Tag: Hildegard von Bingen

Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp Book Now Available

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I am happy to announce that Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp is now available as a book from Mel Bay Publications! After two years of work arranging twenty of Hildegard’s Gregorian Chants for Harp, the book of sheet music, “Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp” is available now!

I was first introduced to Hildegard’s music as a teenager, and then later in college. When I studied to become a Certified Clinical Musician, I found Hildegard’s music inherently therapeutic. Their simple nature was beautiful to me, but I had trouble finding harp arrangements of her songs. So, I set out to arrange some of the tunes myself. What started as arranging just one song, turned into an entire book of sheet music!

I devised this book with several concepts in mind. First and foremost, I wanted to honor the work, inspiration, and format of the original compositions by Hildegard von Bingen. At her time, music was largely written monophonically, or single note voicing. Harmonies were either non-existent, or commonly heard as intervals of 4ths or 5ths. Therefore, the beginnings of all of these songs have this in mind.

Another element of these songs recognizes their inherent therapeutic nature. In keeping in line with that, I know that these songs work best in their simplest forms. Often harpists at the bedside will have a small harp, or a folk harp. I wanted to make this music accessible for as many people as possible, so that if the goal was to play for people with physical, mental, or sleep ailments, they could do that with the harp size available to them.

When you buy the book, you have access to the audio recordings. (Public release of the album will be in early 2025.) You also have the option of purchasing songs as individual download. In the meantime, listen to the songs on YouTube.

One of my favorite things about the book, is that I was able to curate the cover (something of a rarity in book publishing). My husband, Stephen Schildbach, drew Hildegard playing the harp in a mandala-like illustration, based on the style of Hildegard’s artwork.

You can BUY THE BOOK NOW!

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Playing Songs of Hildegard von Bingen in Modern Times

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Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) was born in Germany during the Middle Ages, at a time when education and literacy were controlled by the Catholic Church. She was an abbess, visionary, prophetess, herbalist, philosopher, healer, writer, politician, poet, and composer.

Despite her claim of lacking formal training in either the Latin language or music, Hildegard produced songs that were equal to those written by the most admired men of the Middle Ages. A woman of letters, she often communicated directly with clergy of the church, including Pope Eugene III, who encouraged her to continue writing music and poetry. She went on to write several books about religion, art, politics, philosophy, science, medicine, and herbs.

Hildegard had visions that she called “reflections of the living light,” and she painted what she saw. She suffered from headaches and some scholars of her writing suspect that she may have She had many visitors at the abbey who claimed that she was able to heal them though touch and with her knowledge of herbal medicine. In time, she had so many visitors, that a larger venue was needed. The church relocated her to an abbey of her own, in Bingen, where she was able to attend to more people. She died there at the age of 81.

How does Hildegard’s music sound on harp?

Originally composed monophonically (or single line melody), Hildegard’s music is usually found as sung choral music. As Latin was written language of the day, her songs reveal a devotional poems. Scales of these songs are modal (most often in Dorian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian modes), the earliest of Western music keys.

I was first introduced to Hildegard’s music as a teenager, and then later in college. When I studied to become a Certified Clinical Musician, I found her music inherent therapeutic. There simple nature was beautiful to me, but I had trouble finding harp arrangements of her songs. So, I set out to arrange some of the tunes myself.

I didn’t seek to make harp arrangements of Hildegard von Bingen’s music overly complex. Because I had the therapeutic musician in mind, I knew these harpists will have a small harp, or a folk harp. I wanted to make this music accessible for as many people as possible, so that if the goal was to play for people with physical, mental, or sleep ailments, they could do that with the harp size available to them.

Continue reading “Playing Songs of Hildegard von Bingen in Modern Times”

How to Play Songs of Hildegard von Bingen

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Recently I taught a an online workshop with Atrium Health Foundation called “Improvising with Hildegard von Bingen.” The music is in conjunction with my forthcoming book by Mel Bay Publications, “Songs of Hildegard von Bingen for Harp.” Atrium Health host Kathleen Blackwell-Plank has been curating a valuable workshop series for therapeutic musicians for the past few years. I was asked to teach the class rather last minute as a substitute and was so glad to have participated. After a show of hands, I realized that even in the musical community only half of people know who Hildegard von Bingen is.

So… Who was Hildegard von Bingen?

Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) was born in Germany during the Middle Ages, at a time when education and literacy were controlled by the Catholic Church. The tenth child in her family, Hildegard was “given” as a tithing to the church, not an uncommon practice of the time.  When she was 14, she was sent to live a life of religious devotion in Disibodenberg. At the convent, she prayed, wrote, and only had access to the outside world through the view of a single window.

When her main caretaker, Jutta, died in 1136, Hildegard was appointed prioress of the abbey. It was during that time that she began writing music. Despite her claim of lacking formal training in either the Latin language or music, Hildegard produced songs that were equal to those written by the most admired men of the Middle Ages. A woman of letters, she often communicated directly with clergy of the church, including Pope Eugene III, who encouraged her to continue writing music and poetry. She went on to write several books about religion, art, politics, philosophy, science, medicine, and herbs.

Hildegard had visions that she called “reflections of the living light,” and she painted what she saw. She suffered from headaches and some scholars of her writing suspect that she may have She had many visitors at the abbey who claimed that she was able to heal them though touch and with her knowledge of herbal medicine. In time, she had so many visitors, that a larger venue was needed. The church relocated her to an abbey of her own, in Bingen, where she was able to attend to more people. She died there at the age of 81.

What did her music sound like?

Monophonic (single line melody), choral, sung in Latin, modal (most often in Dorian, Phrygian, and Mixolydian modes), natural minor keys, Gregorian Chant

How does this music translate to the harp?

Beautifully! Hildegard’s music is often in modes and have minimal lever changes.      

Continue reading “How to Play Songs of Hildegard von Bingen”