Hildegarde von Bingen

Lino portrait by Carine

We have more chants by Hildegard Von Bingen than by any other composer from the entire middle ages. And she is one of few to write both the music and the words. She’s also one of the first to write an opera. But music is just the start with Hildegard’s work. Born in 1098 near Mainz, Hildegard became a respected visionary and leader within the church. Her work included being a Benedictine abbess, teacher, composer, writer, healer, philosopher, mystic, founder of a monastery and in Germany she’s known as the founder of scientific natural history. She wrote about the cosmos, theology and the medicinal properties of plants (including the hops used in beer). In fact, she is the first Christian thinker to positively describe women, discussing menstruation, sex, birth and menopause. She also described the medicinal properties of hops, connecting her to the history of beer. (She was right, hops have anti-bacterial properties. Many of her works survive, so we know she corresponded with popes, kings and emperors to provide them with counsel, comfort and criticism.

“I welcome all the creatures of the world with grace.”

Hildegard von Bingen, Meditations

In her work, Hildegard viewed people at the centre of the universe, with our body and soul as a miniature representation of the greater world. We hold the power of life within us.

In Eibingen, Hildegard’s abbey houses her relics.

Also look up:

Kassia of Constantinople was a Byzantine abbess, poet, composer, and hymnographer. She is one of the first medieval composers whose scores still survive and are able to be interpreted by modern scholars and musicians.

Sources and other media:

  • ‘Hymns and Songs’, Hildegard von Bingen, Ensemble Vocatrix, Zipper Concert Hall, 2017: