Hildegard of Bingen

Hildegard of Bingen is credited with writing the first plainchant music that excels in the acoustic environment of a purposefully designed church or cathedral. You may not know her but it's unlikely you haven't heard the liturgical style of music that invites a talented singer to check out the acoustics of old religious architecture on their first visit, such as this young lady who is hearing her voice for the first time, just like you and I were with her.

I was introduced to Hildegard by Lord Bragg conversing with Miri Rubin, William Flynn and Almut Suerbaum. I will drill down into the difference between scholars and academics later as they're all largely bought and sold as indeed am I and you - I will say that the official account for Hildegard has potholes. How would a fifteen year old, bricked in to a prison cell at a convent where the acoustics match that of Julian Assange's prison cell in Belmash, invent a genre and practise, experiment and enjoy her work that Cathedrals are designed for (among other qualities)?

Furthermore why would a 15 year old girl who devotes her life to God through abstention and isolation step out one day and ostensibly run the monastry as it were, before moving on to set up her own vision in Rupertsberg which most certainly is not Bingen.

Or let's put it another way. If a fanatical devotion to God through a life of mental flagellation and service changes such that one day the bricks are torn down as there's no door to exit, just a slot for passing food in and waste out. Why isn't that explained by anyone? Why would the elevator pitch for the story, the hook as it were, be left out?

I'll tell you why. It's because her story isn't one leveraged by just the forces of love, patience and protection, but one that demonstrates amply an early life hijacked by compression, suffering, prayer and abstinence.

Where is the good?

Might it be true?

Is beauty indistinguishable from the eye of the beholder?

Cloistered away from prying eyes and whatever it takes to emancipate a 15 year old anchorite from their anchoress dungeon.

History is written by the prevailing forces In Our Time. This is a fact seemingly everyone knows when pressed for an answer, but only a handful will provide examples of.

Lord Bragg nails it when he asks where did she get the books from?

Melvyn doesn't just fight British womens corner he defends women full stop. He's your champion.

Prove me wrong.

Some churches have Cathedral like audio quality built into the internal architecture. In fact, many churches are designed with acoustics in mind to enhance the sound of choirs and plainchant. The acoustics of historical churches have been extensively studied. Orthodox churches in the old world typically have reverberation times around 1.5 seconds for a small village church, 2.5 seconds for a larger urban or monastic church, ranging up to 6 seconds for a cathedral-sized church². 

Acoustical Considerations in Orthodox Church Design. https://orthodoxartsjournal.org/acoustical-considerations-in-orthodox-church-design/

Reverberation and church acoustics | Musitechnic. https://www.musitechnic.com/en/reverberation-and-church-acoustics/

Acoustics for Community Halls and Places of Worship | SRS. https://www.soundreduction.co.uk/advice/soundproofing-your-property-type/acoustics-for-community-halls-and-places-of-worship/

Church Acoustics For Liturgical Participation - Resonics. https://resonics.co.uk/church-acoustics

Church Acoustics: Four Must-Know Basic Concepts. https://www.churchproduction.com/education/church-acoustics-four-must-know-basic-concepts/

Church Acoustics: 5 Biggest Challenges and How to Fix Them
https://www.greatchurchsound.com/blog/church-acoustics-5-biggest-challenges-and-how-to-fix-them.