Norcia, Italy (Monday, 07-20-2015, Gaudium Press) The voices belong to the Benedictine monks of Norcia, and they sing sweet words and pious prayers to the Virgin Mary. 
When the monastery bells stop ringing, the monks intone responses and hymns in the grand tradition of Gregorian chant. They provide for many of their community’s needs with profits from sales.
“Benedicta” made it onto iTunes’s Top 40, debuted as number two in the Classical Music category on the Billboard charts, and ranked number one on Amazon. Few are surprised by a debut album of Gregorian chant topping even Bocelli in the charts. After all, Gregorian chant has a centuries-long head start.
Inspiring, beautiful music of Chant at it’s very best, by the beloved Monks of Norcia, Italy. BENEDICTA: Marian Chant from Norcia is a glorious recording of 33 tracks of Gregorian chant, that transports the listener to the Monks’ idyllic monastery in Italy.
The stunning album includes favorite Marian antiphons such as Regina Caeli, Salve Regina, Ave Maria and Ave Regina Caelorum, but also previously unrecorded chant versions of responsories, and a piece originally composed by the monks (Nos Qui Christi Iugum).
Some pieces are sung by the entire group, some by smaller ensembles of monks and others by soloists, imbuing BENEDICTA with a vast range of sound and color. Recorded on location at the monastery in Norcia, Italy, the album was produced by 11-time Grammy Award-winning producer Christopher Alder and engineered by Grammy-Award winning engineer Jonathan Stokes.
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