St Cecilia
St Cecilia, patroness of music and musicians, is celebrated each year on 22 November, which is her feast day.
She was born in Rome, at some point between 200 and 230 AD, and lived until some time between 222 and 235 AD. Little is known of her life, but she supposedly sang at her own wedding, didn't want her marriage to be consumated, and was martyred (by decapitation) either under Emperor Alexander Severus in Rome or Emperor Marcus Aurelius in Sicily.
Many musical works have been written about her, including Marc-Antoine Charpentier's Caecilia, Virgo et Martyr. At the start of his review of a recording of this work, the late Robert Anderson sums up St Cecilia's life in a very witty way.
A selection of articles about St Cecilia
Ensemble. Infectious Enthusiasm - Marc Minkowski and Les Musiciens du Louvre-Grenoble, heard by Robert Hugill
CD Spotlight - Merry or sad. '... New College ... can produce English chapel singing at its best, both sensitive and robust.' The 'worthy' William Boyce, with Robert Anderson