Music for St. Cecilia's Day

Synopsis

Today is the Feast Day of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music and musicians. Over time, her Feast Day came to be celebrated with special works composed in her honor, all extolling the power of music. Of these, the most famous were written by three great British composers: Henry Purcell, George Frederick Handel and Benjamin Britten.

In the 17th century, Henry Purcell wrote four cantatas, or odes for St. Cecilia’s Day. The most famous of these, Hail! Bright Cecilia! was written in 1692.

British poet John Dryden, a contemporary of Purcell’s, wrote two poems in praise of St. Cecilia. These attracted the attention of great British composer of the following century, George Frederick Handel. The first, Alexander’s Feast premiered in 1736 — oddly enough not on St. Cecilia’s Day — but proved so popular that Handel set Dryden’s other ode to St. Cecilia, From Harmony, Heavenly Harmony, and performed both pieces on today’s date in 1739.

Great 20th-century British composer Benjamin Britten was actually born on St. Cecilia’s Day in 1913. In the early 1940s, British poet W.H. Auden wrote Anthem for St. Cecilia’s Day for Britten, who set it to music in 1942.

Music Played in Today's Program

Henry Purcell (1659-1695): Hail Bright Cecilia!; Gabrieli Consort; Paul McCreesh; Archiv 445 882

George Frederic Handel (1685-1759): Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day; English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor; Archiv 419 220

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976): Hymn to St. Cecilia; London Sinfonietta Voices; Virgin 90728