St. Cecilia is one of the most famous Roman martyrs. It is believed that she had pledged a vow of virginity but was then forced to marry a Roman nobleman named Valerian, by her parents. At her wedding, she sat apart and sang to God in her heart and for this she was named patroness of musicians. She asked her new husband to respect her vow with the help of an angel, which he did. Eventually, after becoming a noble woman of Rome, she perished under Emperor Marcus Aurelius by beheading. She is celebrated in Feast Day on November 22 by Catholic, Anglican and Eastern Orthodox faiths and this tradition has carried on since the fourth century.

Our client commissioned this interesting project featuring St. Cecilia because of her rich and engaging history as patroness of musicians. She has always loved Sir Edward Burne-Jones’ depiction of St. Cecilia in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, England. This original window was designed in 1874 by Burne-Jones and produced by William Morris & Co. The expressive and decorative drawing is classic Burne-Jones – the tall, fluid figures lending themselves perfectly to depiction in glass.

We were asked to create an homage to Burne-Jones featuring St. Cecilia, and we were delighted to design and build a 24 inch square hanging panel influenced by the original window. This masterpiece was a pleasure to re-create and we’ve not veered far from the original, with just a few adjustments on tonal values and their placement. We also employed a little tweaking of the colour palette and the introduction of a Morris inspired pattern in the background for a wonderful picture window in a beloved home.