Reginold of Eichstätt (died 4 April 991 in Eichstätt) was Bishop of Eichstätt from 966 to 991, much 'admired as a poet, musician, scholar and orator' and indeed 'the leading musician of his age'. He had travelled in the East, and his knowledge of the classical languages Latin, Greek and Hebrew (as cited 100 years later by the chronicler of Eichstätt's history, Anonymous of Herrieden) enabled him to create religious works that found widespread popularity. In particular, his '' Historia'' of

Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra, ; la, Sanctus Nicolaus (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Myra in Asia Minor (; modern-da ...

(a collection of

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

s, antiphons, responsories,

lection A lection, also called the lesson, is a reading from scripture in liturgy. In many Christian denominations, the readings of the day are appointed in the lectionary. History The custom of reading the books of Moses in the synagogues on Sabbat ...

s and prayers designed to be recited throughout the day on the saint's

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

, in a Liturgy of the Hours) was 'artistically exceptional' and 'swept the world like a catchy new tune',Jones, Charles W. (1988) ''St Nicholas of Bari, Myra and Manhattan: Biography of a Legend''. University of Chicago Press. as innovation had been subdued under Charlemagne but was just beginning to take off once again. He demonstrated his linguistic versatility by switching from language to language within the text. This ''Historia'' also earned Reginold the bishopric, which was awarded to him by the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Otto the Great Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), traditionally known as Otto the Great (german: Otto der Große, it, Ottone il Grande), was East Frankish king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the oldest son of Henr ...

. The plainchant music, however, was written in neumes which are inherently ambiguous, so no definitive modern version exists. Reginold also composed ''Historiae'' in honour of Saint Willibald,

Winibald Winibald (Winebald, Winnibald, Wunebald, Wynbald) (c. 702 - 18 December 761) was abbot of the Benedictine double monastery of Heidenheim am Hahnenkamm. Traditionally, he is called the brother of Willibald and Walpurga. Life Winibald's father ...

and

Saint Blaise Blaise of Sebaste ( hy, Սուրբ Վլասի, ''Surb Vlasi''; el, Ἅγιος Βλάσιος, ''Agios Vlasios''; ) was a physician and bishop of Sebastea in historical Armenia (modern Sivas, Turkey) who is venerated as a Christian saint and m ...

References

External links

Illuminated manuscript of St Nicholas Historia
Medieval male composers Roman Catholic bishops of Eichstätt 991 deaths Year of birth unknown German classical composers German male classical composers 10th-century composers {{Bishop-stub