Timeless music: (singing canonesses of the Priory of the Resurrection).

`A clock ticks, soft footsteps, whispers in procession to worship and at daybreak, the chanting of clear female voices rise in celebration ...' For them it's a daily sacred prayer, for us it's a rare moment to be at peace with oneself among all the hustle and bustle of a busy life.

For the first time ever the Roman Catholic Canonesses of the Holy Sepulchre from the Priory of the Resurrection, near Chelmsford, Essex, have decided to take their singing outside their priory by releasing an album. `We didn't mind putting our prayer into a recording in order to share it with people,' says Sister Teresa, one of the 20 nuns who take part. `Knowing that it would be an invitation to people to look at their inner selves, their spiritual world, even if they are not religious at all, was appealing. And it would be a deepening experience for those who believe in God.'

Eternal light (subtitled Music of inner peace), was released on 12 March, and draws on a 900-year tradition of daily sung prayer in both Latin and English. It takes listeners into the sacred world of worship which contemplates the different rhythms of life: daily challenges and opportunities, the liturgical year with its feasts and the eternal cycle of human existence. `Living in such a brutalizing world--the speed, the constant stress, the state of deep struggle as we try to cope with hardships in our lives--then listening to the prayer to somebody who is bigger then us, mightier than us, does make a difference,' says Sister Teresa.

The album is addressed to a wide audience, not only to Christians or church music fans. Within a week of being released, the album reached number three in the UK classical charts (as we go to press it is number two) and was also in the top 100 in the pop charts. Their record label, Deutsche Grammophon--part of Universal whose other artists have included U2, Sonique and Bob Marley--had no doubt of success as no major label has ever brought out a recording of a female religious community before. (The Benedictine monks from Downside Abbey, Somerset, and EMI's Canto Gregoriano are already known to the world.)

It all started some years ago when Mark Wilkinson, the label's manager, suggested the idea to his aunt, Sister Teresa. As a frequent visitor to the Priory, he had enjoyed their singing. After careful consideration the community agreed to do the album. `We wanted to be clear on our purpose. We didn't want it to be a great commercial "do", but simply to bring something contemplative into people's lives,' says Sister Teresa.

Most of the profits will go to the order's convents in Rwanda and Congo while the rest will go to making their gardens more accessible to wheelchairs.

The canonesses are members of an international Catholic order, the Order of The Holy Sepulchre, whose origins lie in 11th century Jerusalem. Today the community runs an independent girls' school and pastoral centre. The order is spread throughout the world, with priories in Europe, Africa and South America.

Through sharing their prayer and spiritual possessions with secular people, the Canonesses seek to build relationships based on love and mutuality. That is why they don't see this album as a performance in a commercial sense.

`You are still praying when you sing,' emphasizes Sister Teresa.

In spite of this attitude, the nuns have had to help with the album's promotion. Sister Teresa and Sister Moira attended the annual Brit Awards--the Oscars of British popular music--this February. `It was a totally new experience not only for us, but for the usual audience there,' says Sister Teresa. `I hope we are challenging the stereotypes!'

The canonesses are not planning to plunge themselves into the music industry, but if the record company offers them the chance of releasing a second album they will think it over again. And what if the label were to suggest changes to make the music more accessible to younger people? `We would certainly consider their suggestions,' confirms Sister Teresa.

`Making a CD has drawn us closer together and to lots of other people,' she says. `I find it revitalizing to link people together no matter what confession or age group they belong to. This helps people to walk into the future with hope for each other.'