BREMF – HILDEGARD TRANSFIGURED – Voice

It’s a joy of BREMF that the works of the 12th century Abbess St Hildegard von Bingen will now fill any auditorium. Voice (Victoria Couper, Clemmie Franks, Emily Burn) is a remarkable trio of perfectly matched, distinct voices that blend or contrast ad lib. with astonishing musicality and stage presence.

They sang Hildegard’s chant in a lilting unison, as if on one breath, and they sang it over hauntingly simple drones or in delicate, intricate counterpoint, all of it inspired by Hildegard. So too were the delightful modern interpolations. The accompanying light show (Innerstrings) couldn’t illumine our programmes so all these works were heard anonymously but that didn’t matter, the performance was so enchanting. Some of the vocal effects were awe-inspiring, as was Voice’s ability to memorise Hildegard’s long and convoluted musical lines.

With performances like this, it’s no wonder that Hildegard brings in the audiences. In future even larger spaces will be needed!

St Martin’s Church,
8 November 2019

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