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Million dollar Irish singers The Priests have stormed to number five on British charts with the release of their debut album in the lead up to Christmas. Signing autographs will be one distraction, as will fulfilling a few television commitments and, most of all, having to cope with the realistic prospect that by December 25 Eugene O'Hagan and two of his fellow priests, one of whom is younger brother Martin, will be top of the British album charts, The Australian reports.
"If that happens it will be another little miracle," says O'Hagan, with a suitable level of humility. "We'll live with it if we are and we'll live it if we're not. We'll just be happy if people enjoy the record."
The three middle aged Irishmen, who call themselves The Priests, released their self titled debut album in Britain two weeks ago. It entered the charts at number five. The album was released this week in Australia.
"It's a bit unusual and unexpected," O'Hagan says of their sudden fame. "It's exciting and bewildering, too. It's not something we do every day of our lives but we're getting used to it."
A few weeks later, in April, on the steps of Westminster Cathedral, the O'Hagans and their long time friend David Delargy signed a recording contract with Epic's parent company, SonyBMG, worth 1.4 million pounds ($A3.2million).
Since then The Priests have combined traditional duties in their respective parishes with the recording of their album, a selection of ecclesiastical favourites such as Abide With Me, Ave Maria and O Holy Night.
O'Hagan describes the material as "songs and tunes that never go out of fashion."
"We've been singing most of them for years and people actually ask for them," he says. "If we're singing at a wedding or a funeral people will constantly request these kind of songs or hymns because, I suppose, they get solace or a sense of joy from them. That's why they are so popular."
"At a time of life when you thought you'd experienced most things in the vocal repertoire, we were surprised that there was still so much to learn," O'Hagan says.
"We worked really hard. None of us realised it would take so much of your physical and mental energies to really focus, so when I listen to someone else's CD I realise now for the first time there is a lot of work goes into it, and they have earned my respect as a result. But we enjoyed it immensely because we worked with some wonderful people."
"It's a marvellous aspect to our lives and our lives as priests. We come into contact with so many people, some who share our faith and some who don't, who are happy to talk about something because it's the first time in their lives they have had a chance to talk to a priest."
Although their recording deal is worth a huge sum, The Priests are not about to retire to guita -shaped swimming pools and country retreats. The bulk of the money, after recording costs, will go to charity.
"We hope to have a generic kind of charity, such as for the homeless or something like that. Some money will go to priests in the community who are sick and retired. We'd like to help our old colleagues who have helped us."
While their traditional roles in the community remain paramount, their flock is delighted at the priests' brush with the big time.
"There's a real core of the parishioners who are really interested in everything we're doing, so we try to keep them informed. They're kind of protective, wanting to know that we're eating properly and getting sleep and that kind of thing."
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(Source: CTHN)