Questions about Schubert’s Ave Maria for Wedding

This question about the Ave Maria by Franz Schubert is in reference to my previous Ave Maria Lyrics post.

Great post! Just the info I was looking for.

I am getting married in a Catholic ceremony in a few months, and my soon to be wife had the idea of me singing Ave Maria during the ceremony as she presents Mary with flowers. In my searching the intarwebs, I came across someone who posted that Ave Maria is rarely sung by tenors and practically never by baritones.

My questions are:

1. Is this really true?
2. Is it inappropriate for a male to sing Ave Maria due to the original context of the lyrics?
3. If it is, does it even matter these days because it is more widely known in it’s Latin incarnation?
4. Is it ok for me to actually do that? (by “that” I mean do the singing during the ceremony while my wife does her thing with Mary)

Thanks for any help you can throw my way. I’ll be subscribing to your RSS feeds!

****************

Hi Tony,

Here are answers to your questions. I am Protestant, not Catholic, but I don’t think that should have much bearing on my answers since the piece was originally secular.

1. Is this really true?

Yes. The Ave Maria by Franz Schubert is most commonly sung by a female voice. But there is no reason it cannot be sung by a Baritone or Tenor. Common Baritone key for Ave Maria is A flat major. Most of the great tenors have recorded this piece at one time or another. When performing this piece with the Latin lyric text there is no definition of gender for the performer. Either female and male can sing the Latin text.

2. Is it inappropriate for a male to sing Ave Maria due to the original context of the lyrics?

If you are singing this song in a church setting, you should probably use the Latin lyrics. The Latin lyrics were added later for this purpose.

3. If it is, does it even matter these days because it is more widely known in it’s Latin incarnation?

See answer to #2. The original German lyrics makes it a secular piece, part of a song cycle. The Latin lyrics make it appropriate for use in a church service.

4. Is it ok for me to actually do that? (by “that” I mean do the singing during the ceremony while my wife does her thing with Mary)

Unless there is a Catholic-specific reason not to do this, then yes I would think it to be ok. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like this piece. Although it’s commonly associated as a Catholic piece for obvious reasons, it’s performed just as much in Protestant and non-denominational settings and to my experience always welcomed with open arms.

So my vote, from a Luther-loving Protestant, is to do the piece. What a great thing to share during the wedding!

14 thoughts on “Questions about Schubert’s Ave Maria for Wedding

  1. Wow, thanks for the quick reply! So if the common baritone key is A flat major, what would the common tenor (as I am, or at least used to be back in my choir days) key be?

  2. The highest note of the piece is a major sixth from the root of the key. So in the A flat major Baritone key the high note is an F (The note is just touched on lightly from an Eb). So for tenor it could be in key of C (high note A) up to Eb (high note is high C).

  3. I was just writing a note to my cousin who is getting married in a few months about this specific topic. I am Catholic, which I assume you are from the brief description of the tribute of flowers to the Virgin.

    There are several versions of the Ave Maria used in liturgical contexts. The Schubert piece is lovely, as is the Bach-Gounod version. These are the two best known (I believe), although many exist. At our wedding we used a special Ave that was written for a children’s choir I lead. In Catholic Ceremonies, it is perfectly acceptable to have a male voice sing the Ave. This works best with a 1st or 2nd Tenor.

    The tiny sticking point with the Catholic mass (the liturgy) and the Ave is that during the mass all the prayers are directed to the Father (through Christ). During the Canon of the Mass you will hear that we join our voices with the Saints (and then several are named), but every prayer is directed to the Father.

    Why do I mention this? Well, there is tension within the liturgical community as to whether the Ave is appropriate during the celebration of the mass. Sure, the words are taken directly from the Bible [It was the Archangel Gabriel that said, “Hail Mary! Full of Grace! The Lord is with you.” — the words may be slightly different depending on the original source and the translation used.] However, the request is directed TO Mary: “Pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death.” [We are asking Mary, in essence, to tap her son on the shoulder and say something like, “Hey listen, Jesus. There’s this guy, who may not have always done the right thing — but he was a very good man, and I think we should let him in”. After all, who could refuse such a request from his own mother?]

    However, the Ave Maria is usually the one common exception to the above comment that all prayers during a mass are directed to the Father. The symbolism is immense: The bride is placing the roses at the feet of The Virgin and asking that Mary pray that the new bride may follow Mary’s example and be a good mother and wife.

    Ok, so what does all this mean? It means you need to ask your liturgical coordinator (usually the music director at the Parish) whether it is OK to sing the Ave during the mass. Even the really strict ones usually agree. If not, they may request the Ave be sung before or after the mass (the flowers can be placed, and the Ave sung, immediately after the priest says, “The mass is ended, go in peace.” At that point, the mass is technically complete).

    My background: I have been the lead cantor at 3 churches (I moved around the country for work), have lead choirs and been a choir member for 20 plus years. I have also studied liturgy off and on, although this was definitely on a part-time basis (as I do Program and Project Management for a living).

    HTH

  4. Bob H. Thanks for the info, very informative indeed. Last weekend my fiancee and I met with the music coordinators at our parish, and they were fine with me doing the Ave during the mass. In fact, after they had me sing it (to find my key, C major) I was recruited for the choir which is in desperate need of tenors.

  5. Good info to know, thanks all – I know many people will find your posts helpful. And yes, tenors are usually hard to find for church choirs! Recruitment for church choir tenors can get pretty hardcore sometimes, like a military recruiter. 🙂

  6. Where can I Find a recording of Ave Maria in A flat major in Latin… I’ve look all over the web. Thanks!

  7. I would liKE tolisten to this song AVEMARIA IN LATIN LYRIC. MAY I HAVE THE MUSIC OF THIS SONG. THANK YOU. WHERE CAN I LISTEN TO THIS SONG I REALLY NEED THE MUSIC AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
    MARY

  8. My grandaughter is contemplating singing Ave Maria in a wedding. She is 10 years old and has an exceptional voice. Any suggestions for a child’s version?

  9. A ten-year-old, whatever her talent, should not sing this song. The first reason is for the sake of vocal health: it is almost impossible that she has the technique required for the correct singing of the sustained lines of which this piece exclusively consists. Sustained singing should not be attempted until basic vocal technique is perfect. (References: Richard Miller, Mathilde Marchesi.) Secondly – and from experience – Schubert’s Ave is a song she will sing for the rest of her life. If she learns it this young, she will certainly learn it incorrectly, and will need to spend a tremendous amount of time and energy when she is older unlearning and then relearning it.

    I’m sure it would sound sweet, but for your granddaughter’s own good, she should not attempt this song so young.

  10. Hi Conrad,

    Just so you know, I subscribed to the RSS feeds of these two Ave Maria posts and love seeing activity here almost 4 years later. I did end up singing the Ave during my wedding. It went over very well, and if I get around to it, maybe I can snip a clip of it from our wedding video to share with you.

    Our wedding was in May and in August I ended up singing the song again, in church, for my Grandmother’s funeral.

    After that, I’ve sung the other versions of Ave Maria, particularly for Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. I’d been asked to do the Schubert version for others, but had respectfully declined in the hopes of reserving my only performance of that piece for two of the most important women in my life.

    So I just wanted to say thanks for your website, and these two posts in particular. That piece, and in turn you and your site will always have a special place in my heart.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *