Advent at Ephesus

Today, we're offering a one-day contest -- your chance to win the wonderful new CD "Advent at Ephesus" - the 16-track CD from the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles. I know you'll love it! After reading about this new musical gift, be sure to enter to win the one CD we're giving away by leaving a comment below. Enter before midnight Pacific time tonight, Monday, November 18th.

Advent at Ephesus Advance Orders Soaring

CD from DeMontfort Music/Decca in top 10 on Amazon, No. 13 at Barnes & Noble

Advent at Ephesus

Atlanta, Nov 5, 2012 – Online buyers are flocking to Amazon and Barnes & Noble to preorder ADVENT AT EPHESUS, the 16-track CD from the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of Apostles. Available Nov. 20 and the first release from DeMontfort Music (with worldwide distribution by Decca Records), ADVENT AT EPHESUS is No. 10 on Amazon’s Classical Music list and No. 13 on Barnes & Nobel’s overall Top 100.

The CD includes hymns the sisters enjoy singing during Advent at the end of Mass; polyphony; traditional chants; and the original work Adjuvabit Eam. Early reviews and the flurry of advance orders suggest it could be one of the surprise hits of the year.

“We are thrilled and humbled by the early orders,” said DeMontfort Music Co-Founder Monica Fitzgibbons. “It’s exciting to see such wonderful response to news of our label’s first release. Knowing that the pre-orders will need to be on par with the top industry releases, we still have a long way to go to reach our goals of most-pre-ordered leading up to November 20. To accomplish these goals will mean wider distribution for The Benedictines of Mary, ADVENT AT EPHESUS, and will show the industry that there is a demand for the true and the beautiful in art. That said, it is simply glorious to be able to tell Mother Cecilia and the other sisters in Missouri that already their work is, indeed, advancing His Kingdom.”

The contemplative sisters don’t set foot beyond their Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus, situated in Northwest Missouri’s rolling farmland. They live an austere yet joyful life set apart from the world.

Video Link

De Montfort enlisted Grammy&Reg; and Oscar&Reg; winning producer Glenn Rosenstein, who traveled to America’s heartland; set up a mobile recording studio on the 260-acre property the sisters call home; and captured all of ADVENT AT EPHESUS in only three days. Rosenstein, who has worked with a host of international stars and whose projects have generated sales well in excess of 250 million units (with artists from U2 to New York Philharmonic) calls this one of his 10 all-time-favorite recordings.

The album is engineered and co-mixed by David Schober (Handel’sMessiah, John Rutter, Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic and countless other great works).

ADVENT AT EPHESUS represents a rare approach – one that focuses on music celebrating the quiet, introspective anticipation of the Nativity that is the foundation of the Advent season. Here is the full track list for the album:

1. Come Thou Redeemer of the Earth
2. Angelus ad Virginem
3. Regnantem Sempiterna
4. Gabriel’s Message
5. Creator Alme Siderum
6. Hayl, Mary
7. Rorate Caeli
8. Praeparate Corda Vestra
9. O Come, O Come Emmanuel
10. Benedixisti Domime
11. Maria Walks Amid the Thorn
12. Alma Redemptoris Mater
13. Adjuvabit Eam*
14. O Come Divine Messiah
15. Vox Clara
16. Like the Dawning
* Original composition

About the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles

De Montfort Music is a division of AimHigherMedia – both founded by music-industry veterans Kevin and Monica Fitzgibbons. Its special mission is to sign, develop, produce and bring to market the very best in Sacred Music. The label is an ambassador to the world of the true and the beautiful. The Benedictines of Mary are signed to De Montfort Music, which is distributed worldwide through Decca/Universal.

Contest: To enter to win, leave a comment below by midnight pacific time on Monday, November 19th, 2012. One winner will be randomly selected to win this beautiful CD. 

Update: Congratulations to Deanna, our winner, who has been notified by email. Thanks to all who entered! LMH