|
|
Les Prêtres Presentation: Though not as eccentric as Lady Gaga, or as superficially popular as the latest pop sensations, Les Prêtres are still poised to conquer France with their recently released album, Spiritus Dei. Les Prêtres are a band unlike any other, both for their talent and for their spirituality. Among the band are three priests, Jean Michel Bardet and Charles Troesch, and the seminarian Dinh Nguyen. Together, they combine amazing music with their own pious devotion for a sound that will move audiences of all faiths the world over. Eurochannel is proud to introduce them to a new flock. Les Prêtres first began as a charity. With the backing of Bishop Jean-Michel di Falco, these four holy men came together to record a CD in an effort to raise funds for a school in Madagascar, and to build a church for their diocese. They were also supported by TF1, the most viewed television network and France. This winning combination was a huge success, and what began as a simple fund-raiser became a phenomenon which would impact all of France. In March 2010, the band released its first album, Spiritus Dei, a collection of both religiously themed music as well as classics like “Ave Maria,” “Ave Verum Corpus,” and traditional French Christmas songs like “Il est né le divin enfant.” Also included are modern renditions of old hits, like “Quand on n’a que l’amour” and “Amazing Grace” and “Hallelujah.” The album quickly went platinum in France and propelled the band to stardom; not just in churches, but all across the country. Biography: Les Prêtres is a group of French singers formed by three members of the clergy of the diocese of Gap and Embrun (in the Hautes-Alpes region in France). Created thanks to the initiative of Monsignor Di Falco, Bishop of Gap and Embrun, the first two discs were intended to raise funds for the construction of a church in Notre-Dame of Laus and a school in Madagascar. The three members are Jean-Michel Bardet (parish priest of the Cathedral of Gap), Charles Troesch (ordained in June 2009) Joseph Nguyen Dinh Nguyen (seminarian in the diocese of Gap). Their first album, Spiritus Dei was released in March 2010 and has immediately had a great success since it was ranked fifth in sales in France in the first week and second the following week becoming platinum. It’s been a bestseller for nine weeks. The Priests then became increasingly popular throughout 2010. Their album became diamond disc in December 2010 and ranked number two in sales of the year in all musical categories combined. Profits from the album are donated to Notre-Dame of Laus, to Father Pedro in Madagascar, and to the association of Yves Duteil who created a school in India. In April 2011, The Priests released a second album, Gloria, with the same spirit as the previous one, bringing together religious songs as well as different covers. In June 2011, Joseph Nguyen Dinh Nguyendécide decided to leave the priesthood to form a family. |
|
|
