Chant II

Chant II is a 1995 album of Gregorian chant, performed by the Benedictine monks of Santo Domingo de Silos in Burgos, Spain. It is a follow-up to the 1994 release Chant, the best-selling album of Gregorian chant. Like the first album, it included material which had been recorded by the monks some years previously. Performers The monks of Santo Domingo de Silos have been singing Gregorian chant since the 11th century (before that, they used Mozarabic chant). In the nineteenth century the French monks of Solesmes Abbey played a part in the reestablishment of Santo Domingo de Silos after the Ecclesiastical Confiscations of Mendizábal. The Solesmes style of singing plainsong has influenced the Spanish monks. Reception Reviewers had expressed surprise at the success of the first album. Not only had Gregorian chant been a specialist market for record companies before the 1980s but also other choirs were probably technically better in this repertoire (for example the monks of Solesmes issued some notable recordings in the 1960s). However, by the time Chant II was released the monks of Silos had eclipsed their rivals in terms of sales.