The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles continue their reign at the top of Billboard’s Classical Traditional Chart for the fourth straight week in a row, holding the #1 position heading into the Christmas holiday with their recording, Advent at Ephesus.

American Public Media’s “Performance Today” calls Advent at Ephesus “remarkable,” and has featured the recording twice on their program in December, with additional music airing on Christmas Day.  Hailed as one of America's most popular classical music radio programs, the show has more than 1.3 million weekly listeners, and is heard on more than 260 stations around the country. To find stations carrying the program click here http://performancetoday.org/stations.

People Magazine recently featured the Nuns on their “People Pinboard” page which highlights “celebrity news, photos and trends” in their December 17^th issue, noting Advent for Ephesus “outsells Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album.”

The Salt Lake Tribune says the disc is “divinely beautiful,” while The St. Louis Post-Dispatch aptly notes the album is “quietly cutting through the blare and noise of commercial Christmas” and “an ideal remedy for jingle-itis.”

Mother Cecilia of the Benedictines of Mary was also recently featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” following their #1 debut, making waves across the internet and resulting in their record shooting to the Top 5 of both Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com rankings.ahead of such superstars as Taylor Swift, One Direction, Katy Perry and Alicia Keys.

To hear the “All Things Considered” story, click here:          

http://www.npr.org/2012/11/30/166260517/nuns-top-50-shades-in-classical-music-smackdown  

ADVENT AT EPHESUS features sixteen tracks including traditional English and Latin hymns, polyphony, Gregorian chants, medieval harmonies, and one original work from the sisters themselves.  The record represents a rare and often forgotten approach - one that focuses on music celebrating the quiet, introspective anticipation of the Nativity that is the foundation of the Advent season, celebrating the four preceding Sundays leading up to Christmas.

Founded in 1995 and hailing from Missouri, the sisters are young, contemplative and extremely musical.  They do not set foot beyond their Northwest rolling farmland, focusing solely on living an austere, yet joyful life set apart from the world.  Working on their farm and mostly living off the land, they sing together eight times a day as part of their daily monastic schedule, lifting their hearts to God through music.