This is the first of the 14 Scivias chants – so called because their texts feature in Hildegard von Bingen’s first book of mystical theology, Scivias (short for “Know the way of the Lord”).
You’ll spot that my piece begins in English, and you may wonder where the text comes from. Well, in the Scivias manuscript there is a short introduction to the chant texts that I have translated from the Latin (as found in the Riesencodex) and set to new music. However, the phrase “Maria, chorzta gemma” is my addition. I wanted to allude to the fact that this is an antiphon dedicated to the Virgin Mary and also introduce a word from Hildegard’s lingua ignota: “chorzta” (which I choose to pronounce with a German “ch”, as in “ach!”) is one of the five words used in the chant “o orzchis ecclesia” (see here for more info regarding this chant) and it means “shining”, or “glittering”.
My plan is to set the Scivias chants as a series for live performance, and I hope to premier the first two works early next year with the specialist group that I am in the process of forming: Ensemble Caldemia. Watch this space for more info!
o splendidissima – Maria, chorzta gemma
O most splendid gem and serene glory of the sun, you into whom has poured the gushing fountain from the heart of God, which fountain is God’s only word, which created the first material of the world, which Eve threw into confusion. This word God made human for you, and because of this you are that bright material through which this very word breathed out all the virtues, just as it brought forth all the creatures from the first material.
The texts of 14 of Hildegard von Bingen’s chants appear at the end of her first book of mystical theology – Scivias. Together with the morality play Ordo Virtutum, they are included in the thirteenth vision of the third part of that book, The Choir of the Blessed. Here is the miniature that accompanies the vision:
Hildegard also set these 14 texts to music, and they can be found together with their melodies amongst the other chants in the Riesencodex and Dendermonde manuscripts. They are grouped in pairs, each pair being made up of an antiphon and a responsory with a specific dedication.
The first chant in this Scivias series is O splendissima gemma. It is an antiphon dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Here it is in its original, monodic form. I have special plans for its revisiting. Watch this space!
O most splendid gem and serene glory of the sun, you into whom has poured the gushing fountain from the heart of God, which fountain is God’s only word, which created the first material of the world, which Eve threw into confusion. This word God made human for you, and because of this you are that bright material through which this very word breathed out all the virtues, just as it brought forth all the creatures from the first material.
What an absolute pleasure to give a workshop on singing Hildegard von Bingen from the original notation to the talented and motivated members of Pieter De Moor’s early vocal ensemble music class at the music academy in Jette (part of Early Music and Beyond). Thanks for a really great afternoon, everyone!
As some of you already know, I have had the great pleasure over the last academic year to lead a series of workshops singing Hildegard von Bingen. The mainstay of my approach has been to use the original 12th century notation to guide our interpretation – the graphics helping us to find a freedom and direction that can remain elusive when using modern editions.
Thanks to the multifaceted achievements of this amazing medieval magistra, my workshop series was attended by Hildegard enthusiasts from all sorts of disciplines: dancers, healing practitioners, performance artists, musicians, the spiritually curious – what a wonderful mix of talents and perspectives!
After eight workshops, we came together for a final time during the mini Hildegard festival in the Brussels Cathedral (May 24th-26th), when we sang in the 11:00 mass on Sunday May 26th. Surrounded and supported by two superb exhibitions (still running until the end of June), Hildegard’s spirit was with us as we sang. I was deeply impressed by the work and enthusiasm of the group – and immensely proud that they could all understand and sing from the original notation by the end of the process.
Here are some nice visual reminders of our workshop moments together. A big thank you to all the participants, and to the Brussels Cathedral for hosting us in the Chapel of Our Lady of Deliverance (what a joy!) – and in particular to Xavier Deprez for his vision and support.
Here are a few photos from La Noeva’s concert on Sunday 26th May during our mini Hildegard von Bingen festival in the Brussels Cathedral. It was an amazing experience!
Many, many thanks to Xavier Deprez and all the folks behind the scenes at the Cathedral for making this happen.
