* En anglais uniquement
Following in the footsteps of Northern Ireland's
the Priests and France's
Les Prêtres, Germany's
Die Priester are a trio of Roman Catholic churchmen who found fame performing modernized versions of religious-themed songs. Formed by Abbot Primate Notker Wolf and Austrian chaplain
Karl Wallner, the latter of whom was responsible for the similar
Cistercian Monks of Stift Heiligenkreuz, the lineup consists of Father Vianney Meister, diocesan priest Andreas Schatzkle, and Abbot Rhabanus Petri. Featuring reworkings of classical pieces by
Beethoven,
Bach, and
Handel alongside renditions of
Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and
Xavier Naidoo's "Dieser Weg," their debut album,
Spiritus Dei, reached number eight in the German charts in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien