Modern Medieval Workshop & Concert

Two-day event

PERFORMANCE: Wednesday, February 11, Time TBA

WORKSHOP: Thursday, February 12, Time TBA

Workshop: Singing Hildegard: From the Page to the Stage

A lecture/workshop that, via Hildegard, focuses on the challenges of finding and performing medieval music. We will look at the manuscripts, examine Hildegard’s compositional style, and discuss differing ways of interpreting the notation, comparing different transcriptions of several of her chants, including Caritas Habundat and O Viridissima Virga. The presentation also deals with the challenges of programing Hildegard in a modern concert setting.

We will informally sing through some passages from the chants under discussion to show the different approaches and results thereof. This will include addressing the skills necessary for good ensemble singing.

This workshop is open to singers and non-singers alike.

Concert: The Living Word

This a cappella program features some of Hildegard of Bingen’s most ecstatic chants, including O Jerusalem and O Viridissima Virga, reflecting her most important sources of inspiration: Mother Church, Saints, The Virgin Mary, and The Divine Feminine, as represented by Love and Wisdom. These chants are interwoven with new works by acclaimed composers Caroline Shaw, the youngest-ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music, Caleb Burhans, “New York’s mohawked Mozart” (Time Out New York), Connor Elias Way, Daniel Thomas Davis, and Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek. The new works are based on, or influenced by, Hildegard’s philosophic writings, her music, and her visions, and each composer presents their own unique and personal interpretation. The resulting program is an exciting tour de force for both singers and audience.

“For those who miss the commitment and quality of Anonymous 4 in the realms of medieval and contemporary music, rest assured that ModernMedieval Voices have taken up the tapestry without dropping a stitch. The tradition continues, to borrow Hildegard’s words, per exempla puri soni—through examples of pure sound” (Anne E. Johnson, ClassicalVoiceAmerica.org)