Hildegard von Bingen
What happens when a raucous Scandinavian folk band armed with strings,  acoustic guitars, and percussion rearranges the music of a 12th-century nun and  updates it with modern electronic backdrops? Why, you getGarmarna'sHildegard  von Bingen, a surprisingly sedate affair that marries the sacred and the  secular in a truly unorthodox fashion. The band's organic and synthetic elements  are on opposite ends of the aural spectrum, but--purism be damned--Garmarna  makes it appealing. There are times when the beats are a little intrusive on  Hildegard's striking melodies--which are beautifully sung here by singer Emma  Härdelin--but they never overwhelm the music and aren't always present.  Overall, this album, created and named inHildegard von Bingen's honor,  serves as a reverent tribute to her music, and it might just influence newer,  younger listeners to investigate her 900-year-old repertoire.--Bryan  Reesman