Saint Cecilia ( la, Sancta Caecilia), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman virgin martyr and is venerated in
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
,
Orthodox
Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to:
Religion
* Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...
,
Anglican, and some
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...
churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the patroness of music and musicians, it being written that, as the musicians played at her wedding, Cecilia "sang in her heart to the Lord".
Musical compositions are dedicated to her, and her feast, on 22 November, is the occasion of concerts and musical festivals.
Saint Cecilia is one of several virgin martyrs commemorated by name in the
Canon of the Mass in the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
Church. The church of
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, founded in the 3rd century by Pope
Urban I, is believed to be on the site of the house where she lived and died.
Life
It is popularly supposed that Cecilia was a noble lady of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
who, with her husband Valerian, his brother Tiburtius, and a Roman soldier named Maximus, suffered
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
dom in about 230, under the Emperor
Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – 21/22 March 235) was a Roman emperor, who reigned from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. He succeeded his slain cousin Elagabalus in 222. Alexander himself was ...
.
Giovanni Battista de Rossi
Giovanni Battista (Carlo) de Rossi (23 February 1822 – 20 September 1894) was an Italian archaeologist, famous even outside his field for rediscovering early Christian catacombs.
Life and works
Born in Rome, he was the son of Commendatore C ...
, however, argues that instead she perished in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
under the Emperor
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Latin: áːɾkus̠ auɾέːli.us̠ antɔ́ːni.us̠ English: ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 AD and a Stoic philosopher. He was the last of the rulers known as the Five Good ...
between 176 and 180, citing the report of
Venantius Fortunatus,
Bishop of Poitiers
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Poitiers (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Pictaviensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Poitiers'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church in France. The archepiscopal see is in the city of Poitiers. ...
(d. 600).
According to the story, despite her vow of virginity, her parents forced her to marry a pagan nobleman named
Valerian. During the wedding, Cecilia sat apart singing to God in her heart, and for that, she was later declared the saint of musicians.
When the time came for her marriage to be consummated, Cecilia told Valerian that watching over her was an
angel of the Lord
The (or an) angel of the ( he, מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה '' mal’āḵ YHWH'' "messenger of Yahweh") is an entity appearing repeatedly in the Tanakh (Old Testament) on behalf of the God of Israel.
The guessed term ''YHWH'', which occurs ...
, who would punish him if he sexually violated her but would love him if he respected her virginity. When Valerian asked to see the angel, Cecilia replied that he could see the angel if he would go to the third milestone on the
Via Appia
The Appian Way (Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name, ...
and be baptized by
Pope Urban I
Pope Urban I (175?–230) ( la, Urbanus I) was the bishop of Rome from 222 to 23 May 230.Kirsch, Johann Peter (1912). "Pope Urban I" in ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company. He was born in Rome and succeeded ...
. After following Cecilia's advice, he saw the angel standing beside her, crowning her with a
chaplet of roses and lilies.
The martyrdom of Cecilia is said to have followed that of her husband Valerian and his brother at the hands of the prefect Turcius Almachius. The legend about Cecilia's death says that after being struck three times on the neck with a sword, she lived for three days, and asked the pope to convert her home into a church.
[Foley, Leonard, O.F.M., revised by Pat McCloskey]
"Saint of the Day: Saint Cecilia"
Franciscan Media]. .
St. Cecilia was buried in the
Catacomb of Callixtus
The Catacomb(s) of Callixtus (also known as the Cemetery of Callixtus) is one of the Catacombs of Rome on the Appian Way, most notable for containing the Crypt of the Popes ( Italian: ''Cappella dei Papi''), which once contained the tombs of sev ...
and later transferred to the
Church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere. In 1599, her body was found still
incorrupt
Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints and beati) to completely or partially avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their ...
, seeming to be asleep.
Cecilia is one of the most famous Roman martyrs, although some elements of the stories recounted about her do not appear in the source material.
According to
Johann Peter Kirsch
Johann Peter Kirsch (3 November 1861 – 4 February 1941) was a Luxembourgish ecclesiastical historian and biblical archaeologist.
Life
Johann Peter Kirsch was born in Dippach, Luxembourg, the son of Andreas and Katherine Didier Kirsch. At ...
, the existence of the martyr is a historical fact. At the same time, some details bear the mark of a pious romance, like many other similar accounts compiled in the fifth and sixth centuries. The relation between Cecilia and Valerian, Tiburtius, and Maximus, mentioned in the
Acts of the Martyrs
Acts of the Martyrs (Latin ''Acta Martyrum'') are accounts of the suffering and death of a Christian martyr or group of martyrs. These accounts were collected and used in church liturgies from early times, as attested by Saint Augustine."Acts of t ...
, has some historical foundation. Her feast day has been celebrated since about the fourth century. There is no mention of Cecilia in the ''
Depositio Martyrum
{{Short description, 4th-century list of Christian popes
The ''Liberian Catalogue'' ( la, Catalogus Liberianus) is a List of popes, list of the bishops of Rome from Saint Peter, Peter to Pope Liberius, Liberius (died 366). For each bishop, the list ...
'', but there is a record of an early Roman church founded by a lady of this name, Santa Cecilia in
Trastevere.
Santa Cecilia in Trastevere
The church of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere is reputedly built on the site of the house in which she lived. The original church was constructed in the fourth century; during the ninth century,
Pope Paschal I
Pope Paschal I ( la, Paschalis I; died 824) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 25 January 817 to his death in 824.
Paschal was a member of an aristocratic Roman family. Before his election to the papacy, he was abbot of St. ...
had remains that were supposedly hers buried there. In 1599, while leading a renovation of the church, Cardinal
Paolo Emilio Sfondrati
Paolo Emilio Sfondrati (1560 – 14 February 1618) was an Italian Cardinal.
Biography
Born to a noble family in Milan and the nephew of Pope Gregory XIV, he was the cardinal priest of Santa Cecilia in Trastevere, papal legate in Bologna, member of ...
had the remains, which he reported to be
incorrupt
Incorruptibility is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox belief that divine intervention allows some human bodies (specifically saints and beati) to completely or partially avoid the normal process of decomposition after death as a sign of their ...
, excavated and reburied.
Name
The name "Cecilia" applied generally to Roman women who belonged to the
plebeian clan of the
Caecilii. Legends and hagiographies, mistaking it for a personal name, suggest fanciful etymologies. Among those cited by
Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...
in "
The Second Nun's Tale" are: lily of heaven, the way for the blind, contemplation of
heaven and the active life, as if lacking in blindness, and a heaven for people to gaze upon.
Patroness of musicians
The first record of a music festival in her honour was held at
Évreux
Évreux () is a commune in and the capital of the department of Eure, in the French region of Normandy.
Geography
The city is on the Iton river.
Climate
History
In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named ...
in
Normandy
Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
in 1570.
The
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia ( en, National Academy of St Cecilia) is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, founded by the papal bull ''Ratione congruit'', issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints pro ...
in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world. It was founded by the
papal bull, ''Ratione congruit'', issued by
Sixtus V
Pope Sixtus V ( it, Sisto V; 13 December 1521 – 27 August 1590), born Felice Piergentile, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 24 April 1585 to his death in August 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order ...
in 1585, which invoked two saints prominent in Western musical history:
Gregory the Great
Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...
, after whom
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainsong, plainchant, a form of monophony, monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek (language), Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed ma ...
is named, and Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
Her feast day became an occasion for musical concerts and festivals that occasioned well-known poems by
John Dryden
''
John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...
and
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...
and music by
Henry Purcell (''
Ode to St. Cecilia''); 3 different
oratorios
An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is mu ...
by
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...
, ''Caecilia virgo et martyr octo vocibus'' H.397, for soloists, double Chorus, double string orchestra and bc, ''Cecilia virgo et martyr'' H.413, for soloists, chorus, 2 treble instruments and bc, and ''Caecilia virgo et martyr'' H.415, for soloists, chorus , 2 treble instruments and bc, to libretti probably written by
Philippe Goibaut
Philippe Goibaut des Bois La Grugère (; 22? March 1629 – 1 July 1694), known to his contemporaries as Monsieur Du Bois (), was a translator of St. Augustine, member of the Académie Française and director of Mademoiselle de Guise's musical ens ...
);
George Frideric Handel (''
Ode for St. Cecilia's Day''; ''
Alexander's Feast'');
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
(''
St. Cecilia Mass''); as well as
Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
, who was born on her feast day (''
Hymn to St Cecilia
''Hymn to St Cecilia'', Op. 27 is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden written between 1940 and 1942. Auden's original title was "Three Songs for St. Cecilia's Day", and he later published the poe ...
'', based on a poem by
W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...
). Herbert Howells' ''A Hymn to Saint Cecilia'' has words by Ursula Vaughan Williams;
Gerald Finzi
Gerald Raphael Finzi (14 July 1901 – 27 September 1956) was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a choral composer, but also wrote in other genres. Large-scale compositions by Finzi include the cantata '' Dies natalis'' for solo voice and ...
's "For Saint Cecilia", Op. 30, was set to verses written by Edmund Blunden;
Michael Hurd's 1966 composition "A Hymn to Saint Cecilia" sets John Dryden's poem; and
Frederik Magle
Frederik Reesen Magle (; born 17 April 1977) is a Danish composer, concert organist, and pianist. He writes contemporary classical music as well as fusion of classical music and other genres. His compositions include orchestral works, cantatas, ...
's ''Cantata to Saint Cecilia'' is based on the history of Cecilia. ''The Heavenly Life'', a poem from ''
Des Knaben Wunderhorn
''Des Knaben Wunderhorn: Alte deutsche Lieder'' (German; "The boy's magic horn: old German songs") is a collection of German folk poems and songs edited by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano, and published in Heidelberg, Baden. The book was p ...
'' (which
Gustav Mahler used in his ''
Symphony No. 4'') mentions that "Cecilia and all her relations make excellent court musicians."
From the name of Cecilia comes ''Cecyliada'', the name of the festival of sacred, choral, and contemporary music, held from 1994 in
Police, Poland.
Legacy
Cecilia symbolizes the central role of music in the liturgy.
[
The Cistercian ]nun
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
s of the convent nearby Santa Cecilia in Trastevere shear lambs' wool to be woven in the pallium
The pallium (derived from the Roman ''pallium'' or ''palla'', a woolen cloak; : ''pallia'') is an ecclesiastical vestment in the Catholic Church, originally peculiar to the pope, but for many centuries bestowed by the Holy See upon metropol ...
s of new metropolitan archbishops. The lambs are raised by the Trappist
The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...
s of the Abbey Tre Fontane
Tre Fontane Abbey ( en, Three Fountains Abbey; la, Abbatia trium fontium ad Aquas Salvias), or the Abbey of Saints Vincent and Anastasius, is a Roman Catholic abbey in Rome, held by monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance, better k ...
in Rome. The Pope blesses the lambs every 21 January, the Feast of Saint Agnes
Agnes of Rome () is a virgin martyr, venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, as well as the Anglican Communion and Lutheran Churches. St. Agnes is one of several virgin martyrs co ...
. The pallia are given by the Pope to the new metropolitan archbishops on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, 29 June.
Located on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight ( ) is a Counties of England, county in the English Channel, off the coast of Hampshire, from which it is separated by the Solent. It is the List of islands of England#Largest islands, largest and List of islands of England#Mo ...
, St. Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde was founded in 1882. The nuns live a traditional monastic life of prayer, work, and study in accordance with the ancient Rule of St. Benedict
The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' ( la, Regula Sancti Benedicti) is a book of precepts written in Latin in 516 by St Benedict of Nursia ( AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.
The spirit of Saint Benedict's Ru ...
.
The famous luthier Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume
Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume (7 October 1798 – 19 March 1875) was a French luthier, businessman, inventor and winner of many awards. His workshop made over 3,000 instruments.
Early life
Vuillaume was born in Mirecourt, where his father and g ...
produces a line of violin and viola under the name St. Cécile with a decal stamped on the upper back.
Cecilia is remembered in the Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...
with a commemoration
Commemoration may refer to:
*Commemoration (Anglicanism), a religious observance in Churches of the Anglican Communion
*Commemoration (liturgy)
In the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church, a commemoration is the recital, within the Li ...
on 22 November. She is honored on the Episcopal Church liturgical calendar with Agnes of Rome on January 21.
Iconography
Cecilia is frequently depicted playing the viola, a portative organ
A portative organ (from the Latin verb , "to carry"), also known during Italian Trecento as the , is a small pipe organ that consists of one rank of flue pipes, sometimes arranged in two rows, to be played while strapped to the performer at a ri ...
, or other musical instruments,[ evidently to express what was often attributed to her, namely that while the musicians played at her nuptials, she sang in her heart to God, though the organ may be misattributed to her, as the result of a mistranslation.
A miniature Saint Cecilia beneath ]Worcester Cathedral
Worcester Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Worcester, in Worcestershire, England, situated on a bank overlooking the River Severn. It is the seat of the Bishop of Worcester. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ and the Bles ...
was featured on the reverse side of the Sir Edward Elgar £20 banknote, which was withdrawn by the Bank of England in 2010.
In music
Renaissance, baroque and classical music
* Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...
composed four ''Histoires sacrées'' using a text thought to have been written by his colleague Philippe Goibaut
Philippe Goibaut des Bois La Grugère (; 22? March 1629 – 1 July 1694), known to his contemporaries as Monsieur Du Bois (), was a translator of St. Augustine, member of the Académie Française and director of Mademoiselle de Guise's musical ens ...
des Bois La Grugère:
** ''In honorem Caeciliae, Valeriani et Tiburtij canticum'' H.394 for three voices, two treble instruments, and continuo (1675 ?).
** ''Caecilia virgo et martyr'' octo vocibus H.397 for soloists, double chorus, double orchestra, and continuo (1677–78).
** ''Caecilia virgo et martyr'', H.413 for soloists, chorus, and two treble instruments (1683–85).
** ''Caecilia virgo et martyr'' H.415 – H.415 a for soloists, chorus, and two treble instruments (1686).
* Henry Purcell, Laudate Ceciliam (1683), Welcome to all the pleasures (1683), Raise, raise the voice (c1685) and Hail! Bright Cecilia (1692).
* Sébastien de Brossard, "Canticle for Saint Cécila" SdB.9 (1720 ?)
* Alessandro Scarlatti ''Il martirio di santa Cecilia'', oratorio donné pour la première fois le 1er mars 1708; ''Messa di Santa Cecilia''(1720).
* Georg Friedrich Haendel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
composed two works for Saint Cecilia with John Dryden
''
John Dryden (; – ) was an English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who in 1668 was appointed England's first Poet Laureate.
He is seen as dominating the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the per ...
: The Oratorio Alexander's Feast or The Power of Music (1736) and Ode for St. Cecilia's Day (1739).
* Joseph Haydn, ''Missa Sanctae Caeciliae'' ou ''Missa Cellensis in honorem Beatissimae Virginis Mariae (1766–67).''
* Ferdinand Hiller
Ferdinand (von) Hiller (24 October 1811 – 11 May 1885) was a German composer, conductor, pianist, writer and music director.
Biography
Ferdinand Hiller was born to a wealthy Jewish family in Frankfurt am Main, where his father Justus (orig ...
, ''St. Cäcilia'' (1848), cantata for soloists and orchestra to the text by Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter
Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter (15 March 1816 in Königswinter – 29 June 1873 in Bad Neuenahr) was a German novelist and poet. He settled in Cologne, and became a popular poet, novelist, and chronicler of the Rhine region.
Biography
His r ...
.
* Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
, ''Hymne à Sainte Cécile'', CG 557 (1865) for solo violin and orchestra[List of works by Charles Gounod](_blank)
IMSLP
The International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP), also known as the Petrucci Music Library after publisher Ottaviano Petrucci, is a subscription-based digital library of public-domain music scores. The project, which uses MediaWiki softwar ...
, accessed 2022-05-14
Contemporary music
* Judith Shatin
Judith Shatin (Allen) (b. November 21, 1949) is an American composer. Currently, she is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor at the University of Virginia. She also founded and is Director of the Virginia Center for Computer Music.Fred Momotenko
Alfred Momotenko-Levitsky (born 1970), also known as Fred Momotenko, is a Dutch composer.
Education
Alfred Momotenko-Levitsky studied percussion at the Moscow State Art and Cultural University, Russia. In 1990, he was invited to perform in th ...
composed ''"Cecilia"'', a composition for full mixed choir, "a hymn to the past as well as to the future of the monastic tradition". The world premiere was at Koningshoeven Abbey
Koningshoeven Abbey ( nl, Abdij Koningshoeven, Abdij Onze Lieve Vrouw van Koningshoeven) is a monastery of the Trappists (Order of the Cistercians of the Strict Observance) founded in 1881 in Berkel-Enschot in North Brabant, the Netherlands.
Fou ...
on Saint Cecilia's feast day, 2014.
* Benjamin Britten
Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...
wrote a Hymn to St Cecilia
''Hymn to St Cecilia'', Op. 27 is a choral piece by Benjamin Britten (1913–1976), a setting of a poem by W. H. Auden written between 1940 and 1942. Auden's original title was "Three Songs for St. Cecilia's Day", and he later published the poe ...
, a setting for the poem by W. H. Auden
Wystan Hugh Auden (; 21 February 1907 – 29 September 1973) was a British-American poet. Auden's poetry was noted for its stylistic and technical achievement, its engagement with politics, morals, love, and religion, and its variety in ...
.
* Paul Simon wrote the 1970 song "Cecilia
Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born ...
" which title refers to the patron saint of music.
* Lou Harrison
Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer, music critic, music theorist, painter, and creator of unique musical instruments. Harrison initially wrote in a dissonant, ultramodernist style similar to his for ...
wrote his Mass for St. Cecilia's Day for choir, harp, and drone (1983–86).
* Stalk-Forrest Group (later name changed to Blue Öyster Cult), recorded a song St. Cecilia, the EP was later released under the SFG name as the St.Cecilia sessions.
* Arvo Pärt was commissioned to compose a work for the Great Jubilee
The Great Jubilee in 2000 was a major event in the Catholic Church, held from Christmas Eve (December 24) 1999 to Epiphany (January 6) 2001. Like other previous Jubilee years, it was a celebration of the mercy of God and forgiveness of sins. ...
in Rome in 2000, and wrote (Cecilia, Roman virgin) for mixed choir and orchestra. The Italian text deals with the saint's life and martyrdom. It was first performed on 19 November 2000, close to her feast day, by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia ( en, National Academy of St Cecilia) is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world, founded by the papal bull ''Ratione congruit'', issued by Sixtus V in 1585, which invoked two saints pro ...
conducted by Myung-whun Chung.
* Gerald Finzi
Gerald Raphael Finzi (14 July 1901 – 27 September 1956) was a British composer. Finzi is best known as a choral composer, but also wrote in other genres. Large-scale compositions by Finzi include the cantata '' Dies natalis'' for solo voice and ...
composed "For St. Cecilia" for solo tenor, chorus (SATB), and orchestra. Setting of a work by English poet and author Edmund Blunden
Edmund Charles Blunden (1 November 1896 – 20 January 1974) was an English poet, author, and critic. Like his friend Siegfried Sassoon, he wrote of his experiences in World War I in both verse and prose. For most of his career, Blunden was a ...
. Duration ca 18 minutes.
* Herbert Howells
Herbert Norman Howells (17 October 1892 – 23 February 1983) was an English composer, organist, and teacher, most famous for his large output of Anglican church music.
Life
Background and early education
Howells was born in Lydney, Gloucest ...
composed his "A Hymn for Saint Cecilia" for choir and organ in 1960, as commissioned by the Worshipful Company of Musicians
The Worshipful Company of Musicians is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. Its history dates back to at least 1350. Originally a specialist guild for musicians, its role became an anachronism in the 18th century, when the centre of ...
, with a text by Ursula Vaughan Williams
Joan Ursula Penton Vaughan Williams (née Lock, formerly Wood; 15 March 1911 – 23 October 2007) was an English poet and author, and biographer of her second husband, the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.
Biography
Born in Valletta, Malta, th ...
.
* On the 2015 Feast of Saint Cecilia, Foo Fighters released their EP "Saint Cecilia" for free download via their website. The five-song EP features a track named after the EP "Saint Cecilia". The EP was recorded during an impromptu studio session at Hotel Saint Cecilia located in Austin, Texas.
* ''Informator Choristarum'' (organist and master of the choristers) at Magdalen College
Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...
, Oxford (1957–1981), Bernard Rose's unaccompanied anthem for SATB choir (with divisions) ''Feast Song For St. Cecilia'' (1974) is a setting a poem of the same name by his son, musician Gregory Rose.
* E. Florence Whitlock composed ''Ode to St. Cecilia, Opus 5'', based on text by John Dryden, in 1958.
* Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist, Rik Emmett, composed the song "Calling St. Cecilia" on his 1992 LP Ipso Facto.
* Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult ( ; sometimes abbreviated BÖC or BOC) is an American rock band formed on Long Island in Stony Brook, New York, in 1967, and best known for the singles "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", "Burnin' for You", and "Godzilla". The band h ...
release song “The Return of St. Cecilia” on their 2020 album “The Symbol Remains”
* The Chicago band Turnt (now known as Everybody All The Time) released a song called Girls which refers to St Cecilia in the lyrics. The song was first performed at Northwestern University's Mayfest Battle of the Bands on Friday 24 May 2013 at 27 Live in downtown Evanston.
* On 2008 Brian Eno's and David Byrne's album "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
''Everything That Happens Will Happen Today'' is the second collaborative studio album by David Byrne and Brian Eno, released on August 18, 2008, by Todo Mundo. Marking Byrne's eighth studio effort overall and Byrne a ...
", Cecilia is referred to in the song "The River".
* Iceage
Iceage is a Danish punk rock band from Copenhagen. The band was formed in 2008 and has released the albums '' New Brigade'' (2011), '' You're Nothing'' (2013), '' Plowing Into the Field of Love'' (2014), '' Beyondless'' (2018), and '' Seek S ...
release song “Dear Saint Cecilia” on their 2021 album Seek Shelter
''Seek Shelter'' is the fifth studio album by Danish punk rock band Iceage. It was released on 7 May 2021, by Mexican Summer. A post-punk album with classic rock and Britpop influences, ''Seek Shelter'' experiments with diverse sounds that reca ...
* British pop band The Vamps released song "Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)
"Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)" is a 2014 single by British pop band The Vamps, with a chorus adapted from Simon & Garfunkel's 1970 hit " Cecilia". The song appeared on their debut studio album ''Meet the Vamps'' (2014), but a later version feat ...
" on their 2014 debut studio album ''Meet the Vamps
''Meet the Vamps'' is the debut studio album by British pop band The Vamps. It was initially released in Australia and New Zealand on 11 April 2014, and released in the United Kingdom through Virgin EMI Records on 14 April. The album includes th ...
''
* Welsh rock band Holding Absence released song "Saint Cecilia" on split EP "This Is as One" with British metal band Loathe in 2018.
* Canadian band Ellevator released their song St. Cecelia in 2018 on their album Ellevator.
In literature
* The poem "Moschus Moschiferus", by Australian poet A. D. Hope (1907–2000), is subtitled "A Song for St Cecilia's Day". The poem is of 12 stanzas and was written in the 1960s.
* Cecilia is also the subject of Alexander Pope's poem "Ode on St. Cecilia's Day".
* Geoffrey Chaucer retells the story of Cecilia and Valerian and his brother in " The Second Nun's Tale" in '' The Canterbury Tales''.
* Cecilia is a symbol for the divine power of music in Heinrich von Kleist
Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (18 October 177721 November 1811) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist, short story writer and journalist. His best known works are the theatre plays '' Das Käthchen von Heilbronn'', ''The Broken Jug'', ''Amph ...
's extended anecdote "St. Cecilia, or the Power of Music
"St. Cecilia, or the Power of Music" (german: Die heilige Cäcilie oder die Gewalt der Musik) is a short story by the German author Heinrich von Kleist. The story was written on October 27, 1810 as a gift for daughter of his friend Adam Müller, a ...
".
* Saint Cecilia features in the 1979 collection of short stories by Angela Carter
Angela Olive Pearce (formerly Carter, Stalker; 7 May 1940 – 16 February 1992), who published under the name Angela Carter, was an English novelist, short story writer, poet, and journalist, known for her feminist, magical realism, and picar ...
"The Bloody Chamber" in the story of the same name.
Gallery
File:Lelio Orsi 003.jpg, ''Saint Cecilia and Saint Valerian'', Lelio Orsi
Lelio Orsi (1508/1511 – 1587), also known as Lelio da Novellara, was a Mannerist painter and architect of the Reggio Emilia school in northern Italy.
He was born and died in Novellara, and much of his work was completed in Reggio. He appear ...
(c. 1555)
File:Domenichino.jpg, Domenichino, ''Saint Cecilia with an angel holding a musical score'', (c. 1617–18).
File:Monvoisin, Raymond - Santa Cecilia -ost 77x63 PinUnConcep f03.jpg, ''Saint Cecilia'' by Raymond Monvoisin
'' 200px, Portrait of Andrés Bello ''
Raymond Auguste Quinsac Monvoisin (May 31, 1790 – March 26, 1870) was a French artist and painter.
Biography
Monvoisin was born in Bordeaux. Although he initiated a career in the military by indication o ...
File:CeciliaCrownsItalianMaster.jpg, ''An Angel Crowning Saints Cecilia and Valerian'' (1330s)
File:StaCeciliaCeciliaStatue.jpg, Statue from the porch of St. Cecilia, Trastevere
File:CeciliaMaderno.jpg, Stefano Maderno, ''St. Cecilia'', 1599
File:Saint Cecilia Wymondley.jpg, ''Saint Cecilia Wymondley''
File:All Saints church, Preston Bagot - Saint Cecilia stained glass window 2016.jpg, ''Saint Cecilia'' stained glass by Edward Burne-Jones
Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones, 1st Baronet, (; 28 August, 183317 June, 1898) was a British painter and designer associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which included Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Millais, Ford Madox Brown and Holman ...
in All Saints church, Preston Bagot
Preston Bagot is a village and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon (district), Stratford district of Warwickshire, England, about west of the county town of Warwick. According to the United Kingdom 2001 census, 2001 census the population was ...
File:Franciscan-Sisters-Saint-Cecilia-window-vocations-fscc-calledtobe.org.jpg, Franciscan Sisters' Saint Cecilia window inspires vocations at Saint Mary's Chapel, Holy Family Convent Motherhouse in Manitowoc, WI
Image:CeciliaCrownsDomenichino.jpg, ''The Crowns''
File:Domenichino - St Cecilia before the Judge - WGA06407.jpg, ''Cecilia's Trial''
File:CeciliaAlms.jpg, ''She distributes her goods to the poor''
File:Death of Saint Cecilia.jpg, ''Her death''
Image:StaCeciliaApseMosaic.jpg, The apse
Image:StaCeciliaApseMosaic.left.jpg, Detail: left side
Image:ApseMosaic.right.jpg, Detail: right side
See also
* Albi Cathedral
The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Cecilia ( French: ''Basilique Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi''), also known as Albi Cathedral, is the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Albi. First built in the aftermath of the Albigensian Crusade, the grim ...
, Albi, France
* List of Christian women of the patristic age
This is a list of Christian women in the patristic age who contributed to the development of the early Christian churches and communities. The list is roughly in chronological order of year when they lived or died. The patristic era is consider ...
* St. Cecilia Cathedral, Omaha, Nebraska, United States
* St. Cäcilien, Cologne, Germany
* St. Cecilia Catholic School, Houston, Texas, United States
* Saint Cecilia, patron saint archive
* Santa Cecilia Chapel, Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta
* Santa Cecilia Tower, Għajnsielem, Gozo, Malta
* The Ecstasy of Saint Cecilia by Raphael, Pinacoteca Nazionale di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
* Basilique-Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile, Salaberry-de-valleyfield, Quebec, Canada
References
Citations
Further reading
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External links
Catholic Online - Saints and Angels: ''St. Cecilia''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cecilia
170s deaths
180s deaths
2nd-century births
2nd-century Roman women
2nd-century Romans
3rd-century Christian martyrs
3rd-century Christian saints
Ancient musicians
Ancient singers
Anglican saints
Ante-Nicene Christian female saints
Caecilii
Incorrupt saints
Italian musicians
People executed by decapitation
People executed by the Roman Empire
Saints from Roman Italy