Cistercian Monks' first CD

It seems like it was only a very short while ago that news broke on these Austrian Monks getting a recording contract, and now their first album, Chant; Music for Paradise, will be released on May 19.

As you can hear in the video, they have an unusually pure sound – their voices seem to blend effortlessly and seamlessly.

Gregorian Chant seems to be making a genuine comeback; thanks to the videogame Halo, kids are developing an ear and an appreciation for it; I think that can lead to very good things, even surprising things. Mother Benedict Nuss, foundress of the Abbey of Regina Laudis insisted that her nuns continue with Latin chant even when other monasteries were moving toward the vernacular. She said, “I had an intuitive conviction that the Chant had the power to communicate the life of God as no other music does.”

Anyway, this is pretty cool. Meanwhile Margaret Cabaniss has a very brief snippet of song from those three brother-priests in Ireland who just signed a recording contract. A bit Irish-tenory for me, but it’s such a brief clip, perhaps it’s not fair to judge.

In any case, I don’t think introducing a bit of Chant and such to the pop culture can hurt it any! May do some good!

UPDATE: Brian Saint-Paul has more on the the “Halo” connection which is nothing at all like The Rainbow Connection, but now I’ll have that song in my head all day!