CCMusic.com

The Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos became famous outside of religious circles in 1993 when a recording of their liturgical Gregorian chants unexpectedly climbed to the top of the album charts. Back around the 11th century, the Spanish abbey began switching over from Hispanic liturgical melodies to the Roman liturgy's Gregorian melodies. The Gregorian chant has been used in Benedictine churches since, with the exception of a few decades in the 1800s. In the 1960's, the Seminary of Logroño (also in Spain) invited the monks of Santo Domingo de Silos to record the Gregorian chants to help spread the music within the parishes. Surprisingly, the music was picked up by a much larger audience. The debut recording by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos, Chant, became a huge commercial success, reaching the Top 5 of the album charts and attracting massive media attention.