Cecilia Clare Bocard

Sister Cecilia Clare Bocard, S.P., (April 13, 1899 – February 15, 1994) was an American musician and composer of works for organ, piano, and chorus.

In addition to her composing work, Bocard taught piano, organ, composition and theory at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Conservatory of Music for 47 years.

Throughout her years as a composer and organist, Bocard ended up studying under musicians including Wilhelm Middelschulte, Edgar Brazelton, Arne Oldberg, Moissaye Boguslawski, Arnold Schultz and Nadia Boulanger.

Some of her well-known religious compositions include A Cycle of Psalms, written in 1956 and performed by the Sisters of Providence Choir in 1965 at the Chicago Civic Opera House;[2] the organ work "Te Deum Laudamus" (1952); the hymn "Our Lady of Providence"; and the five-volume work Propers for the Mass for Sundays and Feast Days.

[8] Bocard was awarded professor emerita status at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in 1971, and received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from them in 1983.