Gold Rush! 'The Monks' go Gold and Platinum

NEW YORK, Sept. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- "Move over, Madonna," read a recent San
Francisco Chronicle headline. Already a runaway hit in the UK, Chant - Music
for the Soul debuted at #9 on the Billboard Pop Chart in June, alongside the
reigning Queen of Pop and above Grammy Best New Artist of the Year Amy
Winehouse. This week, The Monks went Gold in the UK and Germany, Platinum in
Belgium and Poland, and Double Platinum in Austria. The disc remains #1 on the
Billboard Classical Chart in the US, and held the #1 spot on iTunes for 11
weeks straight.
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How did The Monks of the Cistercian Abbey Stift Heiligenkreuz come to be
signed by one of the largest record labels in the world? Earlier this year,
Universal Classics & Jazz placed ads in religious publications throughout the
UK encouraging choral groups of all types to submit demos. Word reached The
Monks in Vienna, who applied via a video clip they had posted on YouTube. Of
the signing, Billboard reported, "It's a pretty safe bet that very few of
Universal Music's recent signings count Pope Benedict XVI among their fans.
But the pontiff is a definite admirer of the latest boys in the hood(s) to
sign globally to Universal Classics."
In addition to the great commercial success, Chant - Music for the Soul
has been embraced by the American media. Rave reviews include: "The sound of
eternity" (The New York Times), "Impossible to resist" (The Washington Times)
and "A little music history" (Newsweek). Critics around the world have praised
both the authenticity and the sheer beauty of the Gregorian chant presented on
this not-be-missed recording.
SOURCE Decca Label Group

Olga Makrias, Decca Label Group, +1-212-333-1485, olga.makrias@umusic.com