Multi-instrumentalist Jeff Hen will probably be performing his distinctive interpretations of the music of Hildegard Bingen in Toronto on February 9. The live performance at ArrayMusic is a continuation of Hen’s fascination with the works of the twelfth century mystic.
He explored her music on his 2016 album Felix Anima, organized for harmonica, electrical guitar, and shruti field. The shruti field originates from India. Much like a harmonium, it makes use of a system of bellows to provide a drone sound.
We spoke to Jeff about his distinctive tackle the centuries previous music.
Jeff Hen
Jeff Hen has been lively within the music trade for greater than three a long time, and has recorded people, jazz, world, and digital music, amongst others, over 18 albums. He performs the fiddle, bass, harmonica, mandolin, vocals, percussion, amongst others.
Jeff can also be a producer and composer, and might be finest recognized for his work with the Cowboy Junkies of their iconic Trinity Classes album.
The Interview
“Since college, again within the final millennium, I used to be launched to early Western music,” Hen explains. That’s when he first listened to Renaissance and medieval music, which struck a right away chord. “I really feel like I may need lived there.”
Hildegard von Bingen, per se, wasn’t a part of the curriculum throughout his pupil days on the College of Guelph within the Seventies. “You wouldn’t hear these things,” he says. However, his curiosity had been ignited, and he continued to discover the period’s music. “My curiosity in that music was kindled.” It wasn’t till bout the Nineteen Eighties that he truly found Hildegard von Bingen and her luminous choral works.
“It was love at first pay attention.” The music has an everlasting magnificence that separates it from the strange. “There are all the time people who rise to the highest,” he says of her compositions. Whereas he pursued many different varieties of music throughout a number of tasks, von Bingen’s music was all the time in the back of his thoughts.
“It took me some time to return to carry out it.”
As he factors out, her compositions include vocal music. “Singing isn’t my sturdy swimsuit,” he laughs. It took some time to hit on the appropriate method. “I’d been enjoying harmonica for years.” Utilizing the breath-driven instrument appeared the proper alternative. “Her music may be very a lot about breath.”
Including the shruti field additionally is sensible. “It’s the identical expertise because the harmonium,” he factors out. It’s in the identical household because the accordion and concertina. “All of them use reeds which might be moved by air.”
The shruti field itself is often used as accompaniment for flute or vocals in classical Indian music. The expertise originates in China with the sheng, which impressed the European harmonium, which then, as a transportable instrument, made its strategy to India via missionaries and others.
“It went to India,” he says, “it grew to become a shruti field.” As he explains, the performer can management the pitch, however not play a melody per se. It’s in the identical household because the harmonica, because it seems. “They have been simply made to be performed collectively.”
Not everybody, although, has a shruti field round to experiment with. “I’ve all the time been a collector of devices,” he says. “It’s in my home, and sooner or later, you set them collectively.”
It’s a reasonably good argument for gathering devices.
“I used to be shocked at how effectively it really works.” He pumps the shruti field with one hand. “I can truly use that in the identical means as I’m respiration with the harmonica.”
From Jeff Hen’s Felix Anima:
Hildegard von Bingen
The German mystic, referred to as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was born in 1098 and lived to the age of 83, dying on September 17, 1179. She was a Benedictine abbess, which afforded her the chance to compose and write. Hildegard grew to become an influential author, composer and thinker of her time. Alongside together with her music, she was recognized for her writings on topics as numerous as medication, music, philosophy, and mysticism, and was a medical practitioner.
She left a big physique of surviving work, together with the sacred music drama Ordo Virtutum, and a few 69 different items, together with their poetic texts.
“A lot of persons are performing her music, which says one thing about its energy,” Jeff notes. “The way in which it makes use of breath, it’s very human.”
He developed the solo model of his efficiency in the course of the pandemic, and streamed it on the time.
“It’s a little bit completely different sonically.” Like most medieval chants, the music has no temp or rhythmic notation. German model notation of the interval was decorative, and use neumes, or a system that predates the trendy system of staves and notes. “I take a number of liberty with phrasing and tempo.”
As a solo performer, he can even play with tempo. “I can take my time,” he says. “Alternatively, if one thing goes flawed, there’s no one in charge however your self.”
Whereas his interpretation of the music is his personal, he underscores that he follows von Bingen’s melodies as written. “Actually the one ‘interpreted’ half is the clothes that you simply put across the music,” he provides. “I discovered that if I type of wandered off and extemporized alone round it, it’s not pretty much as good,” he laughs.
His performing approach is up to date. “I’m not apprehensive about attempting to be genuine, it’s extra about honouring this stunning music.”
The Live performance
The live performance takes place February 9 at ArrayMusic.
Live performance observe: though Jeff is appreciative of applause, he invitations the viewers to benefit from the silence between every choice.
Discover extra particulars and tickets [HERE].
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Anya Wassenberg is a Toronto Metropolis Editor at Ludwig Van. She is an skilled freelance author, blogger and writing teacher.
