Sicut malurn: Hildegard of Bingen and the Setting of Song of Songs 2:3-6 in Trier, Priesterserninar Bibliothek 107

In the Trier Priesterseminar Bibliothek Hs. 107 (1124/-), there is a copy of Hildegard's commentary on Song of Songs 2:3 from Scivias III, 8:16 and an unneumed verse and repetenda from her Marian responsory Ave Maria. These two texts are followed on the final half-folio by Sicut malum, an anonymous setting written in staff notation of the Song of Songs 2:3-6. The purpose of the present study is to explore the possibility that Hildegard composed this setting of Sicut malum.In order to establish Hildegard's authorship of Sicut malum it is necessary to demonstrate appropriate conditions for the transmission of this setting from Rupertsberg to St Eucharius. For this, the traditional concerns of medieval scholarship - circumstance, source and text are met by an examination of the relationship between Hildegard and St Eucharius, discussion of the contents and historical locus of Trier 107, and comparison of melodic style between Sicut malum and examples from Hildegard's devotional song repertory.