| Hildegard of Bingen, Germany, was born in 1098: | | | | The 12th Century saw many eccentrics preaching |
| not really a time for women to receive much | | | | unconventional ideas in order to gain a large |
| respect, or indeed to have the freedom to do | | | | following. Hildegard abhorred this practice, and |
| anything worthy of respect. Hildegard's life was | | | | worked hard to have her writings officially |
| ground-breaking for many reasons, and it left | | | | accepted by the church. Pope Eugenius fully |
| behind a legacy of timeless artistic works. | | | | encouraged her to continue, and with his blessing |
| Hildegard, the tenth child in her family, was sickly. | | | | she was able to complete her first work: 'Scivias' |
| She had frequent and accurate visions and | | | | ('Know The Ways of the Lord'), which took ten |
| premonitions from the age of three, but generally | | | | years to write. |
| hid her strange ability from her family. It was | | | | Hildegard founded a second convent, and her |
| customary in those days to to give the tenth | | | | creativity flourished. Most of her musical works |
| child to the church as a 'tithe', so at the age of | | | | were plainchant and antiphons, but she also wrote |
| eight, the unusual girl was sent to an anchoress | | | | musical plays for the nuns. It was a completely |
| for religious education. | | | | new art form at the time, but over the centuries |
| The anchoress, Jutta, was very beautiful and | | | | it developed into what we know as opera. Her |
| came from a wealthy family, but she decided to | | | | music is mainly monophonic, and exquisitely angelic. |
| give her life to God. Rather than the relatively | | | | Music was extremely important to her, and |
| easy option of entering a convent, she chose the | | | | seemed to be the most accurate way she could |
| anchor life. She received her last rights, and was | | | | record the subtle Heavenly atmospheres in her |
| committed to a cell adjacent to a church, carried | | | | visions. Eighty of her compositions have survived, |
| on a funeral bier, from then on considered dead | | | | and she remains the earliest composer whose |
| to the outside world. The cell was the extent of | | | | biography is known. Modern recordings by |
| her outer life, so her time was spent in | | | | Sequentia have brought this pure and visionary art |
| contemplative worship. There would probably | | | | form back to life. |
| have been a small window through which she | | | | Hildegard was also a scientist, basing her many |
| received food, but there was also door, through | | | | botanical, medical and geological dissertations on |
| which only Hildegard was allowed to pass. | | | | Greek cosmology and the relationships between |
| Hildegard was somewhat frustrated by the | | | | the elements. She was a powerful, well-respected, |
| inadequacy of her training, but it continued until | | | | and highly educated woman, which was extremely |
| she was 38, when Jutta died. | | | | rare in her day. Many abbesses and abbots looked |
| Hildegard continued to lead her growing convent | | | | up to her for blessings and guidance. She |
| from that tiny room. She had talked about her | | | | communicated with Popes, statesmen and |
| visions only to Jutta, who in turn had told Volmar, | | | | emperors who respected the wisdom of her |
| Hildegard's tutor (later her secretary). In 1141 she | | | | opinions. Her life was an inspirational triumph: for |
| heard a message from God to write down what | | | | music, spirituality and womanhood. |
| she saw and heard. This sparked a time of inner | | | | "Purity is the Heaven-born music, |
| turmoil and doubt, as well as physical illness, but | | | | And this Heaven-born music |
| with encouragement from Volmar, she did start | | | | Can be heard only by those |
| to write. Her visions were accompanied by what | | | | Who are spiritually strong. |
| we now call migraines. | | | | |