A group of French nuns have signed a major record deal.

The enclosed order of the Abbaye de Notre-Dame de l'Annonciation from Avignon will release an album of Gregorian chants through Universal Music in November after winning a worldwide search which took in more than 70 convents.

The sisters are not allowed to leave the convent or receive visitors and can only communicate with the outside world through a grille.

Dickon Stainer, chief of Decca Records, a Universal subsidiary, said: "'I passed the contract through the grille, they signed it and passed it back."

In order to retain their privacy, the nuns will film their own TV advert and photograph the album cover.