Women composers of Catholic music
Encyclopedia
Since the Middle Ages, women including Hildegard of Bingen
and Vittoria Aleotti
have been composing music for the church.
American, Australian and English Catholic hymn
collections dating from the first half of the 20th century included hymns and service music by women religious living in convents. Because of their vows of humility, authorship of their compositions was identified only by the composer's first name, initials, or the city where her convent was located.
While much of the Catholic liturgical music
published today is still composed by men, the number of liturgical compositions by women is growing. Some of the women who compose music for the Church are
Carol Browning,
Jeanne Cotter,
Dolores Dufner,
Bernadette Farrell
,
Dolores Hruby,
Donna Peña,
Anne Quigley,
M.D. Ridge,
Suzanne Toolan,
Lori True, and
Janèt Sullivan Whitaker.
One of the earliest hymns published by a woman composer in the United States was "I Am the Bread of Life" by Catholic nun Suzanne Toolan, in 1966. Today, this song is still widely sung, not only by Catholic congregations, but by those of other Christian denominations as well.
Hildegard of Bingen
Blessed Hildegard of Bingen , also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and...
and Vittoria Aleotti
Vittoria Aleotti
Vittoria Aleotti , believed to be the same as Raffaella Aleotti was an Italian Augustinian nun, a composer and organist.-Personal Life and Musical Growth:...
have been composing music for the church.
American, Australian and English Catholic hymn
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
collections dating from the first half of the 20th century included hymns and service music by women religious living in convents. Because of their vows of humility, authorship of their compositions was identified only by the composer's first name, initials, or the city where her convent was located.
While much of the Catholic liturgical music
Liturgical music
Liturgical music originated as a part of religious ceremony, and includes a number of traditions, both ancient and modern. Liturgical music is well known as a part of Catholic Mass, the Anglican Holy Communion service , the Lutheran Divine Service, the Orthodox liturgy and other Christian services...
published today is still composed by men, the number of liturgical compositions by women is growing. Some of the women who compose music for the Church are
Carol Browning,
Jeanne Cotter,
Dolores Dufner,
Bernadette Farrell
Bernadette Farrell
Bernadette Farrell is a British Catholic hymnwriter whose works have gained popularity among Christians of a variety of denominations...
,
Dolores Hruby,
Donna Peña,
Anne Quigley,
M.D. Ridge,
Suzanne Toolan,
Lori True, and
Janèt Sullivan Whitaker.
One of the earliest hymns published by a woman composer in the United States was "I Am the Bread of Life" by Catholic nun Suzanne Toolan, in 1966. Today, this song is still widely sung, not only by Catholic congregations, but by those of other Christian denominations as well.