We are very delighted to announce Illuminans Tenebras’ debut album, which will be released on September 4th, 2026, by Belgian Early Music label Ramée distributed by Outhere. More info.
With the present recording Tristan Driessens and the Illuminans Tenebras Ensemble hope to shed new light on the music of Hildegard von Bingen, one of the most remarkable women of the Middle Ages. The musical approach of the ensemble shows that the monophony in the songs of Hildegard von Bingen bears a striking resemblance with various basic Ottoman makams — Kürdî, Mahur, Uşşak. Illuminans Tenebras places Hildegard’s mystical sounds alongside impassioned Eastern improvisations and links 12th-century Christian mysticism with Sufism of the same period. The recording highlights the musical and spiritual elements that the two traditions have in common: monodic melodies, improvisation, and ecstasy — music as a path to the divine. Illuminans Tenebras Ensemble: Lieselot De Wilde: soprano, Eugénie De Mey: alto, Christos Barbas: ney, percussion, Nabil Naïr: ney, Nathan Daems: ney, Tristan Driessens: oud, artistic direction.
