Painting by Julia Dokter
An exclusive Practitioner's Track designed for ICA students who have completed the Hands On with Hildegard lecture series. Led by Marsja Mudde, each live, online 2-hour session will be devoted to unpacking 1-2 of Hildegard's musical compositions.
The music of Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) is characterized by greater freedom and scope in the melodies than the Gregorian chant of her time. The lyrics of her songs also show an enormous wealth of images and layers of meaning.
The way of working is according to oral tradition, as was common in Hildegard’s time. Marsja speaks and sings, the participants imitate, and so on. The written text and translation are used as tools, which we study carefully in advance. In addition, hand gestures are used that are traced from the original notation of this music, which has been handed down in manuscripts from her time.
1 remaining session: Saturday, January 31, 2026
click here for musical selections, syllabus, and meeting times in your local time zone
Sessions offered live, online, via Zoom. Maximum of 5 active participants per session.
To facilitate an environment of trust and collaboration, study days will not be recorded.
Requirements, and tuition: click here.
"I’m doing a Hildegard sing this fall, by popular demand, and I would not have attempted it without the information in this course. Marsja is skilled at connecting vocal technique to the performance and meaning of Hildegard’s music. I have more freedom as a soloist and a better connection to our ensemble because of her teaching."
Erika Singer ~ founder of The Laetare Project, Washington D.C.
Rescheduled to January 31, 2026
Musical selections:
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Ave Maria o auctrix vite (responsory for the Virgin Mary)
Syllabus:
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interconnection of long melismas
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"pivotal" tones and flow
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use of the b-flat
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ambivalent modality
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comparison of different sources
USA:
noon New York
11 am Chicago
10 am Denver
9 am Los Angeles
8 am Anchorage
Amsterdam ~ 6 pm
Bogota ~ 12 noon
London ~ 5 pm
Halifax ~ 1 pm
Honolulu ~ 7 am
Lima ~ 12 noon
Paris ~ 6 pm
Rome ~ 6 pm
São Paulo ~ 2 pm
For instructions to determine meeting times in your own time zone, click here.
Friday, September 5
Musical selections:
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Rex noster promptus est (responsory for Holy Innocents - Dec. 28)
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Sed diabolus (Lauds antiphon for St. Ursula & Companions - Oct 24)
Syllabus:
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respective MI and RE modes
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hexachordal solmisation
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overtone relationships
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bourdon / drone
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acoustics
USA:
1 pm New York (EST)
12 noon Chicago (CST)
11 am Denver (MST)
10 am Los Angeles (PST)
9 am Anchorage
Amsterdam ~ 7 pm
Bogota ~ 12 noon
London ~ 6 pm
Halifax ~ 2 pm
Honolulu ~ 7 am
Lima ~ 12 noon
Paris ~ 7 pm
Rome ~ 7 pm
São Paulo ~ 2 pm
For instructions to determine meeting times in your own time zone, click here.
Monday, November 17
Musical selection:
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O Jerusalem (Sequence for St. Rupert - May 15 )
Syllabus:
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imagery
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syllabic approach
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melody repetition
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performance choices for dramatization, relating to text and structure
USA:
10 am New York (EST)
9 am Chicago (CST)
8 noon Denver (MST)
7 am Los Angeles (PST)
6 am Anchorage
Amsterdam ~ 4 pm
Bogota ~ 10 am
Kuala Lumpur ~ 11 pm
London ~ 3 pm
Halifax ~ 11 am
Lima ~ 10 am
Paris ~ 4 pm
Rome ~ 4 pm
São Paulo ~ 12 noon
For instructions to determine meeting times in your own time zone, click here.
Marsja Mudde
is a specialist in Medieval and Renaissance music and an accomplished soprano based in the Netherlands. From the start of her singing studies at the Fontys Conservatory in Tilburg, she has specialized in the Middle Ages and Renaissance with Dr. Rebecca Stewart, head of the Early Vocal Ensemble Music department. After a very successful graduation concert on Saint Michael and All Angels, she followed many more specialization courses at the master level. She has immersed herself in, among other things, the Paris Notre Dame repertoire, Hildegard von Bingen, music of the Tracento, the early Renaissance polyphony (primarily French and Dutch), and Modern Devotional and Gregorian chant music from all European regions.
During her studies and since then, she has performed extensively at home and abroad with Ensemble Trigon, Ensemble Cantus Modalis, Ensemble Per Sonorem Vocis, her own Ensemble Anime Beatitudinis Cantando, and others. She has given concerts and workshops in South Korea, Georgia, Germany, Portugal, France and Belgium. She is currently fundraising for the completion of the animated, visual narrative dimension of her own ensemble's multi-sensory concert program, Sia laudato, San Francesco: medieval songs for (and by) Saint Francis of Assisi, in honor of the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Sun.
Marsja has maintained a thriving singing teaching practice since 2005, which attracts students from all over the Netherlands due to her specialization. She teaches and assists at the Center Cantus Modalis training center, which annually organizes several masterclasses for professional singers on Renaissance and early Baroque composers and their work. She also participates in scientific research and publications at the Center. She is preparing a tutorial on the specific techniques a singer needs to perform medieval and renaissance repertoire and other modal oriented music, in collaboration with Dr. Rebecca Stewart.
Hildegard von Bingen
Marsja regularly performs the music of Hildegard von Bingen from manuscript facsimiles bearing the original Hufnagel notation, and teaches chironomy based on the same. For her own Ensemble Anime Beatitudinis Cantando, she has designed and staged Vita Hildegardis Bingensis, a seven scene concert program devoted to the music and life of Hildegard and her nuns in the 12th century monastery at Rupertsberg. With Dr. Rebecca Stewart, she co-wrote the chapter Hoewel ik notatie, noch zingen geleerd had, written interview-style with Hildegard, using quotes and contemporary references to help fill in “her” answers, plus additional commentary by the authors. The chapter was published in the Dutch book Zicht op Hildegard (2020, edited by Hans Wilbrink).
Marsja's website is https://marsjamudde.nl/en/ .
Requirements
Successful completion of Hands On with Hildegard Lecture Series.
Must be familiar with the sound of Hildegard's music. (Ability to read music is encouraged, but not necessary.)
Technical Requirements
A desktop computer, laptop, or tablet (the larger the screen the better) equipped with videocamera (no cell phones, please), and Zoom app installed. Reliable access to high-speed internet is a must. Student is responsible for working technology.
Lecture Series Tuition (prerequisite: 2 precorded lectures and all ancillary materials)
Hands On with Hildegard Lectures = $150 USD register here
Study Day Tuition
Active participants: one Hildegard Study Day (2 hours) $125 USD*
Minimum of 2 active participants, and maximum of 5 active participants per Hildegard Study Day.
*Receive a $25 USD reduction in tuition for each additional Study Day when registering for more than one Study Day at once.
Auditors: $80 USD per Hildegard Study Day (2 hours)
Opportunity to enroll as an auditor will be granted when a minimum of 2 active participants for the Study Day has been reached. Auditors will be given opportunity to ask questions, but will not participate in the one-on-one coaching with Marsja. To facilitate an environment of trust and collaboration, auditors agree to keep videocameras on at all times.
Your tuition payment reserves your seat, and may be made via PayPal, Venmo, credit card, or check.
Ask your parish whether funding is available for continuing education.
Tuition may also be tax deductible for professional (compensated) musicians.
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