Hildegard von Bingen: Ordo Virtutum – Seraphic Fire

June 16, 2021, 9:00 am

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Grammy-nominated vocal ensemble Seraphic Fire’s latest release is the first complete recording of St. Hildegard’s 12th-century masterpiece Ordo virtutum to include the accompanying gradual Qui sunt hi. Artistic director Patrick Dupre Quigley worked in conjunction with scholar Dr. Honey Meconi – author of the 2018 biography Hildegard of Bingen – to bring this “play of virtues” to life. The women of Seraphic Fire portray the struggle of the Virtues against the songless, shouting Devil. Written in 1141, Ordo virtutum has survived nearly 900 years through plagues, wars, schisms, reformations, and the dissolution of Hildegard’s convent.