Initiative of Jubilee Committee and Solesmes Monks

VATICAN CITY, JULY 19 (ZENIT.org).- This morning, the official web site of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 (http://www.jubil2000.org ) announced the addition of a new feature on sacred music.

With the assistance of the monks of Solesmes, widely recognized for their role in restoring Gregorian chant to the liturgical life of the Church, the site now offers a catechesis on Gregorian chant, along with 21 complete sound files of key Gregorian chants from the Solesmes recordings and a brief explanation of the role of each featured chant in the liturgy.

Among the selections available on-line are "Victimae Paschali" (Easter Sequence), the hymn "Vexilla Regis," and the "Ave Maria." The music is available in two quality levels, so that even users with limited bandwidth can experience the beauty of the chants.

The English version of the Gregorian chant page is located at http://www.jubil2000.org/gregoriani/gregoriani.uk.html . The Solesmes monastery can be visited at http://www.solesmes.com/ . ZE00071908