Kevin Keller on reimagining the mystical visions of Hildegard of Bingen in his new album 'Evensong'
06 September 2024
Newsdesk
Pioneering new age composer and pianist Kevin Keller recently sat down to discuss the inspiration behind his latest album, Evensong. This critically acclaimed project brings the 12th-century mystic Hildegard of Bingen’s spiritual visions to life through a contemporary sonic lens, blending ancient chants with modern electronic and classical elements. In this Q&A, Keller delves into the creative process, the challenges of combining medieval and modern sounds, and what this milestone album means for him personally and artistically.
What initially inspired you to focus on Hildegard of Bingen’s work for Evensong, and how did you decide to reinterpret her 12th-century compositions through a modern sonic lens? That first moment of inspiration is a such a mystery to me. Even though I’d known Hildegard’s music for many years, the idea to use it as inspiration for an album seemed to come from thin air. I was sitting in my studio when suddenly the idea of an album called “Evensong” came to me, based on songs by Hildegard of Bingen. From that moment, I felt compelled to bring this album into existence, even though I wasn’t sure why.
Can you walk us through the process of how you combined ancient melodies with contemporary elements like synthesizers and strings? What challenges did you face in balancing these contrasting musical elements? It took quite a long time! I experimented for about a year with different sounds. Eventually, I found the winning combination, which used Moog and Juno synthesizers and church organ to support the voices. Once I had this foundation, the album came together fairly quickly. The real challenge was to transcribe Hildegard’s freely sung melodies in a way that they could fit over metered music. That was tough, and I even had to re-write the opening track and re-record it because the first version didn’t sound quite right.
The album is described as a journey through the stages of life. How did you approach composing each movement to reflect the different phases of existence, from conception to the mystery of what comes after death? I got a lot of help from the church modes on this one! The opening chant was written in Phrygian mode (starting on E), so I decided to move up the scale from there. Lydian mode (in F) has a very mystical, magical feel to it, while Mixolydian (in G) has a more joyful, childlike tone. The album continues up the scale, reflecting the journey from childhood to adulthood, until it reaches Dorian (in D), which is a very somber ending to the journey. The final piece returns you to Phrygian, so you can start the whole thing over again. It’s very cyclical, much like Hildegard’s vision of the Universe.
You mentioned that this album came to you in a vision. Can you elaborate on that experience and how it influenced the creation of Evensong? It definitely felt like a vision to me. In the space of an afternoon, I had the album title, the concept, and even the album cover worked out. Because it came to me so clearly, it was fairly easy to move forward and create the album. Well, it looked easy on paper – but it did prove to still be challenging!
Hildegard of Bingen’s spiritual visions are central to the album. How did you go about translating those mystical and often abstract concepts into a musical experience for modern audiences? I approached this album like a film score, or a ballet score. Using my experience writing for film and dance, I was able to translate the ideas and emotions of Hildegard’s writings into musical themes. A lot of it is very intuitive – it’s not something you think about in concrete terms. It’s more about finding the right emotion and letting that guide you through the music.
Evensong has received critical acclaim, including praise for its string arrangements and blending of ancient and modern sounds. How does this recognition compare to your expectations when you first embarked on this project? Thank you for mentioning that. Of course, it’s always an honor to receive praise for something you’ve made, but this isn’t something that I think about when I’m creating the music. It’s kind of the farthest thing from my mind, honestly. I’m so caught up in the moment of creation that I feel like the music is only for me. It’s like a perfect little baby when I’m working on it, and it feels very precious and personal to me. Once the album is released, it feels like sending your child off to school. You hope that people will accept it and treat it well. It’s always nice to get positive feedback, because it reinforces your own feelings.
The album will be performed live at the Church of the Holy Apostles. How do you plan to bring the spiritual and mystical elements of Evensong to life in this sacred setting? I’m very excited about this upcoming Release Party on October 1 – it will be my first big concert in New York City. Until now, I’ve only ever performed in small venues, either as a soloist or part of a duo. This time, I’ll have all 4 of the singers from the album, as well as the cellist, and I’ll be onstage with them playing keyboards. We’re going to light the church with colors that match the album cover (lots of blue!), and the natural acoustics of the space will lend to the spiritual nature of the music. It’s going to be beautiful.
With the GRAMMY’s “New Age” category expanding to include ambient and chant music, how do you feel Evensong fits within this broader context, and what impact do you hope it will have on the genre? Yes, they expanded the category last year, and I was especially happy that “ambient” music was added. Even though there are similarities between “new age” and “ambient”, I’ve always thought of New Age music as being more geared towards meditation and relaxation. Ambient music can be that also, but it can also be darker, more involved, with synthesizers and sequencers like the ones that I use on “Evensong”. This album has elements of both New Age and Ambient, and certainly has quite a lot of Chant, so it fits perfectly into the new category where perhaps it would not have a couple years ago. I hope that “Evensong” will help expand the genre so that the general public takes it more seriously. New Age music has gotten a bad rap over the years, because a lot of people dismiss it as being “elevator music” or “spa music”. But there is so much more to this genre, and you’re starting to see that in the recent nominations and winners.
The album includes both reimagined chants from Hildegard and your original compositions. What was your approach to writing new material in the style of Hildegard, and how did you ensure it felt authentic yet innovative? By the time I arrived at the final track “Evensong 8”, I had been completely immersed in Hildegard’s musical world for almost 2 years. This allowed me the ease of writing an original plainchant that was true to her style. I found the words to an evening prayer from the Anglican church, and used that text to build the final track. That last piece is almost like a lullaby that fades off into silence.
Looking back on your three-decade career, where does Evensong stand in terms of personal and artistic significance for you? How do you see it influencing your future work? It feels like the culmination of 30 years to me. I could have only made this album now, at this point in my life. Everything led me to this moment. And now that this album exists, I can sense that it will be the driving force as I continue on my journey. There’s no going back now!
