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 composers.
“...Hildegard von Bingen’s “O Jerusalem,” exquisitely sung at the end of the program by the sopranos of ModernMedieval Voices (anchored by Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek, formerly of the all-female a cappella group Anonymous 4). This Latin chant, begun in unison and then moving into differentiated, but still simple, vocal lines, was all about ascent and ecstasy.” (Heidi Waleson, Wall Street Journal)
"Caritas Abundat" (Caroline Shaw) from the recording The Living Word
Excerpts from "O Jerusalem" by Hildegard of Bingen, from The Living Word, performed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC
"Although more than eight centuries separate us from this music, ModernMedieval’s approach to Hildegard is above all natural, emphasizing her fluent expressivity in perfect medieval Latin. Hildegard is always a good listen, and juxtaposed with sympathetic contemporary works, her beauties are especially resplendent." Patrick Rucker, The Washington Post.
The Living Word is now available for download on iTunes and Amazon. You can also listen to it on Spotify. Links below:
Amazon:
https://music.amazon.com/search/ModernMedieval+Voices?filter=IsLibrary%7Cfalse&sc=none
iTunes:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-living-word/1675376146
Spotify:
Program notes, texts, and translations