Illuminata is described as “an alchemy of art and sound,” a powerful description of the magic that this show created through its combination of live art with ancient medieval music. In this multi-media concert, the vocal monophony of the Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen’s sacred compositions (interspersed with Bach and other modern works) are accompanied by a constantly shifting and metamorphosing live painting performance by artist Maria Rud.
As I sat down onto the rows facing the front of the cathedral, I wondered how we would be able to see anything during the concert, given the cellist and soprano vocalist were standing obscured by the heads of the audience in front of me. I sat thinking how cathedrals were structured so that the mass would not see the pastor, but only listen, while contemplating on God’s word as they gazed upon the stained-glass artwork towering in front of them. As the performance started, I discovered the show did just that, by projecting Maria Rud’s live painting onto the stained glass for us to look at, while the music was reserved for us to simply hear.
Rud painted one scene at a time, transforming them in sync to the music, that was at times dark, at times hopeful, but throughout filled with beauty and spiritual magic. Hildegard’s mystical modal melodies, sang by Susan Hamilton, had a pure and angelic quality that was well complemented by the sure strokes of the deep, rich tone of the baroque cello. It was as if we collectively entered some of Hildegard’s mystic visions she had in the 12th century.
Rud’s artwork added to this experience perfectly, as they were ripe in symbolism that evoked these experiences represented by the music. With robed figures that were vaguely nun-like, but seemed to transcend both time and geography; with trees and animals depicting biblical scenes (perhaps of the Garden of Eden?); with curved shaped and rune-like symbols that seemed to come from another world – from a time so far away it felt untouchable. This concert brought these entrancing feelings to us in the modern age, in a wondrous multisensory experience.
Illuminata ran from 24 to 26 August at St Giles’ Cathedral. Buy tickets here.
Image by Maria Rud, provided by St Giles’ communications team for press use.
