Gregorianik - Germanischer Choraldialekt / Gregorian Chant In Germanic Dialect / Plain-Chant En Dialecte Germanique

The Kiedricher Chorbuben are one of the oldest boys' choirs in the world, rooted in the centuries-old tradition of the Kiedrich choral school in the Rheingau region of Germany. This specific recording, featuring the choir under the direction of Rainer Hilkenbach, was produced to document the unique, localized vocal traditions of the Kiedrich liturgy. Unlike standardized Roman Gregorian chant, the Kiedricher tradition preserved distinct medieval melodies and linguistic inflections that survived due to the choir's relative isolation and commitment to liturgical continuity over nearly eight centuries.

Released on the independent label Unisono, the recording was designed as an ethnographic and liturgical archive rather than a commercial pop release. The design emphasizes the austere, sacred nature of the performance, aiming to transport the listener to the Kiedrich Basilica of St. Valentinus. Upon its release, it was received primarily by scholars of musicology and enthusiasts of early music, who lauded the choir's ability to maintain a 'living' relic of Germanic liturgical history that had managed to escape the heavy standardization of the post-Tridentine era.