A Companion to Hildegard of Bingen

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as demonstrated by the reordering of the Ursula antiphons. Similarly, the
sequence O Ecclesia celebrates not only the story of the virgin-martyr of
Cologne (and company) but also the Church at large and its sacraments,
particularly the liturgy of the Eucharist, the focus of the Mass at which the
chant would have been sung.
Through the liturgy, religious communities on earth joined saints and
angels in the symphony of heavenly praise. As our case studies have
shown, Hildegard used liturgical song itself to broadcast her vision of
this symphony as recorded in Scivias 3.13. Ursula, Disibod, and Rupert—
indeed all the saints commemorated in her songs—became patrons of
and participants in the divine liturgy celebrated by their earthly followers.
Remembered for their historical roles in the Church, they also became
symbols of the Church to come: the celestial city of the apocalypse, the
bride of Christ.
Hildegard’s songs offfer musical hagiographies of the saints, performative
visions of their stories and signifijicance. In the case of local saints, like
Disibod, her songs did much to individualize their cults; one need only
compare Disibod’s offfijice in Engelberg 103 with Hildegard’s songs for the
confessor (and apostle). Hildegard’s evocative lyrics and expansive melodies
combine to offfer memorable tributes of praise and adoration. Her
songs for saints reflect her spiritual activities on the Rupertsberg and her
outreach beyond. Through them Hildegard urged her nuns, and religious
communities elsewhere, to follow the saints in sustaining the Church and
renouncing the devil as they performed with joy the work of God.