Sequentia are a European music ensemble devoted to recreating music from the medieval period, works by the German abbess Hildegard von Bingen in particular. The music on this album was composed in the 12th century. Good news: Still holds up! There is a beautiful and austere simplicity to the music and its arrangements here that lends the album an ability to work as more than a religious/devotional listening experience. Mostly a capella female vocals with a solitary harmonium drone or "medieval fiddle" dropping in once in a while. There is a lot of space to the sounds created here, the music takes its time to work but it really envelops the listener and creates a strong feeling of suspension. It's a relaxing listening experience but it won't put you to sleep because her music is very involved and engrossing at the same time. Hildegard von Bingen was an incredibly interesting person and it feels like her Christian Mysticism makes a strong impression into the music she created. The words are in Latin. I don't know Latin. You don't need to know Latin to enjoy this album on any level. I'm no religious scholar by any means or really know too much about the sentiment behind these compositions, I just like to listen to good music that can transport me. This album accomplishes that flawlessly.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6hRd5GEi2VWMkT4MBLfDe6
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