898 Hildegard (2017)

for SATB choir and orchestra

2 Flutes – 2 Oboes – 2 Clarinets in Bb – 2 Horns in F – 2 Trumpets in Bb – 2 Trombones  1 Bass Trombone – 1 Tuba, – Timpani – Harp – Full strings

Duration: 10′ 

Click HERE to view a PDF of the score.

Email info@jenniferbellor.com to purchase score and parts.

898 Hildegard was commissioned by the Genesee Valley Community Orchestra and premiered June 2016 to honor their founder, Sister Virginia Hogan, through the verse and melody of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179). The title is borrowed from the name of an asteroid in our solar system, 898 Hildegard, thus connecting civilization’s ancient cosmos with the one that it continues to discover. I used excerpts from her chants “O Vis Eternitatis” and “O Gloriosissimi Lux Vivens Angeli,” in which the text is about eternity and angels. Then, I listened to the recordings of these chants on the Hildegard Society website (www.hildegard-society.org), and transcribed the performances in order to learn how these chants are presented rhythmically. After studying the intricate details of both chants, I then intertwined the original chant material with my own variations throughout, melding it together into a through-composed composition that not only displays my compositional style, but also highlights these beautiful chants by Hildegard von Bingen. It was later revised and premiered by the Las Vegas Philharmonic April 1, 2017 at the Smith Center.

There is also a version available for only orchestra. Click HERE for more details.