By Andrew Hough 2 hours, 7 minutes ago
LONDON (Reuters) -
A group of Gregorian chanting monks are
on the cusp of international fame, after being signed by one of
the world's biggest music labels.
The Abbey of the Holy Cross monks, whose heavenly notes are
enjoyed by Pope Benedict, have signed with London-based
Universal Records, the company told Reuters on Monday.
The record giant, home to international artists including
Amy Winehouse, Bryan Adams and Eminem, will produce the
Austrian-based choir's album, which is due for worldwide
distribution later this year, it said.
The company discovered the choir, from the world's second
oldest Cistercian monastery and based 15 km (10 miles) west of
the capital Vienna, after they responded via YouTube to
advertisements calling for medieval chanters.
They beat more than 100 other entries which had flooded in
from all over the world from countries such as the United
States, France, Italy, Ireland and Canada.
According to the monks' Web site, Pope Benedict made a rare
visit last year to the Austrian monastery, founded in 1133 by
St. Leopold III of the House of Babenberg.
Because of the Pontiff's visit they were forced to postpone
releasing their own album, Universal officials said.
The monks' spokesman, Father Karl Wallner, said they had
initially responded to the advertisement for fun.
"But now it has become a very serious and positive thing
for us because Gregorian Chant is the expression of our
spirituality, it's how we pray," he said in a statement
released through the company.
"We're not Robbie Williams or Michael Jackson, we're just a
group of monks who sing every day because it's our prayer and
it's our life."
Label bosses had placed the adverts in various religious
publications after discovering a resurgence of interest in the
Gregorian chant, thanks to a best-selling computer game.
The Xbox space-age Halo game, which has sold more than 16
million copies worldwide, uses Gregorian chant within its main
soundtrack.
The chant, traditionally sung by choirs of men and boys
since the early Middle Ages, is one of the oldest known forms
of written music.
"They are, without question, the best we heard," Universal
artist and repertoire manager Tom Lewis, told Reuters.
"We are excited about the prospect of having a very
beautiful and special record on our hands."
He said it was an unusual way of signing an artist but the
company was looking for something "particularly extraordinary."
Their first album is due for release by the British summer.
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