John Zorn: Sacred Music

Angelic tongues

In »The Holy Visions« John Zorn created what is, despite the formal austerity, a wonderfully vibrant vocal work for five female voices. There is something medieval to his »mystery play in eleven strophes« about the life, work and philosophy of the nun Hildegard von Bingen (1098–1179), but there is also a connection to the compositional language of Meredith Monk. Zorn’s music approaches the cosmos of the holy Hildegard – who was a composer, healer, herbalist, mystic and author – with the requisite reverie.