So what does Lady Gaga have in common with a secluded convent of Benedictine nuns from southern France? Well, for one, they have been signed by the same record label, says the Washington Post.
The nuns beat out 70 other convents in a world-wide search to find the best female singers of Gregorian chant. They hail from an order that dates all the way back to the sixth century and are a cloistered order: they live in isolation and can only communicate with guests (even family) through a grill.
"We never sought this, it came looking for us," said Reverend Mother Abbess at the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation near Avignon. "At first we were worried it would affect our cloistered life, so we asked St. Joseph in prayer. Our prayers were answered."
The record label, Decca Records which is a unit of Universal is set to release the album in November. They also manage contracts for superstar singers such as Elton John, The Rolling Stones and of course Lady Gaga, who was after all, educated at a convent.
Dickon Stainer, the chief of Decca Records, said that it was quite an ordeal to get the contract signed. "I passed the contract through the grill, they signed it and passed it back."
To protect their way of life the nuns will film their own adverts and photograph the album cover.
To keep their privacy the sisters will also film their own television advert and photograph the album cover.
The abbess said the nuns decided to record the album in the hope that it would touch people's lives.
(To read the full story, please go to http://washingtonpost.com).