. I always considered it a very reverent and sincere devotion to Mary.
Kelly Clarkson sang the Celine Dion “Ave Maria” to the tune of Schubert’s Ave Maria.
The Latin version of the Ave Maria is now so frequently used with Schubert’s melody, that it has led to the misconception that he originally wrote the melody as a setting for the Ave Maria. [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellens_dritter_gesang]()]
Franz Schubert’s “Ave Maria” is not from an opera, nor is it considered an aria of any sort. Classical singing just doesn’t consist of opera which is always bigger than life since it is on stage. There are many kinds of classical singing. Opera is just one facet of it. To name a few, there is concert repertoire which consist of oratorios (religious or secular), cantatas, solo motets, etc. There is sacred classical singing, consisting of sacred motets, masses, litanies, and other classical sacred works. Then you also have the art of singing songs - art songs - which are just songs set to various text - religious or secular - and sung in the classical “style” of singing as was meant to be. Anyway, just wanted to give some background as most people don’t really know much about classical singing and the various facets of it. They assume everything is opera which gives a wrong impression.I recently heard that Pope Benedict XVI forbade Schubert’s Ave Maria from being incorporated into mass because the music to which it is set was originally part of a secular opera. Is this true? If so, I understand and accept the Pope’s decision, but I will miss hearing this beautiful song in Mass
I don’t know what the Pope’s preferences are, but knowing that he is a classical musician and does enjoy works by German and Austrian composers, I doubt he’d be against it.
I don’t know how true this is anymore. Almost every single Protestant wedding I’ve sung for in the last couple of years, the brides have all requested this version of “Ave Maria” and the pastors have approved it. Even a Baptist minister approved it, which I didn’t think would fly. And this is not something I suggest to the Protestant brides. They request it themselves. It’s the first thing they ask when the contact me, “Do you sing the ‘Ave Maria’?”I do know that “Ave Maria” is not allowed to be sung in almost all protestant churches though…it’s way too Catholic!!!
The protestant churches you’re referring to are definitely exceptions. I’ve been singing for weddings for 35+ years, and have sung Schubert’s “Ave Maria” hundreds and hundreds of times, but no matter how many times it’s been requested by a protestant bride and groom, it’s only been allowed by one protestant pastor, and only as an “early prelude” (basically, before anybody was in the church).
I’ve heard of that before as well. Usually, in the circumstances I knew of, they were priests who were totally against anything that was “classical” in nature or having any kind of devotion to the Blessed Mother.
That might have been the case in prior decades. I wasn’t around 35 years ago and have only been doing weddings for almost 10 years, and like you almost every wedding I do requests mostly the Schubert, sometimes the Bach-Gounod. That’s why when I got married 5 years ago, I decided to go with a Gabriel Faure setting of the “Ave Maria”.
Since I freelance a lot, I have to follow the rules of the priests at each church. Some priests don’t like to sit and wait during the presentation to the Blessed Mother, so they will actually get upset with the organist if he/she plays more than the first verse of the Schubert “Ave Maria” - UNLESS it is specifically requested by the bridal couple. I know it’s not even that long, but I do what I’m told. He’s the boss. That’s why I have to tell them to request it when I’m working with them. Some priests don’t care, so we can do both verses then.
This time last year I played at a Church of Ireland (Anglican) funeral. Towards the end of the ceremony the singer and I did the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria. I was quite surprised by that to begin with, but was even more taken aback when the minister requested that the congregation “stand for the ‘Ave Maria’”. Whether the hymn was requested for the prayer itself or merely for the music, I’m not sure - I suspected that it was more likely that it was for the music, though it was certainly strange that the people were asked to stand (by the way, the coffin was not being taken out of the church at this stage, so the people were not standing for that reason).
What I’ve found in some Anglican/Episcopal churches is that certain congregations have a sort of devotion to Mary. For instance, at an Episcopal church in my town, they actually have a weekly rosary group. The first time I walked by it, I didn’t know it was an Episcopal church. It had “St. -----“ then “Weekly Rosary Devotion – Tuesday 7:30 p.m.”. I thought it was a Catholic church at first because of that, but it looked too much like an Anglican/Episcopal church which tend to all have a similar architectural style in my area – very lovely, stone structures. When I went to the front door, there was another sign, and that is where it specified that it was an Episcopal Church. So, perhaps that particular congregation also has a devotion to Mary?
I think it really depends on the way the music is composed and how it has to be rendered itself. There were some pieces of music throughout the centuries which were originally composed for liturgy, but the way it had to be rendered really actually made it inappropriate for mass. For instance, Verdi’s “Requiem”. It is sometimes called his greatest “opera” even though it wasn’t an opera. But the way it was composed and how it has to be sung really does sound like a concert opera. It used to be played in liturgy and I believe it was played for Verdi’s own funeral at his request. During the mid to late 19th century and early 20th century (same time of Verdi), a lot of composers were writing liturgical music which sounded more like for an opera or theater than for liturgy. It was one of the reasons why in 1908 the Church had to crack down and reign the composers in. Much like what is happening today except with a different style and genre of music. So, this sort of thing isn’t new to the Church and its musicians.
This could blow the thread off topic - The Vicar of Dibley, right?! Haven’t heard this setting in a liturgical context yet…I’m sure Goodall didn’t compose the setting for the BBC though (I could imagine them using it on Songs of Praise all the same). Of course his other famous opus is the theme for Mr Bean - heavenly music indeed; so much so that I’ve known many people to mistake it for Bruckner’s Locus Iste - the opening chord is the same, very warm and beautiful!Howard Goodall’s Psalm 23.
It is indeed the Vicar of Dibley theme, and it was in fact commissioned as the TV show theme. But Goodall intentionally wrote a work that would also stand as a liturgical piece. It’s very cleverly written - any half-reasonable choir and organist will easily sight-read it and sound great in one rehearsal.