You Are the Flower: Music from Hildegard von Bingen, Vol. 1

The music of 12th-century abbess, mystic, and proto-feminist Hildegard von Bingen has been on the listening public’s radar almost nonstop since the early-music ensemble Gothic Voices reintroduced her to us in 1982 with the album A Feather on the Breath of God. On this album, singer Daisy Press takes six of Hildegard’s plainchant compositions and not only gives them new and original settings involving a variety of instruments (from a shruti box to an electric bass) but also sings them in a style that is rooted in period practice but sometimes veers gently into more modern inflections. If you’re already familiar with Hildegard’s work, Press’s interpretations will make you hear them differently; if this is your introduction to the composer’s music, let it lead you deeper into the rich catalogue of contemporary recordings.