It’s a humble Catholic prayer, with a simple but incredibly moving tune by Franz Schubert. Schubert actually never wrote a piece called ‘Ave Maria’.
Schubert’s music was called ‘Ellens Dritter Gesang’, translates as ‘Ellen’s Third Song’. He wrote to the words of Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem The Lady of the Lake. The song does contain words ‘Ave Maria’.
One of Schubert’s most popular works, ‘Ave Maria’ has been recorded by numerous artists. Andrea Bocelli, Maria Callas, Celine Dion recorded beautiful versions, as has the inimitable Luciano Pavarotti.