These sisters don’t act – they sing! Last November about 20 Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, a young, monastic order founded in 1995, debuted an album “Advent at Ephesus,” with De Montfort Music/Decca – it was #1 on Billboard’s Classical Music Chart and the #1 Classical Traditional Artist of 2012, according to a press release.
And the sisters, who sing together eight times a day as they chant the Divine Office in Latin, are back at it again – they’ll release their second album, “Angels and Saints at Ephesus,” on May 7, featuring 17 English and Latin pieces sung a cappella for the feasts of the holy saints and angels.
Mother Cecilia, prioress of the Benedictines of Mary, who vacated her seat in the Columbus and Chicago orchestras to join the order, brought a rich background in classical music to the order and “has helped the sisters over time to sing these hymns at top quality and this was privately for the Lord in their chapel all of those years,” according to Monica Fitzgibbons, cofounder of De Montfort Music, who said the company was interested in making a formal recording after a CD of the order’s “home grown” recordings landed in their hands.
The latest album was created to fulfill requests made by people interested in listening to their music year-round.
Pre-order the CD for $17 at www.benedictinesofmary.org – it will ship May 7. You can also tune into EWTN on May 7 to see a 30-minute HD special on the making of “Angels and Saints at Ephesus.”