What happens when a raucous Scandinavian folk band armed with strings, acoustic guitars, and percussion rearranges the music of a 12th-century nun and updates it with modern electronic backdrops?

Hildegard von Bingen

What happens when a raucous Scandinavian folk band armed with strings, acoustic guitars, and percussion rearranges the music of a 12th-century nun and updates it with modern electronic backdrops? Why, you get Garmarna's Hildegard von Bingen, a surprisingly sedate affair that marries the sacred and the secular in a truly unorthodox fashion. The band's organic and synthetic elements are on opposite ends of the aural spectrum, but--purism be damned--Garmarna makes it appealing. There are times when the beats are a little intrusive on Hildegard's striking melodies--which are beautifully sung here by singer Emma HÃ¤rdelin--but they never overwhelm the music and aren't always present. Overall, this album, created and named in Hildegard von Bingen's honor, serves as a reverent tribute to her music, and it might just influence newer, younger listeners to investigate her 900-year-old repertoire. --Bryan Reesman
Country USA
Brand Northside
Manufacturer Northside Records
Binding Audio CD
ReleaseDate 2001-09-04
UnitCount 1
Format Enhanced
UPCs 021561606326
EANs 0021561606326

Hildegard von Bingen