Reflections: Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström’s Uncovering the Voice

Born in Gäyle, Sweden, in 1879, Valborg Werbeck-Svärdström studied and performed opera before moving to Germany, where she met Rudolph Steiner, proponent of anthroposophy and founder of Waldorf education. Through her own internal work, and her ongoing collaboration with Steiner, Werbeck came to an understanding of the voice that inspired her to found Schule der Stimmenthüllung (School for Uncovering the Voice), the first anthroposophical singing school, in 1924. She published Uncovering the Voice: The Cleansing Power of Song in 1938. The School for Uncovering the Voice still continues today worldwide and is frequently found in Waldorf teacher training programs.