Hildegard of Bingen and the Dendermonde Codex
Psallentes unravels the 12th-century handwriting
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The Benedictine abbess Hildegard van Bingen was known in her day for her visions. But she had many more strings to her bow. She was also engaged in fields including cosmology, theology, botany and linguistics, whilst also corresponding with the great figures of her era, from the Pope to the emperor, thus making her a highly influential woman. Today we predominately know Hildegard as a composer. Seventy seven of her hymns have been handed down, with the most important source being a twelfth-century manuscript that has long been kept in the St Peter’s and Paul’s Abbey, where this concert takes place. The manuscript has been one of the Flemish Masterpieces since 2007.
From this ‘Dendermonde Codex’ the singers of Psallentes chose a series of hymns praising Saint Ursula, the legendary king's daughter who did not want to get married before making a pilgrimage to Rome. The fortunes of Ursula and her eleven thousand travel companions are sung about in a Gregorian chant that reveals a highly personal signature in its wide vocal range and rich melodies.
Programme
Chants by Hildegard of Bingen in honour of Saint Ursula from the Dendermonde Codex.
Performers
- Psallentes
- Was founded in 2000 by Hendrik Vanden Abeele
- Focuses on gregorian and associated polyphony
- Has a strong focus on unexplored repertoire from late medieval manuscripts
- Has performed in the whole of Europe and the United States of America
- Often explores female themes: music from beguinages, Hildegard van Bingen
- Was nominated in 2018 by Klara as "Ensemble of the Year"
- Recorded more than thirty albums
- Hendrik Vanden Abeele, artistic leader
Practical
- Start time: 20:30
- Estimated end time: 22:00
- Concert location: Vlasmarkt 23, 9200 Dendermonde
- Bicycle parking - available
- Train station NMBS Dendermonde - 11 min by foot
- Bus stop De Lijn - 'Veerstraat' 7 min by foot
- Charging station electrical car:
- Parking Vlasmarkt
- Begijnhoflaan 68
- Oude Vest 98
- Carpool with others to the concert via the Slinger platform
- On presentation of the UiTPAS , you can buy tickets at the special rate (if you are eligible). Tickets at the special rate (20% of the ticket price) are only available at the Tickets Ghent desk and at the box office (if tickets are still available).
Do you have specific needs or require additional facilities? Please contact Fien Straetmans at toegankelijkheid@festival.be or +32 4 91 45 26 78.
Workshop 'Learn to Sing van Bingen' by Amarant
With Hendrik Vanden Abeele of Psallentes, you dedicate a full afternoon to singing the music of Hildegard van Bingen. Her songs could be called Gregorian - unison, text-based, within a particular key, liturgical - but the German abbess, as expected, goes that extra mile. This is music of a different order: intense, incantatory, radical.
We sing from the two manuscripts in which Hildegard's work has survived (Dendermonde and Wiesbaden). We start quietly and calmly with simpler work or isolated words. You do not need to be an experienced singer to be able to do this, wanting to is enough. We test on the spot whether we can also reach an advanced stage of singing. Along the way, Hendrik also talks about the manuscripts: what they contain, how they are constructed, how the notes work, what the performance problems are. A bit of theory and history, but mostly a lot of practice.
Learn to sing Hildegard van Bingen - and in the evening you can experience Psallentes' URSULA11 concert. A top day in the company of one of the most legendary women in music history.
Timing: 14:00 - 16:30
Location: Dendermonde Abbey, Vlasmarkt 23
You can find more information and register for the workshop here.
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