Hildegard von Bingen

O Jerusalem

Fr Ray Blake told me about the music of an Abbess called Hildegard von Bingen a week or two ago. I've had a dig around my Dad's CD collection and it turns out he's got a stack of beautiful Gregorian and religious music CDs. I found a quite bizarre one of Benedictine Monks singing 'Gregorian Chant By the Sea', not I presume, Goring-By-Sea, although it is quiet enough here to set up a monastery. The CD was, quite literally, recordings of Benedictine monks chanting Gregorian Sea with the sound of waves washing against the shore. The waves, unsurprisingly, ruined the whole thing. How odd.

Anyway, I really like the Hildegard von Bingen CD I discovered. It turns out that she was up for Canonization by no less than four Popes; Pope Gregory IX, Pope Innocent IV, Pope Clement V and Pope John XXII. Canonisation, however, never came to pass, unless some later Pope has done it on the sly without the World batting an eyelid, yet she is recognised in the Roman Martyrology. Imagine that! Sainted without papal announcement or formal Vatican process! 

New Advent have a nice summary of her spiritual life and Wikipedia have some interesting info on her as well. Look up her stuff on YouTube as well. The lady had God-given talent and an ear for a cracking holy tune since she was a mystic and upon succeeding a lady called Jutta as abbess of Bingen Convent, saw tongues of flame descend from the heavens and settle upon her. 

Good lyrics too...

"With a great desire I have desired to come to you and rest with you in the marriage of Heaven, running to you by a new path as the clouds course in the purest air like sapphire."