All the world loves Hildegard--and the four women of Anonymous 4 may be the best interpreters of her music since the 12th century. St. Ursula was the legendary daughter of a British king who, with her army of virgin companions, was martyred in Cologne, perhaps in the fifth century; Hildegard wrote these Chants for the Feast of St. Ursula for use in a highly solemn celebration along with other liturgical chants. It is in this context that Anonymous 4 presents this program, interspersing chants and psalmody with Hildegard's compositions, sometimes employing drones and polyphonic embellishment. The musical effect is a mixture of awesome reverence and earthly sensuousness. The combination of four different women's voices in perfect unison creates a richly colored sound that can lull or console or uplift. --David Vernier