Women at Court: Hymns and Visions

Ensemble VocaMe: Works by Hildegard von Bingen & Kassia The renowned Ensemble VocaMe is dedicated to outstanding women of the Middle Ages – personalities whose contributions to art, thought, and spirituality continue to resonate today. The focus of this concert evening is Hildegard von Bingen: the impressive mystic who led a convent, wrote spiritual texts, and composed haunting music. Her chants meet the works of the Byzantine abbess Kassia – the first named female composer in Europe. Four singers with enchanting timbres, broad ranges in polyphonic singing, and the tonal colors of the instrumental ensemble create the musical signature of Ensemble VocaMe. Like in a laboratory, finds from the Middle Ages are examined and dusted off – as with restorers, the colors are refreshed, and experiments are conducted with the uncovered musical frameworks and melodies. The program series "Women at Court" is a tribute to Princess Wilhelmine of Hesse-Kassel on her 300th birthday: Who was the woman who married the Prussian prince Heinrich of Rheinsberg? The concerts are an invitation to reflect on female personalities like her while enjoying art – those who stood in the shadows yet made their own decisions, took on responsibilities, and left their mark. Thus, Wilhelmine becomes a namesake for the "Wilhelmines" of today: women who seek their path between societal expectations and their own voice. "Women at Court" is a collaboration with the "Conversations at the Rheinsberg Musenhof 2026" of the Rheinsberg Arts and Culture Association e.V. Photo: Severin Schweiger For more information: https://schlosstheater-rheinsberg.de/produktionen/hymnen-und-visionen/