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Chart-topping nuns vie for Christmas number one

Anjana Gadgil/BBC The Poor Clares of Arundel: Sisters Aelred, Gabriel and Leo, sat together linking arms, dressed in their nun's habitsAnjana Gadgil/BBC
The Poor Clares of Arundel: Sisters Aelred, Gabriel and Leo (left to right)

Swapping their abbey in West Sussex for the Abbey Road studios, a group of singing nuns are hoping their two new singles could storm the charts once again.

The Poor Clares of Arundel's first album - Light for the World - reached number five in the UK Official Album Chart in 2020.

Their second album - My Peace I Give You - shot to number one in the Classical Chart in May.

Sister Gabriel said: "Singing is part of our life. It's part of our tradition. We sing three times a day."

Dave Meyer The Poor Clares of Arundel, posing on the iconic zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios, dressed in their nun's habitsDave Meyer
In March the Poor Clares of Arundel graced the iconic zebra crossing outside Abbey Road Studios

The sisters hope a new version of Silent Night, along with Hodie Christus - an ancient Gregorian chant - will give Mariah Carey and Wham a run for their money for this year's Christmas number one.

Sister Aelred said when the idea of recording them was first mentioned "we laughed, we thought this was a ridiculous idea.

"Some of us love singing, some of us hate singing".

Released through Decca, the record label behind Diana Ross and Andrea Bocelli, the singles were recorded at the Arundel convent and mixed at the famous Abbey Road studios in London.

Dave Meyer 5 of the nuns pictured sitting down in a line in the Abbey Road recording studiosDave Meyer
The nuns in the Abbey Road recording studios

The nuns - whose ages range from 50 to 96 - have had fan mail and requests for prayers from all over the world.

Sister Leo said: "We struggle and it's a continuing learning process to keep on the note and keep the timing right".

The Poor Clares of Arundel are donating the profits from sales of their albums to charity.

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