Chart-topping nuns the Poor Clares of Arundel back with new album

A Decca spokesman said: “Our favourite nuns captured the hearts of millions of listeners in 2020 with their uplifting debut album Light for the World, which soared to number five in the UK Official Album Chart, infusing Latin hymns and mediaeval texts with a unique 21st-century production. The sisters are now gearing up to bring music from the 13th century back to the mainstream pop chart once again.

“For some, it is so often a case of the difficult second album, but the difficulty for the sisters was saying no to making one! Since the release and success of their first record, they have been inundated with fan mail asking for another. Recorded at the convent chapel in Arundel and mixed at Abbey Road Studios, this new album is a message of peace for a fractured world and the importance of caring for the planet. Never ones to do things by halves, the sisters are this time bringing you the album in Dolby Atmos.

“The universal messages resonate with all who seek peace and harmony, especially in these challenging times. A call to embrace happiness, the album invites listeners on a journey of reflection and connection with the world around us, sharing their ethos of kindness, calm and meditation through music. A time to pause and find solace in moments of introspection, that aid our ever-evolving search for inner peace.

"The Canticle of Creation, written by St Francis of Assisi, great friend to St Clare, is at the core of this album, and was divided across seven songs. It is a thank-you letter for all the beauty we can find on the planet: from the animals to the plants, and the sun to the water. Written in 1224, it is still relevant exactly 800 years later, where everything is at risk with global warming.

“Helping others being central to the work of the nuns, the Poor Clares were delighted to donate their profits from sales of their first album to charity and will continue to do so. The sisters have also continued their work in the community, from time spent at running their small guesthouse in Arundel, to helping the local community in Bungoma in Kenya, where the sisters have a foundation.

"This, along with the letters, has also provided inspiration for the new record. Paired with the teachings of St Francis and St Clare, the Poor Clare Sisters of Arundel here celebrate peace, forgiveness, healing, patience and joy. Beginning with biblical texts and transitioning to celebrate the wonder and beauty of the planet, the album underscores the importance of living in harmony with nature and one another.”

As the nuns themselves say, there is no need to be religious to love their music. Sister Graça explains: “My longing is for our music to touch people's hearts, and that's been the response. A lot of people are saying, 'I don't believe in God, but there is something about your music that takes me somewhere that I had never experienced before'. That's it.”

Out on May 24 on Decca Record.