Saint Cecilia is the Catholic patron saint of musicians and is said to have sung to God during her wedding.
Cecilia is traditionally described as a Roman noblewoman and Christian martyr. According to her legend, she had vowed virginity but was married to Valerian. During the wedding festivities, she is said to have sung in her heart to God, a passage that helped establish her connection with music.
The earliest surviving account of her martyrdom dates from later Christian tradition rather than from a contemporary record. It says that Cecilia converted Valerian and his brother Tiburtius, and that she was eventually killed after refusing to renounce her faith.
Her feast is celebrated on 22 November. The Basilica of Saint Cecilia in Trastevere, Rome, is traditionally associated with her home and relics. Cecilia’s musical patronage rests chiefly on the wedding legend; she should not be confused with Saint Lucy, another early Roman-associated martyr.