Based at the Abbey of Stift Heiligenkreuz in the Vienna Woods area of Austria, the Cistercian Monks came to the attention of the pop music and classical crossover-buying audience with the release of the album Chant: Music for the Soul in 2008. The album, a collection of the monks participating in the "sung prayer" that is Gregorian chant, was a hit the world over, bringing a fair amount of attention -- not to mention financial windfall -- to the centuries-old order. The recordings featured 17 of the monks, who recorded the work in their church, according to the traditions that have been around since pre-Christian times. ~ Chris True