Monks Of Ampleforth

Monks Of Ampleforth

About Monks Of Ampleforth

The Abbey of St Laurence at Ampleforth is the largest Benedictine community in Britain. 78 men live according to the Rule of St Benedict, under an Abbot. It is a vowed life of prayer and work ('ora et labora' is one of the mottos of the Benedictines) which we undertake together, by God's grace, as brothers. It is situated in an attractive valley on the southern edge of the North Yorkshire Moors national park. The music of the monks There is a traditional, distinctive kind of music that the monks have used for centuries when singing the Divine Office. It is called variously 'plainchant', 'plainsong' or 'Gregorian Chant' (after Pope Gregory the Great who promoted its use.) Its origins are rumoured to be in the liturgical music of the Temple in Jerusalem. Nowadays it is written on four line staves (rather than five) with square notes (rather than round ones). The music is modal, rather than in keys, and to that extent is similar to traditional Celtic music. It is always sung in unison and in phrases of a natural breath length, fluidly and without the repeated beat or pulse of later music. It rises above blood rhythm; it is the music of the angels.

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