Una Santa Oscura

The main source of inspiration for my 2009 stage work "Una Santa Oscura" (“a dark saint”) is Hildegard of Bingen, the 12th-century German abbess, mystic and composer. The music is partly ritualistic and meditative in nature, structured to reflect a ‘cloistered’ day with its alternations of various rituals, prayers and recurring motifs. Different ethnic styles of string instrument playing were absorbed into the writing, reflecting the possible Mediterranean and North African influences on music in Hildegard’s time. An element of conflict is also present, reflecting Hildegard’s contentious activities and ideas.