Amanda Cole has brought to the stage a remarkable legacy left by Hildegard of Bingen especially in her music and the advances she achieved for the role of women in the 12th century Catholic church. Her performance and that of narrator Jo Kadlecek brings a haunting reminder to the contemporary world that courage with art is a necessary part of maintaining the freedoms we can so easily take for granted.

Ms. Cole’s mezzo soprano performance is a dazzling reminder of the roots of western musical forms as is her mastery of the medieval stringed instruments that Hildegard preferred. The performance takes place on a simple stage adorned with the plant pigment art on hemp canvas of Anne Harris, which captures St. Hildegard’s love of nature, and its many mysteries.