The Nun Factor

I've found a place where everyone seems content and lives are healthy, harmonious and long. In this place, anxiety and depression are seldom seen; priorities are clear; ageism doesn't exist and slates are cleaned on a daily basis. OK, you'd never be rich and it takes at least 7yrs to get in. Oh, and you'd never ever leave. But if your only goal is to live a long and peaceful life, you should consider moving here. Everyone I met on my recent journey seemed contented. They all had the Nun Factor.

My job is to find singers and make records. Our label doesn't specialise in pop, rock, dance or urban. Instead, we try to take music from so-called 'niche' genres such as classical, jazz or folk to as wide an audience as possible.

At the start of the year, we decided to  search for some singing nuns. Specifically, we wanted to find and make an album with the best female Gregorian Chant singers in the world. Monks have a history of world-wide chart success and we believed that the more beautiful sound of their female counterparts could reach a wider audience.

Primarily, we were looking for a community whose music could transport you to another, calmer world. That's the power of Gregorian Chant done well. Regardless of your beliefs, it resonates with a part of you that other music can't reach. It's as if it awakens genes sloshing around in your body that have lain dormant as they have passed through generations. It evokes a response in a part of you that is ancient.

But, alongside their musical magic, we needed a community who would help us promote our CD. We were looking for some charismatic Nuns to sit on breakfast telly sofas and speak with the press.

Early direct enquiries led to flat rejections.  Unlike many musical hopefuls, a nun's calling is not to the West London offices of the major record labels. We had to rethink. We decided to make our search public; to see who might come to us. We placed adverts on Youtube and throughout the worldwide Catholic press.

In truth, the response from the worldwide media massively outweighed that of interested nuns. But, it did yield some warm leads and we were soon lining up auditions with Nuns from various traditions in the UK, Spain, Ireland, France and the US. And, it wasn't going to be like the quick fire talent show auditions. We'd be attending mass before meeting with the Mother Abbess of each community. To take us further out of our comfort zones, the BBC started to film our efforts for a documentary.

I've seen The Sound of Music, Sister Act and Doubt; and I've seen lots of Nuns in airports. But I'd never met one nor clocked that some of them lived behind permanently behind bars.

Indeed, it seemed that the better the quality of traditional chant, the more enclosed the order. The lived behind a 'grille' and they stayed there until they died. We'd emerge from mass excited by what we'd heard and leave the subsequent meetings disappointed. There was no way they'd entertain the world's media in their monastery, let alone leave their convent to promote our record.

In less strict convents where Nuns could come and go as they please, the music became more contemporary and the magic faded. It was as if the bars were also protecting the potency of the music - keeping it pure.

The meetings with the nuns were never less than fascinating. They all seemed to wear the same type of spectacles and, especially in Europe, they were so young! Why on earth had they made this decision to live such a disciplined life cut off from the world, sometimes in small, cramped, modern buildings in suburban districts.

Our discussions, always separated by a grille were often in hushed, calm tones. Like meeting someone's mum, it was impossible not to be on your best behaviour.

My immediate conclusion was that they were escaping, members of a cult, or victims of brainwashing. That was how I rationalised such a starkly different lifestyle choice to my own. Yet, how come they were so happy and calm.

When asked, they all described their calling. It was, they said an irresistible urge to seek out and live this life. Some had travelled across continents and endured years of preparation to test this urge. They were absolute in their decision. Yes, they missed aspects of their old lives - swimming in the sea being one of the more poignant examples. But, their devotion to God was far more powerful.

I certainly envied the purity of their purpose - how many of us could benefit from lives without so many conflicting priorities. I'm not in any way suggesting that the nuns' lives or choices are easy. Far from it! They live mentally and physically exacting lives that make most of us look lightweight. They take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and chant for hours. They work very hard and enjoy only 30 minutes of free time every day.

Yet, they seem to live longer, healthier and more contented lives. None of them seemed at all stressed! And, none of them reached anxiously for their Blackberries the moment they had a moment in their own company. They also laughed a lot.

Sitting listening to their singing, me and my colleagues all caught a glimpse of that different life. When their music starts, you immediately feel more calm. You breathe more easily and life opens up a little in front of you. You can almost feel your shoulders drop.

Ultimately, we faced a choice. Sign an open order whose music was good and whose nuns could promote the CD. Or, go for the nuns who wanted to be left alone but whose music was incredible, mysterious, ancient and unchanging.

We went for the music. We chose an order of Benedictine Nuns who live in some breathtaking Provence scenery.

Everything has had to be done differently. We weren't allowed in and they didn't come out. The contract included a strict limit to the level of media access. The nuns had to shoot their own TV advert and cover image as we couldn't get into the most beautiful parts of their monastery. Our promotions team think we have gone mad in signing an act that won't promote.

But, when you press play and are afforded a sneak preview of a life lived differently, it feels worth it.