For Hildegard of Bingen, music was very important: As a mirror of heavenly harmony, music brought the people close to God. Between 1151 and 1158 she composed more than 70 liturgical songs that are referred to as Symphonia armonie celestium revelationum, as well as one spiritual Singspiel [music drama]. One has to agree with Guibert of Gembloux: „Who has ever heard of similar things done by any woman?“. In the liturgical songs, she praises the Triune God, the angels and the saints, primarily Maria, Saint Ursula and Rupert of Disibod. Again, she emphasized the divine origin of her work:

„On it I saw a light shining through the air and in a miraculous way heard manifold sounds coming out of it. It was hymns of praise for the ones living in heaven (…)“.

From a letter to the prelates of Mainz, who declared the interdict on the monastery on the Ruperstberg in 1178, we learn the important role music played for Hildegard in the overall context of her theology: Before the Original Sin, it was possible for the people to participate in the praise of God by the angels. Only the prophets got back some of the knowledge that had then been lost. With the songs and the sound of their instruments, the people should be instructed and motivated to lead a life pleasing to God. From then, the devil made every effort to prevent the hymns of praise for God. He was deeply concerned about the regained ability of people to sing, because the hymns would come from the Holy Spirit and would be the echo of heavenly harmony.
Within the musical work of Hildegard, the Singspiel Ordo virtutum held a special status. It has the form of a sung liturgical drama: Similar to the Liber Vitae Meritorum, the virtues fight against the devil and his machinations for the souls of the people. As the harmony of music is always aimed at praising God, the devil is only able to produce arrhythmic noise in this play. Hildegard and her nuns probably performed this play at church feasts on the Rupertsberg and in Eibingen.
The liturgical songs Hildegard composed, were sung during mass or the horary prayer, as we know through Guibert: „These liturgical songs that were composed for praising God and for honouring the saints, are publicly performed in church.“ Whether she first wrote the texts and later composed the melodies, which were written in neumes, an ancient form of musical notation, or whether she composed both at the same time, was not handed down. It also cannot be said with any conviction today how the music really sounded during Hildegard’s time. Today’s versions of the songs can only be similar to a limited extent.