"DISEMBODIED VOICES"
by Harlene Stein, Vince Morton & Victor Warren
(Based on the non-fiction book "Disembodied Voices" by Craig A. Monson)

This is based on a true story which takes place in the 17th century convent, Santa Cristina in Bologna, Italy, where wealthy and aristocratic women were forced to become nuns so their fathers didn't have to pay hefty dowries. These women did little praying. They wore make-up, jewelry and came with their servants and luxurious belongings. The political and social dynamics were fascinating and mirror much of our own times.

The story focuses on Lucrezia Vizzana, an extraordinarily gifted nun composer who dared to challenge all the rules imposed upon her by composing music in a new style with erotic texts. It is also the story of Lucrezia's love affair with the monk Don Alessandro Mannino, a man conflicted by passion versus purity.

Naturally, the church disapproved of Lucrezia's music and yet the convent secretly had it published. Due to this and the many other vices within the convent walls, the Vatican sent clergy to investigate and interrogate the nuns. What followed was a remarkable story about how these nuns fought back while under siege from the church and Vatican army.