A group of singing monks from an ancient monastery in the middle of the Vienna Woods have been signed to record a CD for the company that releases the work of Amy Winehouse, Eminem and 50 Cent.

The celibate monks from the 12th-century Stift Heiligenkreuz, or Abbey of the Holy Cross, were signed up by Universal after the company advertised in the church press for a group capable of singing medieval Gregorian chants. It was seeking to capitalise on a surge in demand for such music on the back of the Halo XBox game, which has a plainchant soundtrack.

It was sent hundreds of DVDs and CDs, but in the end hit on the sound made by the monks in the Romanesque cloisters of their abbey.

Tom Lewis, a spokesman for Universal Classics, said that he was impressed by the “richness and cohesion” of the sound. “They are, quite simply, the best Gregorian singers we have heard. They make a magical, evocative sound which is both immediately calming and deeply moving,” he said. “It was beautiful, beautiful music, and they’re using the latest in terms of communication devices available to them to get their music heard.”

The CD will be recorded next month and released globally after staff from the record company have been to the monastery and met the monks.

Dickon Stainer, Universal classics and jazz managing director, said: “Ever since the last Halo game, we’ve had so many inquiries about plainchant. It seems to be that younger people have some awareness of what a Gregorian chant is, even though it is not something that you come across in everyday life.

“We’ve even been asked by festival organisers if we’ve got nuns or monks on our roster.”

As it happens, the Holy Cross monks — whose Cistercian abbey is the second-oldest in the world — had been planning to make a CD last summer, but were distracted because the Pope was going to visit. Instead they posted a clip of their singing on YouTube.

The monastery’s Father Karl said that the Universal album would feature between 10 and 12 singers. “It’s a fun experience because I didn’t think they would choose us — it was just for fun that we wrote to them in an e-mail. It’s a good thing because Gregorian chant is part of spirituality and our life.”

He said that he thought the monks had “a very healthy and prospering monastery”, adding that they were keen to “show it to the whole world”.

The monks will continue to abide by their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience while they perform medieval Gregorian chant for the music-buying masses. Any royalties will be ploughed back into the work of the abbey, which sees itself as acting in an intercessory role with God for the aid of the world.

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