Best of Monks of Solesmes

Since 1833, the research and study of Gregorian Chant by the Monks of the Abbey of St. Peter in Solesmes, France, has focused on making this sung form of prayer the finest possible offering for God, to whom it is addressed six times a day at the Abbey.

Each CD in this two-volume set, with chants from the 10th to the 17th centuries, contains the best of the Monks of Solesmes—including the Te Deum, Stabat Mater, Ave Maria, chants for the Liturgical Year from Advent to Pentecost, hymns from the service of Compline, chants devoted to Our Lady and the Blessed Sacrament, as well as the Mass of the Angels.

Each piece is taken from the Liber Cantualis and the corresponding reference number in the Cantualis is provided for each track, as well as the respective place in the service and/or liturgical calendar.

Sung in historical style, the chants on this disc are ideal for those who are familiar with the chant liturgy, as a collection of familiar melodies, as well as those wanting to become familiar with Gregorian chant.