An abbey of French Benedictine nuns is taking part in the largest recording project in history, bringing the complete Gregorian chant to the modern world and breathing new life into an extraordinary 1,200-year-old tradition. Classic fM
NEUMZ is the entire Gregorian repertoire chant project presented in synchronised recordings, notation and translations as well as the largest recording project ever undertaken, in a long-term collaboration with the community of Benedictine nuns of the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Fidelite of Jouques, in Provence, France. The complete project covers three years of recordings including thousands of pieces (the equivalent of more than 7000 CDs). Each chant is synchronised with its square-note score, the Latin text, and its translation into the user’s language. The contents of the Psalter, lectionary, collectary, antiphonary, responsoriary, and Gradual are assembled into a 21st-century multimedia “Liber Digitalis”.
The web app is for the moment completely free while the year’s chants to its database will be added. After this, it will remain free in a restricted, “radio” mode, allowing users to listen to the chants of the hour. “Play-on-demand” will then be limited to Patrons.
Neumz will offer the timeless beauty of Gregorian Chant to the entire world, provided in translations into many languages, and speaking through the beautiful recordings of the music itself. It is also a precious resource for people wishing to explore the Gregorian repertoire and liturgical calendar. It offers many world-premiere recordings, and brings the chant, notation, language, and structure together in one place, in an easy-to-use app.
The project has been enthusiastically received by the international press, both by national newspapers and the specialised music press (The Guardian, Le Figaro, Der Spiegel, BBC Radio 3, The Times, Il Corriere della Sera, Il Manifesto, Musica, France Musique, Scherzo and Ritmo).
