The Whole Music Experience

Anonymous 4 Four Centuries of Chant Harmonia Mundi The laws of synchronicity work efficiently in my life. Two weeks ago, I pulled out Anonymous 4’s Portrait because I was craving ethereal polyphonic chants. Then I received an e-mail release notice from Harmonia Mundi announcing a new Anonymous 4 recording. Four Centuries of Chant, though is a compilation archives monody or plainsong chants that appeared on previous albums. While this quartet is mostly known for its vocal polyphony, the 20 plainsong chants (which includes work by Hildegard von Bingen, Tavener, along with medieval, renaissance chants and Hungarian Christmas music), deserve attention. These chants were culled from An English Ladymass , The Lily & The Lamb , Miracles of Sant’Iago , A Star in the East , Hildegard Von Bingen—11,000 Virgins , A Lammas Ladymass, The Legend of Nicholas , 1000: A Mass for the End of Time , Darkness into Light , and The Origins of Fire . Susan Hellauer cited in the liner notes, ...

Sequentia Voice of Blood Hildegard von Bingen Deutsche Harmonia Mundi/BMG Anyone interested in the healing powers of music must include at least one recording of the medieval Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen's inspired chants in his or her collection. While I personally have not experienced any healings from Hildegard's repertoire, I am inspired by this beautiful music nonetheless and have read of others experiencing personal healing from Hildegard's divinely channeled music. Others have told me of mystical experiences associated with these sacred chants. Hildegard would in our time be considered an energy or alternative healer. With no training or certification, Hildegard channeled directly from God information on healing with plants, nutrition/diet, sacred art such as mandalas she created and the sacred chants that are still being recorded today by such ensembles as Anonymous 4, Sequentia and other vocal groups. And similar to many healers and mys...