In the past year I’ve kind of become obsessed with classical music; listening to it and reading about its history- the lives of the composers and performers.

Classical music goes back hundreds of years, and many of us are familiar with the religious connection through the recent popularity of Gregorian chant.

Recently, I “discovered” (like Columbus discovered America) Hildegard von Bingen, a.k.a. Hildegard of Bingen (I’m no genius but I take it that “von” is German for “of”.)

This is a woman who lived from approx. 1098-1179 and was a pioneer in many fields; a pioneer not just as a woman but as a human.  She became the Abbess of a major convent in Germany, was a mystic, wrote on natural history and the use of plants for medicine, and wrote liturgical chant and the music to accompany it.  In fact, she is the first composer whose biography is known. (source: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/hildegarde.html)

I find her music to be very beautiful and comforting.  Here are some links to some of her works at Amazon.com: Hildegard von Bingen CD list.  This list is not complete, but contains many of the better recordings of her music.

Please check out her full story given in the source link above, and by all means check out her music.  It may not be for you, but you may also find it very relaxing and the perfect balm for a hectic, stress-filled day at work.