01	Euchari (Eucharius)						05:02
	02	Viridissima Virga (Greenest Branch)						04:42
	03	Salvatoris (Savior)						04:34
	04	O Frondens Virga (O Growing Branch)						03:24
	05	Unde Quocomque (Whence, Wherever)						07:12
	06	O Vis Aeternitatis (O Power of Eternity)						04:02
	07	Virga Ac Diadema (Branch and Diadem)						06:47
	08	Paso						03:06
	09	Kyrie						02:45

www.noside.com

Album Credits
Garmarna Primary Artist
Stefan Brisland-Ferner Strings, Hurdy-Gurdy, Arranger, String Arrangements, Programming
Emma Hardelin Vocals, Violin
Jens Hoglin Percussion
Gotte Ringqvist Guitar
Rickard Westman E-bow, Guitar
Bjorn Engelmann Digital Mastering
Mats Hammerman Contributor


Garmarna is inspired by music of the medieval period, be it their usual repertoire of Swedish folk, or in this case, the music of twelfth century nun Hildegard von Bingen. They studied the source material, and created new instrumental arrangements to surround the lyrics and von Bingen's original melody.

Garmarna's style is a mixture of ancient and modern -- medieval music and modern modes are melted together. Layers of strings, guitars, hurdy-gurdy and percussion swirl around the traditional vocals of Emma Hardelin. Emma is at the center singing the old lyrics and melodies while the rest of the band create a new, electronic environment around her.

Their collaborator is 900 years old.

The programming is from the 21st century.

The lyrics are in Latin.

The interpretation is distinctly Garmarna.

The love and care they lavish on thse songs is obvious.

Enhanced CD includes a live performance video.



"Lead singer Emma Hardelin's detached soprano is ideal for this repertoire. Whether heard in remote a cappella splendor, overdubbed into a chorus of parallel voices, or briefly processed into a nasal extraterrestrial, she inhabits von Bingen's astral explorations body and soul." -- Christina Roden, cdnow.com

"Brave, brilliant, and one of the best albums of 2001." -- New Age Voice

"...witness the birth of a chant/new age/dance floor sensation that blows Enigma out of the water. Wholly smarter and infinitely more groundbreaking, Garmarna's version of dance beats and Latin chants will appeal to spiritual hipsters and heretics alike." -- Mark Schwartz, Barnes and Noble.com



Reviews
Barnes & Noble
Sweden's masters of medieval techno return with a quixotic project suited to their truly inspired musical mission. Abandoning for a moment their penchant for the gory tales of werewolves and limbless knights of Swedish folk music, Garmarna take the poetry and melodies of the 12th century Christian mystic Hildegard von Bingen as a starting point, creating a swirling, haunting soundscape of creaking Nordic instruments and tense electronic programming. The mournful sawing of fiddles and nyckelharpa -- the hurdy-gurdy or "sitar of the North" -- is accented by ominous guitars, conjuring a world of cloistered darkness that, at first glance, wouldn't seem to square with the devotional words of Hildegard. But the gorgeous, chilly, bell-like voice of Emma Hardelin, chanting in Latin about the glory of God and salvation, delivers on the trancelike promise of their 900-year-old collaborator's words. Where Vengeance, the band's sensational 1999 release, injected blood-soaked tales from Swedish folklore with agitated blasts of drum 'n' bass, Hildegard studiously adds skittering contemporary R&B ranging from Timbaland to the Neptunes -- the difference is most clearly seen in "Euchari," which appears on both albums. Here it's funked up enough to be a Destiny's Child anthem circa the Norman conquest. As you might have guessed, some of the band's folkie fan base will likely get off the bus here. But with any luck, those who continue the ride are likely to witness the birth of a chant/new age/dance floor sensation that blows Enigma out of the water. Wholly smarter and infinitely more groundbreaking, Garmarna's version of dance beats and Latin chants will appeal to spiritual hipsters and heretics alike. Mark Schwartz

All Music Guide
During the '90s the new age crowd discovered Hildegard von Bingen, one of the first credited female composers, and gave her work their anemic treatment. Sweden's Garmarna right the balance by presenting the medieval mistress of song in a 21st century light, not always soft and romantic, but often hard, driven by programmed beats, with Emma Hardelin's eerie voice intoning von Bingen's Latin liturgical lyrics over the top. Conceived for a tour in 1998, this project has taken on a life of its own, something that might be not quite a full Garmarna album, but has plenty of their flavors. There's even a touch of Portishead-goes-to-Sweden in the trip-hoppy "Paso," the album's only original piece. But while this might not exactly be the next Garmarna release, there's a real cohesion to it. They've adapted the original works so well, transporting them to modern times but keeping the ancient feel -- always one of their strengths, so that while von Bingen might have been rolling over in her grave from the ministrations of the wind-chime brigade, she's probably smiling broadly at this. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide

Customer Comments: An Open Forum
Number of Reviews: 2 Average Rating:

Le Guatemalteque, French and Political Science Major,
Garmarna: The Peaceable Wolf
Garmarna: A great folk band from Sweden (SVERIGE) has in the past incorporated the modern sounds of today with ancient sounds of middle age Sweden. This new album is surprisingly a different version of Von Bingen's thousand years old music. It's excellent. If you like New Age and techno you'll love this CD!!!
Also Recommended: Garmarna, Kent, Meja, Bjork, Ace of Base, Den Fule, Blumchen.

A listener, an anthro grad student,
Move Over Bjork
I gotta say, the review above really hits the nail on the head. If Emma Hardelin sang in english, the world would be mentioning her in the same breath as Bjork. Thing is: Garmarna may actually be hipper and more mystical than Bjork.
Also Recommended: Vespertine, Leonard Cohen's Ten New Songs, Getz/Gilberto


Garmarna
Hildegard von Bingen
Northside (www.northside.com)

The music on Garmarna's latest CD is derived from a project that dates back to 1996, when the genius upstarts of the Swedish scene were offered the opportunity to compose new musical backing for the mystic song texts of the abbess Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). Much of Hildegard von Bingen hinges on the simply incredible voice of Emma Hardelin, and it is her warm, full voice that is arrayed against a barrage of electronics. Hardelin sounds at home with these Latin texts, and her phrasing is exceptional.

The most consistent rhythmic elements are aligned with club-influenced drum 'n' bass, and occasionally some low-rider funk. Whenever a violin, guitar, or hurdy-gurdy is utilized, the instruments provide a momentary hot flash next to the cool beats. This is really both a blessing and a curse. For the first time listening to a Garmarna record, I don't feel as if I'm hearing a band; everything sounds so programmed.

Garmarna thus accomplish mixed, but interesting results as they join ancient and modern music. For "Unde Quocompque (Whence, Wherever)," Garmarna sound recognizably like themselves as the band swells up under a long, dance-club introduction; this then gives way to Hardelin's spare singing, and ends with a return to beat heaven. But the von Bingen passage seems out of place, dropped into the middle of an entirely different musical statement. "Salvatoris (Savior)" is a much better effort, and rather jarring. Here, the rhythm splutters and starts behind Hardelin, until her voice itself is filtered beyond recognition, similarly spluttering and bubbling before regaining its human richness for the remainder of the disc. The effect is absolutely shocking, but necessarily so: you're aware of the risks Garmarna are taking with this material, in order for it to be heard in a new light.

This is, on the whole, a beautiful record, and it is often emotionally soothing amidst its modern dance sounds. While the treatment is brave, I would have liked Garmarna to have been even bolder: the fusion of styles could be more complete. And so it is no surprise, perhaps, that the CD ends with two tracks that show the split personality of the project: one, a band instrumental, and the other a pure, direct solo singing of "Kyrie Eleison" by Hardelin. Deus ex machina, indeed! - Lee Blackstone




FolkWorld Live Review 8/2001:

Hoven Droven, Garmarna
& Hildegard von Bingen
Swedish folkrock a little bit unplugged

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Michael Moll

It is always an experience to see those bands you know from playing in your home country playing in their own country. I was glad to see in April both concerts of Hoven Droven and Garmarna, probably the two best known Swedish folk bands, in Stockholm. Offering a few surprises, the bands proved once again how kicking and alive Swedish folk music is.

"Hoven Droven Unplugged" - this was what the Stallet, Stockholm's premier folk music venue, promised for their Easter party. What happens if a folk rock band wants to play unplugged? Does that mean folkrock without rock? Or what?

In the case of Hoven Droven, it means Folkrock, maybe a bit more quiet than usual, but quite the same business as usual. On their very new CD, you will find in the CD-Rom part a little video with the following dialogue during the CD recording, with a mixing computer labtop in the screen: "Aren't we supposed to make an unplugged album?" - "This is unplugged, believe it or not. This is an unplugged computer!" So well, you just need to bring along your labtop to produce an unplugged album...

Anyway, Hoven Droven know their business very well, and it would be a shame if they really would go unplugged, being a folk band without electric instruments. During the last year, the band became smaller, as Jan Stromstedt with his Hammond Organ left the band due to other commitments. This does not have an impact on the quality and happiness of Hoven Droven's music though. They still manage to combine in a successful and powerful way folk, rock and jazz music, to combine Swedish fiddling with saxophones, guitar, bass and drums. They play a mixture of self composed and traditional music, one of their trademarks being the regular changes of rhythms in one tune, the other being the all time happiness of their music.

Hoven Droven's gig was not too well visited, regarding that it is a rather popular band playing in Stockholm. But probably most Stockholmers were at the Easter weekend away from Stockholm in their stugas (summer houses); actually during the Easter days Stockholm was as deserted as at no other time. But those folkies who were still around went to see this memorable concert.

Traditionally in the Stallet venue, the first half of a gig is concert with sitting audiences, while in the second part the band is supposed to play to traditional Swedish dancing of the audience. Hoven Droven posed quite a challenge even for the experienced dancers in the audience, playing their wonderful music as always, with all the rhythm changes and improvisations. The dancers in the audience tried their traditional dances the whole time of the second half, often without too much success (actually quite fun to watch!). Still everybody was having a great time, especially the band who became happier and happier. Wonderful stuff!

Just two weeks later, Garmarna were about to release their new album in a concert in Stockholm's Kulturhuset. Having thought that Garmarna are already quite a biggish name in the Swedish scene, I expected quite a large crowd at the CD release concert in Sweden's capital. It seems that often you have wrong ideas about the popularity of bands in their home country; at least to the concert in the Kulturhuset came not more people than to the last concert in Germany (in Bochum) that I saw them, maybe a hundred people.

Another novelty for me was that lack of Swedish punctuality. Normally, when a concert is announced to start at 7 p.m. it will start at 7 sharp. Well here we had to wait 1 1/2 hours for the concert to start. The audience sat down on the ground, and to another surprise, when finally the band arrived on stage, the fans did not jump up, but just stayed asit. Only after the first number, when being told so by the band, most people stood up...

In fact the audience and also the concert was generally speaking in no way different to a German Garmarna audience, maybe the audience being a bit more stiff (well that might be due to the fact that summer had not yet arrived), and, major difference, the band announcements obviously being in Swedish. Another proof that it does not depend on the nationality on how the music is received....

You might have been wondering, after having presented Hoven Droven and Garmarna, who Hildegard von Bingen is. Well Hildegard von Bingen lived in the 12th century in a convent, being nun, teacher, scientist and also poet and composer. In 1998 Garmarna were asked to do a tour project on Hildegards music, and after some considerations the band decided to do the tour. On their next CD, you could find one Hildegard von Bingen song, "Euchari". But this should not have been the end, Hildegard and Garmarna were still waiting for a full album to be recorded, and this has come out now, and it is the release concert of that very CD I am talking about.

Roughly half of the numbers played in the concert were from the CD, Latin songs and melodies of Hildegard, mostly having some clerical atmosphere. While on the new CD, these songs often lose the typical Garmarna feeling - probably due to the producer -, in live also the Hildegard von Bingen songs work very well, although they are different to what we are used to from Garmarna. In live, these quiet and mostly slowish songs let not only shine Emma Hardelins voice, but featured really excellent and exciting solo violin parts of Stefan Brisland-Ferner. Most of these songs have in live a bit of a Garmarna-unplugged feeling (much more actually then Hoven Droven's unplugged concert sounded unplugged); as did have the whole concert, as the loudness of the music was very reasonable, which was for me actually very enjoyable.

Although these songs provided highest musical quality, the audience was especially waiting for their old and loud favourites from earlier CDs, presenting Garmarna in their typical form: Swedish traditional songs, sung by the clear voice of Emma Hardelin, while around her the band is rocking with fiddle/hurdy gurdy, guitar and e- guitar, drums and programming. A dark and hard Swedish sound. Which probably is in the end Garmarna at their very best.

After these two concert I am left with the question: Are Garmarna and Hoven Droven not much more popular in Sweden than in Germany, or were these two concerts unusual co-incidents???

Both bands have just released new albums; Hoven Droven's being one of their best so far, while Garmarna's lacks behind their former recordings. See our CD review section.

Further infos available at the bands' homepages: www.hovendroven.op.se and www.garmarna.com

Photo Credit: 3 photos of Hoven Droven in Germany 1998; Garmarna in Stockholm; Garmarna in FolkWoods 2000. All photos by The Mollis


Garmarna, Hildegard von Bingen (Northside, 2001)

The sticker says "12th century chants, 21st century sounds." But don't let that strike fear into your soul. This is no mamby pamby attempt to cash in on the unexpected appeal of Gregorian chants with new age backgrounds. Nor is it a faithful reproduction of what Hildegard's music might have sounded like back in her monastery on the Rhine. This is a powerful interpretation of medieval music brought forward through astonishing vocals and accompaniment, that for the most part, really work. Garmarna know how to tap into the essence hidden within these medieval Latin chants to extract the magic. Next they surround it with percussive accompaniment that is more appealing than the moniker "21st century sounds" would suggest. This is simply powerful backing using available technologies. After all, this disc was recorded in commemoration of Hildegard's 900th birthday, and I suspect that if she were still around, she might have made a few changes herself.

Hildegard's music has been preserved with notations on melody, the lyrics, and some good (depending on the piece) guesses as to what she imagined for her compositions. I've heard other groups attempt to communicate her music, both in "medieval" form and adapted for modern instruments, but Garmarna's effort is the only one that really works for me, so far. Garmarna bring something of the medieval into the now, seeming to tap into the nuances within the lyrics and melodies. Think of this as Hildegard refreshed and reinterpreted -- all the heart is there, making it almost seem odd that this music was written in another era.

Hildegard von Bingen was an amazing woman, and has been somewhat of a "star" since the early 1980s when Matthew Fox and other creation mystics translated and reinterpreted her writing for today's readers. Although she did not enjoy equal status with men in the medieval Christian church, her brilliance and leadership skills helped her to become a very influential person for her time. She excels at finding natural images that describe the relationship of nature and deity, in a way that one finds more recently in some Irish music and writing. Indeed, her abbey was originally founded by Irish missionaries to the continent. Hildegard carried on a correspondence with many of the political and spiritual leaders of her day, wrote an influential medical manual, composed operas, and choral music, conveyed her visions through painting, managed an abbey, and still seems to have maintained a sense of at-one-ness with deity and nature. It is believed that she suffered from migraine headaches, perhaps a source of her visions, and it is thought by some that she might have indulged in psycho-actives (although the evidence for this is a bit thin). Whatever ? this is an amazing composer, whose vision has been revived at the turn of the twenty first century.

Garmarna are Emma Hardelin's on vocals, Stefan Brisland-Ferner on strings, hurdy-gurdy and programming, Jens Hoglin on percussion, gotte Ringqvist on guitar, Richard Westman on guitar and e-bow, with guest Iain Ross on guitar on "Paco." I'd listen to Hardelin sing almost anything -- she just has a wonderful voice, comparable to some singers of Irish and Scottish traditions like Karen Matheson of Capercaille, or Karan Casey, or Mary Jane Lammond.

The first track, "Euchari / "Eucharius" is particularly powerful ? at almost 5 minutes in length, it has a dark wailing fiddle line and a wild hurdy-gurdy line, and insistent percussion reminiscent of some of Gjallerhorn's better numbers on Sjofn -- it just rocks. In fact, the fiddle lines are wonderful throughout this album, conveying what the beauty in these sophisticated melodies, grabbing the heart of the melodies and blending effortlessly with Hardelin's voice. The hurdy-gurdy provides the drone that almost certainly accompanied these melodies in Hildegard's time. But it must be said that a great deal is resting on Hardelin, and that she delivers magnificently. Another standout number is "O Frinderans Virga / O Growing Branch" which features both a beautiful clear vocal delivery, and an exciting, urgent, demanding fiddle line. The disc is also a CD-Rom, and contains a video performance of this song, for the technologically-inclined. My other favorite is the similarly glorious instrumental introduction to "Unde Quocompque / Whence, Wherever," a song with a plaintive, melancholy vocal backed by minimal violin accompaniment, and later a percussion interlude that returns to the insistent theme, but with an electronic edge. I also particularly enjoyed "Paso" and the final number, a simple benediction entitled "Kyrie."

One must always ask whether or not the updating will stand the test of time that the originals have. OK, let me admit that I don't think musicians have been combing the vaults searching for Hildegard's music, but it is clear that she produced a great deal of rich source material that could be interpreted in various ways. For the most part, I would have to answer that I believe Garmarna's interpretation will endure. There are a very few passages that are a bit too self consciously electronic, like the vocal distortions on the third track. But overall these arrangements really work for me, although they might not work for a purist.

If you're a bit of a mystic, or just want to listen to something that is eerie, powerful and life affirming, with a great percussive package, check out Garmarna's Hildegard.

[Kim Bates]






Garmarna
Hildegard von Bingen
(Northside/MassProduction Music Network)
US release date: 4 September 2001


by Barbara Flaska
PopMatters Music Critic

e-mail this article

Garmarna may add more fuel to the ongoing dialogues about authenticity in musical presentation with their latest endeavor, Hildegard von Bingen . This album is an adventurous leap for Garmarna, a well-known and respected folk-music group from Sweden. With this outing, the group reinterprets the 12th century liturgical music of Hildegard von Bingen, a visionary Rhineland nun whose creative output transformed her into one of the most celebrated figures of the Middle Ages. In addition to being deeply involved in politics and diplomacy, von Bingen was also an abbess, philosopher, playwright, poetess, naturalist, healer, mystic, companion of angels, and composer. Today, von Bingen is probably best remembered for her music. For the 21st century audience, Garmarna added the programming skills of Eric S, something of a "houseking" in Sweden to the blend. As improbable an experiment as this may seem, the overall collaboration succeeds beyond what any could have anticipated, unlikely elements combining into an extremely listenable and moving performance.

On matters concerning the philosophy that permeated Hildegard von Bingen's music, it might be wise to listen a bit to Ralph Metzner. He believes von Bingen to be one of the rare individuals of Western consciousness who saw that spirit was not at all separate from nature. According to Metzner, von Bingen believed that music is of the whole spirit and body and the means of recapturing the original joy and beauty of creation. For von Bingen, who spoke of "writing, seeing, hearing, and knowing, all in one manner", the whole purpose of music was to carry us closer to the divine. She was, after all, praying when she composed and sang her liturgies. Metzner reminds us that Hildegard von Bingen who had her first vision at the age of three later "spoke of viriditas -- the 'greenness', as the creative power of God manifest throughout the Creation. Hildegard said that 'the soul is in the body the way the sap is in the tree' -- in other words, the soul nourishes and sustains the body, instead of having to rise above it or struggle against it."

On matters concerning the music of Hildegard von Bingen, it might be wise to listen also to what Christopher Page has to say. Page (by day a philologist at Cambridge) is perhaps one of those most responsible for the current resurgence of von Bingen's music during the past two decades. His original labor of love resulted in A Feather on the Breath of God , a record released first in 1981. Produced on shoestring financing for a small English label, Page's album was the vehicle that carried von Bingen's music to the top of the Billboard classical charts. With the approach of von Bingen's 900th birthday in 1998, his CD was again released to renewed popularity.

In between times, von Bingen's music was given many treatments, from Medieval-music specialists like Sequentia and Anonymous 4 to the windchimes and temple bells of the new age set. As could be predicted, the aversion of purists to the latter modern interpretation grew in proportion to the many recent new age renderings. Page finally vented his frustration to classical music critic Bernard D. Sherman. Page famously said it might be best if Hildegard von Bingen were just "put on ice" for awhile. With the release of this record by a Swedish group on a label dedicated to Nordic music, Page got part of his wish.

We may suspect how some traditionalists might regard Garmarna's modern production techniques, creating a contemporary electronic environment to surround von Bingen. Garmarna's medieval hurdy-gurdy and traditional e-bow is mixed with guitars, strings, and a bit of housebeat. But historians don't even know if von Bingen used instruments to accompany her music. Historians do know that she upheld the use of instruments, considering them a means to soften the heart and direct it towards God. In fact, she allocated a special function and meaning to certain instruments. Strings correspond to the early condition of the soul struggling towards the light, the sound stirring the heart's emotions and leading to repentance. The organ is capable of playing harmonies, so for von Bingen the instrument helps create community. In Garmarna's hands, we have use of the traditional Swedish violin and organ-like hurdy-gurdy, their approach is respectful rather than shallow and the arrangement works.

Assuredly, there will be those who comment on the vocalist's pronunciation of the Latin lyrics softened by her natural Swedish accent, rather than using historically proper Germanic Latin diction. If a grammatical anachronism, this small fault is easily overlooked given the clear, soaring splendor of Emma Hardelin's solo voice, and the end result is quite charming.

To become more forgiving of Garmarna, if not be won over entirely, all anyone really has to do is listen to their breathtaking rendition of "Virdissima Virga (The Greenest Branch)". The arching melody, carried by a clear soprano voice, manages to easily ascend two and a half octaves. To understand the clarity and brilliance of the voice, imagine the sunlight reflecting through a flower carved from near transparent glacier ice. In the background, the stings periodically become dronelike and impart an ancient feel that is occasionally haunting, their slight shadow enhancing the brightness of the vocal. The instrumentation is not always soft, but often with an edge, driven by programmed beats.

Easy to imagine soulful hipsters in motion with this music, moving towards contemplation of better things when listening to this. Already a hit with from everyone from Billboard to the edgy, intelligent Wired crowd all of whom describe the album as mesmerizing, others are left only to say this is not easily forgettable music. I am sufficiently enraptured to explore the music of Garmarna's other four albums, while Garmarna's Hildegard von Bingen will be devoted permanent space in my home.





Garmarna
Hildegard von Bingen

Massproduktion (MNWCD 365)
Sweden 2001

Stefan Brisland-Ferner, violins, hurdy-gurdy, programming, guitar; Emma Ha"rdelin, vocals, violin; Jens Ho"glin, percussion; Gotte Ringqvist, guitar; Rickard Westman, guitar, e-bow

conrad

Hildegard von Bingen, the twelfth century monastic leader who wrote a large number of religious musical pieces, enjoyed a sudden surge of interest in the late twentieth century. This was partly due to an increasing scholarly focus on women in the medieval church. Musically, the major impetus seems to have been derived from the recording A Feather on the Breath of God, featuring the divine voice of Emma Kirkby. This recording hit at precisely the right psychological time and "Abbess Hildegard," who was also known for her mystic writings and was one of the few medieval women with significant political clout — both of which made her a natural icon for the New Age crowd — attained sudden fame. Dozens of recordings followed, mostly performed by serious early-music choirs but with the occasional surprising contributor such as Ofra Haza.

Swedish folk-rock group Garmarna do not take the traditional approach with this album, which uses some of Hildegard's best known works. The standard approach to these monophonic songs is to have it performed in unison by a number of female voices, as it would have been sung in her abbey, perhaps with a drone underneath to add a little texture. What has been done here, however, is that Garmarna have added a dance beat, and rather than a drone in a single key, somehow they found chord changes to add colour to the melodies. Only the final track is the exception, with Emma Ha"rdelin performing the piece a capella as a melancholy denouement.

This album is the first thing I've heard by Garmarna, who by all accounts are a fairly straight forward folk-rock group. On this album the only hint of their folk roots is the violin, which is played very much in the Scandinavian folk style. This album is probably most reminiscent of Enigma, whose take on Gregorian chant enjoyed a fair deal of dance floor success in the nineties. For me, however, Garmarna are more succesful for one simple reason. They allow the original melodies to remain the focal point of each song. Those unused to medieval modes may find the tunes difficult to come to grips with, but Garmarna seem to have a very good feel for each song, which helps a little with their accessibility. For myself, even though I have had a fair amount of exposure to medieval music, I still find the major and minor scales far more natural, but here the modes simply add to the alien beauty.

This is not an album for everyone. In fact, it's probably not even an album for most prog fans. Some will find it dull and others a tacky cashing in on a New Age fad. I, on the other hand, like this album. I like it for the way it succesfully unites musical traditions with little things such is as the high reverb, which evokes both chant inside a cathedral and bands like Radiohead. I like it for the voice of Emma Ha"rdelin, who may not be Emma Kirkby, but who does have a voice wonderfully suited to this music. Mostly I like it for the fact that the musicians obviously have a better feel for the music than some of the more staid peddlers of Hildegard von Bingen's works.

review by Conrad Leviston — 10-9-06