Cecilia, Saint
Cecilia, Saint (martyred in Sicily c.176AD). Patron saint of mus., commemorated annually on 22 Nov. Her assoc. with mus. is very obscure, apparently dating from 15th cent. (There is a theory that it arose from the misreading of an antiphon for her day.) First recorded mus. fest. in her honour c.1570 at Evreux, Normandy; earliest recorded date of a Brit. mus. celebration 1683. Innumerable paintings and stained glass windows depict her playing the org.—always one of many centuries later than 176AD. Many comps. in her honour, outstanding examples being Purcell's Ode for St Cecilia's Day (1692) and Britten's Hymn to St Cecilia (1942).
Cecilia, St
Cecilia, St (2nd or 3rd century), Roman martyr. According to legend, she took a vow of celibacy but when forced to marry converted her husband to Christianity and both were martyred. She was first confined in a hot bathroom in an attempt to suffocate her; later she was beheaded. She is the patron saint of church music. She is typically shown with an organ or with a lute, and her feast day is 22 November.
Cecilia, St
Cecilia, St (2nd–3rd cent.). A perhaps legendary virgin martyr of the Roman church. Her Acts date from the 5th cent., and she is unknown to earlier writers. Since the 16th cent. she has been best known as patron saint of music and musicians. Feast day, 22 Nov.
More From encyclopedia.com
All Saints Day , All Saints' Day. The feast which celebrates all the Christian saints, whether known by name or not. The date in the W. is 1 Nov., and in the E. the f… Saint , saint [O.Fr., from Latin sanctus=holy], in Christianity, a person who is recognized as worthy of veneration.
Nature of Sainthood
In the Hebrew Script… Saint Sebastian , St Sebastian
St Sebastian (late 3rd century), Roman martyr. According to legend he was a soldier who was shot by archers on the orders of Diocletian,… Saint Bernadette , Bernadette, St
Bernadette, St (1844–79). Bernadette Soubirous was born into a humble family at Lourdes, where, at the Massabielle Rock, she received… Saint David , Saint David
Saint David
Saint David (c. 520-c. 601) is the patron saint of doves, poets, and Wales. One source calls him "perhaps the most celebrated… Charles Camille Saint-saens , Saint-Saëns, Camille
Camille Saint-Saëns
Composer, pianist
A piano prodigy in his youth but an estimable personage in French music as an adult, Camil…
About this article
Saint Cecilia
All Sources -
You Might Also Like
NEARBY TERMS
Saint Cecilia