Saint Cecily, Virgin Martyr, was adopted by musicians as their patroness. Daughter of very noble parents she was certainly brought up in a considerably wealthy educational context where music, poetry and other special gifts were very familiar to her. But from the information gathered, nothing can lead us to the conclusion that in the life of this beautiful Christian martyr music had been so important as to consider her a well-known musician and that this would give her right to a place in music History. In the entreaty of this Saint there is an antiphon referring to organs and chants stating no more than this: “When the pipe organs would play, Virgin Saint Cecily addressed to the Lord, in the intimacy of her heart, and said: allow my Lord, that my heart and my body remain immaculate, and thus not be led into temptation and therefore be condemned.”

 

 

Quoted from BORBA, Tomás and GRAÇA, Fernando Lopes (1962). Dicionário de Musica: ilustrado , 2 vols. Lisboa: Cosmos