Ave Maria

Voicing: SA with two soprano soloists and piano
Published by: Cypress Choral Music , CP 1049 (2000; reprinted 2020)
Retail: The Leading Note ; Choral Sheet Music ; Leslie Music Supply;  Sheet Music Plus (listen, view score); J. W. Pepper; Stanton's;  Panamusica;

Notes: Winner of the ACCC 1999-2000 Composition Competition and sung for the first time by Canada's National Youth Choir, at the Winspear Centre for Music in Edmonton, conducted by Dr. Leonard Ratzlaff.

---

Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus.
Sancta Maria, Mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Performed by: Ariose Women's Choir, Dr. Marilyn Kerley, conductor from Joy Shall Be Yours, 2001

 See the complete score at Cypress Choral Music

Rollin Smith's review of Ave Maria appeared in the January, 2005 issue of The American Organist:

"Allan Bevan is an extremely talented composer of ravishing sacred choral music in a traditional style. This Ave Maria won first prize in the equal voices category of the 1999-2000 Association of Canadian Choral Conductors Associated Publishers Composition Competition, and if your choir can’t sing it you should hire two good sopranos to perform it just so your congregation can hear something as beautiful as this. The two soloists rest after the first eight measures while the two-part trebles continue. Then the soloists sing to the end, and the “choir” only joins with them to provide harmony for the last three measures. The piece could be sung by a two-part choir or just two soloists. This is beyond recommended".  

---