"Next, I saw a burning light which was of a great size, just as any mountain is high and great. The light was divided into many tongues at its top. In front of this light, there was a great crowd of people standing.”
Inspired by a vision of the medieval mystic Hildegard of Bingen,
Lux Ardens explores the idea of burning light as a metaphor for otherworldly images following one another in ever-changing sequences of colour and form. The music of
Lux Ardens springs from nine melodic fragments extracted from Hildegard's chants and unfolding into concealed melodies and micro-harmonies of wavering intensity.
Lux Ardens was commissioned by Christina Meissner to whom is dedicated. The world premiere took place at Speyer Cathedral, Germany, on 5th March 2022, and was performed by Christina Meissner.