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The masters of a cappella sacred music, VOCES8, are back with a brand new collaboration with another fine choral group, Ringmasters. The two vocal ensembles have come together for a rendition of Franz Biebl’s “Ave Maria,” freshly released during Advent on December 9.
Whenever someone brings up “Ave Maria,” it is likely that the mind will jump to Schubert’s famous treatment of the prayer. While Schubert’s is easy for the ear to pick up and has been recorded by just about every sacred artist of note, Biebl’s rendition could possibly beat it for sheer beauty.
Opening with the chanting tones of monks at prayer, the song quickly opens up into a beautiful motet that, while written in the 20th century, harkens back to the rich polyphonic tradition of music that the Catholic Church has developed over the last two millennia. The emotional piece even uses the melody as metaphor, repeatedly sending the melodic line on ascending trips as though the music itself is reaching towards heaven.
Originally written for a double men’s choir, Biebl’s “Ave Maria” was not performed very often at its inception, as there were not many German men’s choirs performing sacred music in the 1950s. It was not until a chance encounter between the composer and the Cornell University Glee Club from the US that the piece would be arranged for mixed choir. The choir Chanticleer helped to further popularize the piece when it began featuring “Ave Maria” in its Christmas concerts in 1989.
VOCES8 and Ringmasters gave Beibl’s masterpiece a masterful treatment that emphasizes just how much competition Schubert’s rendition has for the position of most popular “Ave Maria.” The complexity of Biebl’s arrangement may keep it from ever reaching #1, as it requires a deft choir of talented singers to do it right, whereas Schubert’s only requires a cantor and accompanist. Still, it’s hard not to be tantalized by the notion of such a robust sound ringing through our local parishes.
Hear more from Ringmasters here, and keep up with all of VOCES8’s prolific releases here.
