Golden Hits Of The 60s”
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THE SINGING NUN
“DOMINIQUE”
(Soeur “SINGING NUN” Sourire)
Philips 40152
No. 1 December 7, 1963
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In the spring of 1963, the bespeckled and rosy-faced Belgium nun Sister Luc-Gabrielle (b. Janine Deckers,
1933) and a chorus of four other nuns from a convent in Fichermont, Belgium, recorded a dozen or so
original tunes at the Philips studios in Brussels. Deckers’ songs had been winners at youth retreats held at
the monastery, and the order’s elders wanted Philips Records to record and press up several hundred
copies for the convent’s own use. Big-wigs at the label, delighted with the simple, uplifting creations the
good sister was offering, decided to test-market some of her recordings in Europe. An album released as
by Soeur Sourire (“Sister Smile”) sold well, so thatThe Singing Nun and a single, “Dominique”– Deckers’
tribute to the founder of the Dominican order–were issued in the States.
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The response was unbelievable. Both the album and single rocketed to the top of the charts and stayed
there for weeks. The sister with the smile in her voice appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and more
singles were released–but interest in the Sister’s plaintive sound waned as quickly as it had waxed. The
Singing Nun, a 1966 Debby Reynolds flick bombed, but the sister’s waxing did gather $100,000 for her
Dominican order.
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“I’m not a singer who happens to be a nun. I am a nun who happens to sing,” said Deckers to McCall‘s.
“My missionary work is my life.”
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Abruptly in 19665, the singer stopped. The doors of the Convent of Fichermont closed to the outside
world. Photographs and interviews with the sister were prohibited.
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The following year, sister Luc-Gabriel left the convent. she attempted to continue her singing career, and,
to the dismay of many church brethen, she recorded a poorly received pro-birth control tune, “Glory Be To
God For The Golden Pill.”
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