of Gregorian chant, Decca Records reports. The search surveyed over 70 convents, including some in North America and Africa.
The nuns’ order dates back to the sixth century and their convent remains closed to the outside world. Vowed sisters remain in the convent until their death and any visitors must communicate with them through a grill. Those women who choose to live in a cloister do so to fully offer themselves to God and to commit themselves to praying for the world and the Pope.
When it came time to hold negotiations with the record label over the album, the Benedictine nuns maintained their cloister.
"I passed the contract through the grill, they signed it and passed it back,” reported Dickon Stainer, managing director of Decca Records.
The prospect of producing an album while respecting the rules of the convent means that record company bosses will not be allowed into the abbey, and that the nuns will film their own television commercial and photograph their own album cover.
"We never sought this, it came looking for us," said the abbess. "At first we were worried it would affect our cloistered life, so we asked St. Joseph in prayer. Our prayers were answered, and we thought that this album would be a good thing if it touches people's lives and helps them find peace."
The album will feature the most ancient form of Gregorian chant, the first music ever to be written down.
Other artists on the Universal Music label include Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Amy Winehouse, U2 and Lady GaGa.
“Although the nuns do not leave the convent, the whole world will now hear the true beauty of their singing,” Stainer commented.
Decca Records executive Tom Lewis was also enthusiastic about the prospective album.
"When you hear the sound of nuns chanting, it's like an immediate escape from the challenges, stresses, noise and pace of modern living. You're given a glimpse of a secret world of peace and calm," he said.
The nuns’ album “Voices – Chant from Avignon” will be released worldwide in November.
In 2008, the Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz released their Universal Music album “Chant: Music for Paradise,” which sold over one million copies.
Hey NYER Remember few years ago we have that priest group for PBS I saw that concert they were good I wonder if somebody going score a deal with PBS to have these ladies appear
Yes! I remember them well.
I wonder if somebody going score a deal with PBS to have these ladies appear
That is very doubtful. These are cloistered nuns (behind bars ;-). They don't have tv, radios or YouTube inside their cloister. They are separated from the world.
Aren’t Mother Angelica’s Nuns cloistered.
I have occasionally heard them singing behind the bars...
They are lovely to listen to, but it wasn’t Gregorian they were singing.
You completely missed the point I made by emphasizing the words "traditionally sung ... by women ... of religious orders". The Order of St. Benedict, which consists of monks (men) and nuns (women) has been around for many centuries. It was founded by St. Benedict, who died in approximately the year 547.
So, if Benedictine nuns have been praying the Divine Office and the Mass by chanting the texts since around, let's say, 600 A.D., then that would seem to include back when Gregorian chant was a hit and way before modern times, no?
:-) I hadn’t seen that Independent article and the last time I checked Fr. Z.’s blog yesterday, he hadn’t made that post. Glad to see Fr. Z. did get around to mentioning this news item.
oops, after reading Fr. Z,’s post more closely, I see that the Independent article didn’t mention that the nuns are traditional.
Yes .. they are. And so is Mother Angelica.
In the late 60s the Monks at Mepkin Abby (Cistercians (Trappists)) still used the old style musical notation, the same notation used by early Gregorian chanters. Don’t know if they still do. As someone who could read modern music notation ... took getting used to.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.