Today we celebrate the feast day of St. Cecilia, a young 3rd-century Roman woman who was martyred alongside her convert husband for their Christian faith. As she is the patron saint of music, singers, poets, and the makers of fine musical instruments, we gathered a collection of songs that praise this early saint of the Catholic Church.
St. Cecilia has been an inspirational figure in many areas of the faith, including to consecrated virgins. She made a vow of chastity at a young age, but despite this, her parents forced her into an arranged marriage with a Roman pagan noble. During her wedding ceremony, while musicians played pagan songs, St. Cecilia kept her heart filled with music for the Lord, leading to her saintly patronage of music and musicians.
In the centuries since, the life and story of St. Cecilia – who may have been the first incorruptible saint – has inspired many majestic works in the Catholic songbook and beyond.
Aleteia has pulled up just a few of our favorites, from classical works to contemporary songs, all of which express a certain admiration for this ancient and storied Catholic saint.
Feast for St. Cecilia – Vaughan Williams
With all the splendor and grandiose tones that the Late Romantic era of music has to offer, “Feast of St. Cecilia” is everything one might expect from a Ralph Vaughan Williams song. This composer is adept at creating incredible soundscapes that practically paint a scene through sound. The broad colorful chords highlight the expressive soloists in this excerpt from his Mass in G minor.
Hymn to St. Cecilia – Benjamin Britten
Benjamin Britten has directed much of the development of English classical music, which is fitting for a man with a name so close to that of his nation. When it comes to Britten’s works, there may be no finer choir to sing them than VOCES8. Here, they give the “Hymn to St. Cecilia” an excellent treatment, excelling at the near-madrigal style, with fluttering lyrics quickly cascading downward leading to some of the most expressive chords we’ve ever heard. A wonderful tribute to the beloved saint.
Cecilia Virgo – James MacMillan
While still in the classical style, James MacMillan is still alive and composing today. Be that as it may, his beautiful polyphonic style stands up to the likes of Palestrina and Byrd. His music pays special attention to dynamics, which makes the sound swell and shrink from the boastful tones of a hundred-man choir, to the humble softness of a small chapel at prayer.
This is just one song from an album of music in tribute to St. Cecilia. The above link is a playlist of the whole album, which is worth a listen for all those devoted to the patroness of music.
Saint Cecilia – Foo Fighters
A surprising addition to the list, here we have the Foo Fighters paying tribute to St. Cecilia, from their 2015 EP titled Saint Cecilia. The song is reminiscent of some of the Foo Fighter’s most famous works, maintaining the fast paced pop/rock style for which they are known. The song speaks to the healing power of music and, while not explicitly about St. Cecilia’s story, Dave Grohl calls on her intercession in each chorus to “bring me some healing,” and to “carry me home.”
St. Cecilia – Kajsa Vala
Our final selection came out of left field, as it is a song we’d never heard from a band we didn’t know. Performed with no electric instruments, this gentle song of faith still grows steadily throughout, with a variety of acoustic instruments and an excellent group of voices. The singer has a wonderful voice for country and a melisma that brings a tenderness to the performance. While we may not have known the song before today, it has quickly become our favorite on the list.
St. Cecilia, pray for us.
And today we celebrate...