The Hildegard Service

In September of 2023, I was working on preparing a brief presentation on Hildegard of Bingen for a concert with the Detroit Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. It was a great program: Serafina, a group of talented vocalists, sang some of Hildegard's chants, there was improvisation, and we played O Lucidissima Apostolorum turba (2007) by Robert Honstein for cello, voice, organ, and wine glasses. The program was well received! 

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In preparing things, I came across a website published by the International Society of Hildegard von Bingen Studies. There is a lot of scholarship housed on this site, including a great chant resource for Hildegard's music. It was here that I stumbled across the Kyrie that has gone on to inspire me daily.

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I took this chant, and broke each of the phrases apart. These were then set with the text for the Rite I Episcopal service, and harmonized in my own style, for congregational use.