1.

Which songs are included in this listing?

To be included in this listing:

1. Both the words "Ave" AND "Maria," - or a different-language equivalent - need to be in the song title or text,
2. OR the song has a recognizable line of the standard Ave Maria in the text,
3. OR the subject of the song is about the annunciation to Maria.

This means that

• Some songs in this listing have titles other than "Ave Maria," but still are about Gabriel's message to Maria.

• Some songs have a text that is different from the standard text of the Ave Maria prayer.
   

• There are songs in this listing that are not about the annunciation message.

  • Most of these songs are nevertheless prayers of devotion or supplication to Maria of Nazareth,

    • Ave Maria payen in the opera "Notre Dame de Paris"

  • Some of these songs are "stories" where it is mentioned that people sing or hear the Ave Maria

    • Ave Maria no morro

    • La mama
       

• However, a few songs in this listing are very much non-religious songs:
                e.g. the Spanish-language Ave Maria made popular by David Bisbal.
   

I do try to limit myself as stated above, but undoubtedly over the years a few other songs have slipped in
Those will eventually be moved into a separate chapter of the website.
 

2.

Is this listing complete?

No, it is not.
This listing is not, and never will be complete.

• Throughout times, many composers have set the Ave Maria  to music.
• The Ave Maria may well be the most used text by composers through history.
• Over centuries past, probably more compositions have been lost forever than have survived.
• New compositions are being written all the time.

3.

a. How to find an Ave Maria in this website? How is this website organized?

1.  The listing pages are alphabetic by the composer's last name.
     Click on the links at the top of the home page to see the listing page for that category.
     That page will look somewhat like this:

#

ICONS

composer name

year of birth, death, publication

No.

Title

Voicing

Instrumentation

comments

X

X

X

X

X

Franz Wilhelm

Abt

1819

1885

Op.409

Ave Maria

V (2)

pf

A-flat major  (RISM)

Franz Wilhelm

Abt

1819

1885

Op.433

Ave Maria

solo voice

piano

X

X

Franz Wilhelm

Abt

1819

1885

Op.438

Ave Maria

SATB

organ

UWM)

  What are those little pictures on the left side of the listing for? Please read the FAQs below.

2. If I have any documentation about a listed Ave Maria song, I make a separate work page for that song.
    When there is a work page for a listed Ave Maria setting, the composer name is linked.
   (different color, cursor changes - see last 2 lines in the above table) 

3. To see the work page, follow the link by clicking on the composer last name.
The work page should open in a new browser window.
You may need to set your browser to allow pop-ups for this.

4. If the composer's last name is NOT linked, then I do not have any documentation about that work, other than a reference or what else may be included in the comments on that line of the listing page.

b. What are those little pictures on the left side of the listing for?

 The icons indicate the archival status for that song. An X in the icon box means that no such file is available.

1	2	3	4	5
					1. I have a score for this song / 2. I have a music notation file (usually NWC) / 3. I have a MIDI of this song / 4. I have a CD recording of this song./ 5. I have a video recording of this song

These icons do not normally have links. For the few that still do, these links may still work, many will not.
Internet pages change frequently. Because I cannot keep up with all these changes, the links from the icons on the listing pages will be phased out as I am updating the listing pages.

•   I have a score for this song.
  This icon does not necessarily mean you can download the score on the work page.
  The work page may show a complete (public domain) score or a sample picture of the (copyrighted) score.  
  If I downloaded the score from the internet, there will usually be a link  on the work page to that file.
   
• I have a music notation file (usually NWC)
  This icon is not linked to downloadable NWC files.

You may also be able to

• listen to a MIDI file,
• listen to MP3 recording ; or
• watch a video.

4.

This song has "Ave Maria" as title, but does not have the text of the "Ave Maria" prayer?

Comment by Karen Mercedes: There are a number of songs and arias entitled "Ave Maria" that are not, in fact, settings of the traditional "Ave Maria" [prayer] text. While some of these are lovely songs they are not true Ave Marias. The most famous of these is Schubert's "Ellens Gesang III", Op. 52 No. 4 D.839. [set to a German translation of "Lady of the Lake"]  Other composers who have written songs entitled "Ave Maria" but using other texts include:

Additional avemariasongs.org comments:

• There are many  songs in our listing that have different lyrics than the contemporary Ave Maria prayer.
  • It is very common practice to repeat or omit some or several lines of the prayer in order to match the pattern of the melody line.
  • Songs in our listing that are confirmed to have a text that is substantially different from the Ave Maria  prayer text may be marked 'NS" (Non-Standard) in the last column of the listing.
     
• Many Ave Maria songs also have a second alternative lyrics line that is completely unrelated to the Ave Maria prayer.
  • See substitution texts on the "Hail Mary" page.
  • Watch this video "Heavenly Father" = a text substitution of the Ave Maria substitution
    of Schubert's 'Ellens dritter Gesang.'
     
• A few songs on this website are instrumental only, with No Vocal line.
  • These may be marked NV in the voicing column and/or in the last column of the listing.
     

5.

a. Bach never wrote an "Ave Maria! (He was a protestant ...)

Bach, or whomever else this may apply to.
There are quite a few Ave Maria songs that didn't start out that way.
It is a very common practice to "graft" the Ave Maria text onto a popular melody or song that may never have been intended to be a religious song.

• The best known example in this category is probably Charles F. Gounod's Meditation on the 1st Prelude in C by Johann Sebastian Bach. Bach may not have written an Ave Maria, but he did write the original prelude music. It is customary and appropriate to attribute an arrangement of a musical composition to the original composer.
   
• From my research of medieval and Renaissance settings, it would seem that the vast majority of anonymous (and sometimes named) religious songs of those times -  including the Ave Maria settings - had 'appropriated' the melody of a popular secular song for 'the good cause.' Sometimes many dozens of different texts were used for the same melody.
   
• Arcadelt's "Nous voyons que les hommes" is originally written for 3 female voices.
  Arcadelt's so famous "Ave Maria" is really a later-period SATB adaptation of that song by Pierre Louis Dietsch (1808 - 1865) published in 1842.
   
• Pietro Mascagni did not compose an Ave Maria. Someone arranged the Intermezzo from his opera CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA as a vocal solo and set the Ave Maria text to it.
   
• Some very recent examples are included in this website:

  • Händel's See the Conquering arr. Emil Bahr Ave Maria X

  • Adagietto from Mahler's Symphony No.5 arr. Adrian Conell
     
• The reverse process (text substitution) also happens frequently. see THIS PAGE
  Many Ave Maria sheet music publications include an alternate text for 'protestant' use.

b. ... and protestants don't pray to Maria!

• You are misinformed.
  Some protestants may not wish to pray to Maria. A lot of protestants do pray to Maria.
  See also: Martin Luther's views on Mary  + John Calvin's views on Mary
   
• This comment came from a so-called "Bible-only" protestant.
  It seems strange to me that otherwise well-educated people would claim that they can study and interpret the 'only'  source of their faith - the Bible - without placing it in its historic context, i.e. next to other sources of relevant information including but not limited to other writings of the same period.
   
• FYI, non-Roman-Catholic and even people outside the Christian faith have composed Ave Marias.
   

6.

a. Where can I find the score? Can I download it? Will you give it to me?

Yes, maybe, no.  Meaning, it depends.

1. Before you ask, please so check the listing page to see if there is a score icon in the first box of that line.
   • If there is an icon like this, I do have a score available.
     That can be an original publication, or a typeset or manuscript copy.
   • If there is an X instead of a score icon in the first box of the listing, I do not have a score for that song.
     If I don't have it, I can't give it to you. Don't ask.
      
2. The icons on the listing pages are not usually linked to any files.
   If I have a score, the song will have its own work page.
   Click on the link in the composer name  to go to that work page. 
   The work page will show a sample picture of the score and the available information about the publisher.
   You will probably find one of these icons on the work page.
    
   1.   If a score is under copyright, I'm not allowed to give you a copy.
      • You will not be able to download it from this website.
      • I might be able to tell you where you can purchase a score.
      • However, if I found it on the internet, I'll gladly tell you what I found and where I found it.

      Exception: a few contemporary composers have given me permission to make their score available.
                      Those scores are downloadable from the work page.
       

   2. If the song is public domain (not under copyright), I'll gladly share with you what I have.
      • Check the sample picture of the score. For many public domain songs, this is the complete score.
        1. The picture itself is downloadable by right-clicking on it and "save as" .
        2. The picture may be linked to a larger copy or to a source page or file.
           (colored border + your cursor will change over the picture.)
           Click the picture to follow the link.
            
   3. Many work pages throughout my website have are external links
      to scores that are available on other websites. Please try those first.
       
   4. There are several pages that have many links to other websites.
      Please check THIS PAGE and THIS PAGE
       
   5. If all that fails, please send me an email  infoavemariasongsorg
      If I can help you find what you are looking for, I'll be happy to do so.

b. And what about the music?

1. MP3s: NO.
   • The copyright of a voice recording belongs to the performer or the publisher, not the composer.
     Most recordings are recent enough to be copyrighted. It is for that reason that I only post samples
     instead of the complete track, because such samples are considered "fair use"
     and do not constitute a violation of copyright.
     Samples are usually somewhere from 30 seconds to slightly over a minute,
     depending on the length of the track and the musical flow.
   • MP3s can be legally purchased, usually for less than $1 each, on various websites like amazon, iTunes,
     napster, etc.
   • Some of the MP3s that are considered to have been brought into public domain or are posted on other websites
     may be available as complete tracks.
     Wherever possible, I have provided the link where you can download them.
2. NWC + MIDI:
   • Send me an email and if it's public domain, I'll get it to you if I have it.

7.

Purpose of this WebSite:

• Devotional: to honor Maria, the mother of Jesus, the mother of God.
  •  "To sing is to pray twice." St. Augustine.
  • I hope that visitors of my website will want to sing some of the songs they find there.
    Every Ave Maria honors Maria, and through her, her son Jesus as well.
     
• Informational: to provide a comprehensive listings of "Ave Maria" songs available or referenced on the Internet.
  • December 2009:
    • more than 2800 composers listed;
    • more than 1400 Ave Maria settings documented (i.e. with a score, MIDI or recording)
    • more than 600 Ave Maria MIDI files, (1672 MIDI files on 2011/10/29)
    • and growing faster than ever before ...
  • I hope that in time this listing may become a useful reference and a resource for anyone interested in the Ave Maria.
     
• Educational: the listed songs may serve as a resource for musicians, vocalists and choirs wishing to expand their repertoires and / or as a vocal practice tool.
  • You cannot perform a song if you do not know that it exists or if you do not know the melody.
  • It is easier to find a song that fits your preferences, voice range and skills when you can hear the melody.
     

• Archival:

  • To acquire the scores of the listed songs, to transcribe these scores in a notation program (currently NWC) and convert that to MIDI to make these songs available to the public.

  • A more recent goal for this project is to also acquire and maintain performance recordings (sound or video) of these songs.
     

Davies Gilbert, in the Preface to his landmark 1822 edition Some Ancient Christmas Carols, wrote:

The Editor is desirous of preserving them in their actual forms ...  as specimens of times now passed away, and of religious feelings ... . He is anxious also to preserve them on account of the delight they afforded him in his childhood, .../... .

8.

a. I hear two songs at the same time ...

That would be annoying.

1. Check if there isn't another browser window open that is also playing music.

2. If there is more than 1 player on a page, you need to manually stop the active player before you start another.

3. If multiple songs start playing automatically when you open a page, there is a programming error.
   If you come upon such a page, please let me know,  and I'll get it fixed.

b. Is there supposed to be music playing? I don't hear anything.

• Not all pages have associated sound files, even when a music player is visible.
  I work from a template page that includes several music players. Sometimes I forget to delete the players when I do not have a sound file, sometimes I leave the player(s) on purpose, in anticipation of acquiring the sound file later.
   

• If you don't get any sound at all on anything you do with your computer, the problem is likely with your system set up. Open the volume control (that little speaker in the task bar) and make sure that MIDI, WAV/MP3 and general volume are not muted or that the volume isn't turned down all the way. If that doesn't fix the problem, check to see if the sound system is switched on, and all the cables are still plugged in correctly.
   

• If you do get sound on some pages, and not on others, first make sure that the page you're on does have sound files.

  • I do have quite a few Ave Maria pages in this website without music. If there is no MIDI or MP3 icon in the listing page for that song, I do not have a MIDI or recording for that song and you will not have any music on that page. These are usually songs that I have a score of that I have not processed yet.
     

  • A CD cover on the page does not automatically mean that that there is a sound file.
    If there is an MP3 sample, you will see the music player bar with the statement "play'stop MP3." 
     

  • There are a few pages with MIDI files only where you should have music (MIDI icon in the listing) but you might not hear anything. These pages do not always display the music player.

    • There were some file name inconsistencies after the transfer from the old zianet website to the current server. The new server is case sensitive for file name addresses, while the zianet server was not. I have tried to find and correct all such problems, but there are so many pages in this website that I may have missed a few.

    • If you come upon such page, please let me know, and I'll correct the problem.
       

• If you have different default programs to playback different sound file types, it may be that the sound card is still being used by one program and will not allow the other program to use it at the same time.
   

• I have noticed on my computer that there sometimes are problems playing back sound files if there is more than one MIDI player on the page. The default player moves, but there is no sound. I found that the problem can usually be resolved by stopping the one that is moving and starting another one.
   

• If you have tried all that, and there still is no sound when you think there should be, please let me know. That may be a programming error. I'll check it out and see if it is something that needs to be fixed on my side.
   

• You may need some of these programs to view or listen to the linked files : 

For NoteWorthy files:	viewer	browser plug-in	WinAmp plug-in

9.

This is wrong!

And you may well be right. With a project of this size, there are bound to be some errors.
If you see something that you think is wrong, don't get all upset about it.
Send me an email at infoavemariasongsorg
Do by all means include the URL of the page,
as well as what you think is wrong and why you think it is wrong.
It will be very helpful if you would provide some source to document your correction.
 

Introduction of "Ancient Mysteries Described" by William Hone (1823):

"Lastly, I am bound to confess the existence of a few errors, not affecting the sense, that were discovered too late for correction, though in sufficient time to enable me to affirm, as a warning to others, that the worst editor of an author's writings is himself."

10

This link doesn't work!

• Old websites disappear. New websites appear. Existing websites are being changed all the time.
  The Internet is ever-changing. On 2009-12-06 there were more than 7,000 external links in this website.
  It is impossible for me to keep those updated on a day-to-day basis.
   
• There have been many structural changes in my website over the years.
  Sometimes this has resulted in links that go nowhere (broken), or go somewhere other than intended (faulty).

If you find a link that doesn't work correctly, please send me an email, and I'll try to update it, or I'll remove it.

Some pages are incomplete. This Site is and always will be under construction!

Please notify us of any broken/defective links