Search - The Monks of Glenstal Abbey :: The Monks of Glenstal Abbey Gregorian Chants

Situated near the village of Murro in the North-East corner of Limerick, Glenstal is Ireland s only Benedictine monastery for monks it is also one of Ireland s leading boarding schools. The abbey is also famous for its activities in art, music and religious studies and over the last thirty years has been at the forefront of the theological debate and ecumenism in Ireland. The front cover image on this CD shows a section of the stained glass window in the Lady Chapel (Glenstal Abbey) The Artist Patrick Pye, inauguratedat Pentecost 1964, they depict the church of the Old and New Testaments in six panels. Inside booklet is a picture of Diptych of the Dormition of Our Lady and the Harrowing of Hell 17th Century, of the Stroganoff School from the Glenstal Abbey Collection. Gregorian Chant is an integral part of the Benedictine monastic experience, forming the core of the Church s daily offices as they are chanted in choir: from morning (Matins and Lauds) through Mid-day Mass to evening (Vespers and Compline). With passionate intensity and yet sober restraint. It channels religious emotion and gives it musical expression Organ improvisation, as it is heard on this recording, is often used in the liturgy at Glenstal, capturing the mood of the liturgical action through spontaneous embellishment of the Gregorian melodies