22/11/2025
Happy St Cecilia’s Day! 🎶 The patron saint of music! 🎶
Happy St. Cecilia’s Day! 🎶
Cecilia was a 3rd-century Roman noblewoman who was martyred for her faith and became the patron saint of music and musicians. According to legend, she had vowed her virginity to God as a child. Her parents, however, married her to the pagan Valerian. At their wedding, she sat apart, “singing in her heart to God.”
When it came time to consummate the marriage, she told Valerian that an angel of the Lord was watching over her and that it would punish him if he violated her, but would bless him if he respected her vow. Valerian asked to see the angel, and Cecilia told him to go to the Appian Way and be baptised by the Pope. He did so and he saw the angel, who crowned Cecilia with roses and lilies. Valerian and his brother Tiburtius converted and later also became saints, though all three were martyred by the Romans for their faith.
Cecilia survived several ex*****on attempts. Before her death, she requested that her possessions be given to the poor and her house transformed into a church.
The first recorded music festival in St Cecilia's honour was held in Normandy in 1570. Since then, composers from Purcell to Britten (who himself was fittingly born on this day) have written works in her honour. She is even referenced in Simon & Garfunkel’s song 'Cecilia', which is often interpreted as being about a temperamental lover, though Paul Simon has said it was inspired by writer’s block.
