Dates: b. c. 1098 - d. 1179
Nationality: German
Period: Medieval
Genre: Plainsong
Key musical elements:
- Pitch
About Hildegard of Bingen
- Hildegard of Bingen was born over 900 years ago in Medieval Europe.
- She was the 10th child of a noble family and while she was still a child, she was sent to live in a monastery on a hilltop in southern .
- She spent most of her life living in the monastery with a few other nuns in small cells.
- When Hildegard became prioress, she began to write beautiful and highly expressive vocal works linked to her faith and work in the church, which would have been sung by the nuns in her monastery.
- Hildegard also produced important works about medicine, natural history and created her own language 'Lingua Ignota'.
- Throughout her life, Hildegard experienced visions which she described and recorded in three books.
- She is a patron saint of musicians and writers.
About the music
- The words of O Euchari in leta via are written in Latin - in Hildegard’s time, Latin was spoken and widely used in Europe as a language of learning and education.
- O Euchari in leta via is about ‘Euchari’, or Saint Eucharius. Hildegard celebrates St. Eucharius’ devoted love and ion for his faith. The text is full of praise and iration for St. Eucharius.
- Look at this image of Hildegard's manuscript of O Euchari in leta via, published between 1180 and 1190 (image credit: „Hochschul- und Landesbibliothek RheinMain, Hs. 2, S. 476“)
Listen out for:
- The shape of the solo voice at the beginning. It soars upwards in leaps before moving in a step wise motion.
- Can you hear where the solo voice moves either in leaps or steps?
- When the other voices in, they create a sense of timelessness – a calm, devotional, meditative atmosphere by holding a single note called a drone underneath the solo voice.
- Listen to the effect of the two parts together - the one moving freely, the other long and sustained on the same pitch.
- The pattern of musical notes used (Phrygian mode) returns again and again to the note E, creating a distinctive chant-like sound.
Watch the films
Linton Stephens captures the inspirational visions and soaring melodies of Hildegard of Bingen's plainsong O Euchari in leta via
Linton:
This music was written by Hildegard of Bingen, who lived nearly 1000 years ago in .
Inspiration came to her as visions that only she could see, and she believed they were from God.
The inspiration for everything that Hildegard created came from her visions, or ideas that she experienced in her mind.
She described them as a flame that filled her mind and her body.
Hildegard said that her words and poetry came from these ideas and that the music she composed perfected them.
And this has given me some inspiration!
So, in this, I want to try and capture Hildegard of Bingen and some of her visions, and I want to take the eye across the page and in to the visions.
Hildegard was the 10th child of an aristocratic family and when she was eight years old, she was sent to live in a convent - a place where nuns live and pray together, devoting their life to working for their church.
Hildegard became a nun, and later the Abbess of the convent in charge of the whole community of nuns. But she had a big impact outside the convent too.
Hildegard wrote about religion, medicine, and the natural world of plants and animals. She also wrote poetry, and her music is still performed today.
So, one of the things she did say was that her visions were like fire that filled her mind and her body, so I want to start with those flames, coming out the back of her head.
That fire. That spark of inspiration.
So, drawing for me is a lot like composing music; it’s about the composition.
Music is about where the sounds take your ears, and ultimately your imagination, and drawing is about where the images take your eye.
The music Hildegard wrote is often described as plainsong which is sacred, or religious music sung in Latin.
There’s usually a single melody with no harmony or accompaniment, or even rhythms. And we call this monophonic music, which means one sound - voices singing together in unison.
Hildegard’s plainsong melody uses melisma and that’s when lots of notes are sung on just one syllable. Melisma is often used in pop songs too.
Hildegard wrote beautiful soaring melodies, and this piece of music was written in honour of St Eucharius and the work that he did for the church.
It’s performed a cappella so there are no instruments accompanying the singers.
Hildegard of Bingen’s music is still performed, nearly 1000 years after she lived.
What musical ideas could you come up with to last 1000 years?
Gwyliwch y BBC Singers yn perfformio dyfyniad o O Euchari in leta via gan Hildegard Bingen
Classroom resources
Lesson plan (KS2/2nd level/Progression Step 3)
the lesson plan for four weeks of learning and activities for O Euchari (PDF)
Powerpoint slides (KS2/2nd Level/Progression Step 3)
the Powerpoint slides for four weeks of learning and activities for O Euchari (PPT)
Listen to O Euchari in leta via
Listen to the BBC Singers perform an extract of Hildegard of Bingen's O Euchari (mp3)
KS3 / Third and Fourth Level, S1-3 Independent Lesson Worksheet
this worksheet for secondary level cover lesson activity to be completed alongside the intro and performance films - O Euchari in leta via (PDF)
and showcase your creative responses
your creative responses to the BBC Ten Pieces Showcase
Arrangements
Gabrielle Chudi has written a creative arrangement of Hildegard's O Euchari for 3-part voices. It can be performed with 2-part voices (voice 3 is optional) but with all three parts, it creates a beautiful antiphonal performance.
Singers should be grouped by part and organised:
Part 1 - left hand side
Part 2 - right hand side
Part 3 - central
O Euchari in leta via (arranged by Gabrielle Chudi), performed by Chetham's School of Music Sixth Form Choir and conducted by Ellie Slorach. The tenors and basses are singing a drone on C, and in this performance the conductor chose not to do the repeats in the second half.