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| This two-CD set marks the 10 years since a group of Spanish monks sparked a revival of Gregorian chant. |
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| 1 Alleluia, beatus vir qui suffert, in mode 1 |
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| 2 Mandatum novum do vobis, antiphon & Psalm 132 in Mode 3 |
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| 3 Media vita in morte sumus, responsory in mode 4 |
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| 4 Laetatus sum, gradual in mode 7 (Liber Usualis No. 560, GR 139) |
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| 5 Veni Creator, hymn (Mode VII) |
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| 6 Genuit puerpera regen, antiphon & Psalm 99 (Mode II) |
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| 7 Kyrie fons bonitatis, trope in mode 3 |
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| 8 Nos autem, introit |
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| 9 Super flumina Babylonis, offertory in mode 1 (Liber Usualis No. 1065) |
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| 10 Qui manducat, communion |
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| 11 Ave Regina cælorum (solemn tone), antiphon |
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| 12 Salve festa dies, hymn in mode 4 |
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| 13 Rorate caeli 1. T. /GR 34 |
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| 14 Jacta cogitatum tuum, gradual in mode 7 |
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| 15 Jucundare Filia Sion, antiphon and psalm, mode 8 |
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| 16 Veni Sancti Spiritus, sequence in mode 1 for Pentecost Sunday |
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| 17 Respice, Domine, gradual in mode 5 |
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| 18 Alleluia. Oportebat |
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| 19 Christus factus est, gradual in mode 5 (Liber Usualis, No 655) |
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| 20 Puer natus est nobis, introit in mode 7 |
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| 21 Ave mundi spes Maria, sequence in modes 7 & 8 |
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| 22 Spiritus Domini, introit in mode 7 |
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| 23 Os iusti, gradual in mode 1 |
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| 24 A solis ortus cardine, hymn in mode 3 (Liber Usualis No. 400) |
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| 25 Occuli omnium, gradual in mode 7 |
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Album Review
In 1994, who would have thought that a collection of traditional Gregorian chants by Catholic monks from a monastery in northwestern Spain would have become an international pop hit? Who would have thought that the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos would have been sharing the American pop charts with the likes of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, the Notorious B.I.G., Metallica, and Dr. Dre during the Bill Clinton years? But in fact, that's exactly what happened in 1994, when the Benedictine Monks' "Chant" soared to the Top Ten on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart and went triple platinum (three million units sold) in the United States -- and that is in addition to millions of copies sold in Western Europe. The Vatican must have been elated! In 2004, Angel/EMI celebrated "Chant"'s tenth anniversary with "Chant: The Anniversary Edition", a two-CD set that contains both "Chant" and its sequel, "Chant II". However, this double CD is really marking a 31st anniversary instead of a tenth. The a cappella performances on "Chant" were originally released on LP in Spain in 1973; 1994's "Chant" CD was actually a reissue. So why were so many '90s listeners drawn to -- of all things -- medieval-style Gregorian chants? Aggressive marketing on Angel/EMI's part was no doubt a major factor, and perhaps some listeners saw these serene, hauntingly tranquil performances as an alternative to all the angst music they were being bombarded with in 1994 -- a medieval refuge from the turbulent, fast-paced '90s and the tortured, in-your-face anger of 2Pac, Slayer, Courtney Love, and Ice Cube. Of course, it's easy to romanticize medieval life when you're enjoying the comforts and conveniences of modern technology; by today's standards, medieval life was, for most Europeans, amazingly harsh (politically, socially, technologically, and otherwise). But that doesn't make the performances on "Chant: The Anniversary Edition" any less beautiful; this double CD is enthusiastically recommended to anyone who missed "Chant" or "Chant II" the first time around. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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• Biography
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