An article about Saint Cecilia can not be missing from this site. Maybe you wonder what a catholic saint has to do with classical music, but that will be clear within a few minutes if you read on.
Not much is known about the historical figure of Cecilia. She lived during the first centuries of christianity, but it is not exactly clear when. The story goes that she had to mary someone called Valerianus. She told him that an angel guarded her virginity. If Valerius would deflower her, his final day would have come. Valerius wished to see that angel. That happened, after which Valerius became christian. Because of their faith, both were prosecuted, caught and sentenced to death. After a failed attempt to behead her, Cecilia lived on for three days, lying in her own blood. Then she died. Her last will was to build a church on the place of her house in Rome. Thus happened. Nowadays a church is still there.
The reason for this article is not Cecilia’s martyrdom. In her biography it is told that she sang to God in her hart during the festivities of her wedding, while others were playing all kinds of instruments. The latin word for "voice" is "organum". Probably this sentence was misunderstood in later days when she got the organ as attribute. Since the fourteenth century she has been associated with music. In most cases she is depicted with a small portable organ. When in 1584 at Rome the institute for church music was established, Cecilia became the patroness, and with that the patroness of church music. In the nineteenth century, an important reformation movement within church music was called after her: Cecilianism.
Rafaël - St. Cecilia
One of the most famous paintings of her was made in 1515 by Rafael. Cecilia is depicted in a state of exaltation. She listens to the singing choirs of angels. The instruments that lie around here are broken, and the organ she holds, is falling apart. She leaves earthly music behind and focusses on the heavenly.
Small wonder that much music was written to honor Saint Cecilia. Especially in England a large number of pieces have been composed for her day (22 November). An early example is the Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day by Henry Purcell (1692) (mp3 – source):
Hail, bright Cecilia! fill ev’ry heart
With love of thee and thy celestial art;
An example from the twentieth century is the Hymn to St. Cecilia, composed in 1942 by Benjamin Britten (mp3 – source):
Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions
To all musicians, appear and inspire:
Translated Daughter, come down and startle
Composing mortals with immortal fire.
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