Saturday, December 12, 2015

God's Portal; 'Ave Maria' by Charles Gounod



FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, LUMIERE CHARITY HAS BEEN APPROACHED RE THE NEED FOR MUSIC FOR USE IN MASSES AND SERVICES OF WORSHIP.
Many priests, pastors, and worshipping communities find themselves unable to enjoy a sung Mass or worship service due to any or all of the following factors;

  • No church
  • No money to build a church
  • No organ
  • No piano
  • No musical instruments
  • No money to purchase musical instruments
  • No organist
  • No pianist
  • No musicians

In answer to the requests, we have founded 'God's Portal', which will make free musical backing soundtracks available.

HOW TO USE;

  1. Download the MP3 tracks [or tracks] you wish to use.
  2. Each track is of music which is in the public domain, all being over a hundred years old.
  3. Use the different musical backings in your church/worship services/ public event to enable congregation/ worshippers to enjoy singing with backing.
  4. The usual format is to choose four songs for a Mass or worship Service.
  5. These are used in the following way;


  • First track or piece of music as an Entrance song [at the beginning of the Mass or Worship Service].
  • Second track or piece of music at the Offertory [at a point in the Mass or Worship Service where prayer is offered, and congregants conduct the Offertory according to their usual protocol]
  • Third track or piece of music after Communion.
  • Fourth track or piece of music at the Recessional [end of the Mass or worship Service.]

Feel free to use these tracks for any worthy purpose.

Artist; Catherine Nicolette Whittle
[50 years experience in music, 40 years experience as church organist and musician.]
Media for this track; Church Organ and Concert Piano
Recording Artist; Jan Louw
Studio; A to Z Music 
Artwork Design; A W

Music Piece 3;
Ave Maria 
Composed by Charles Gounod, and Adapted to the 1st Prelude of J.S. Bach
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, best known for his luminous 'Ave Maria', as well as for his opera 'Faust'. 
Gounod studied the music of Palestrina and other sacred works of the sixteenth century.
In 1854 Gounod completed a Messe Solennelle, also known as the St Cecilia Mass.
Gounod was made a Grand Officer of the Légion d'Honneur in July 1888.

Music Interpretation
The Ave Maria is often sung as a solo; the singer requires some training and expertise in order to carry out the vocal challenges; - among them the tonal modulations and performance of the high note 'a'.
The music is written for a first soprano voice.
The lyrics may be sung in either the Latin or the English version.
Both versions are given below.

Lyrics;
Latin version, one verse only
1. Ave Maria, gratia plena,
    Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in  mulieribus,
    Et benedictus,fructus ventris tui Jesus.
    Sancta Maria, sancta Maria, Maria,
    Ora pro nobis, nobis peccatoribus,
    Nunc et in hora in hora mortis nostrae, Amen.

English version, two verses
1. Ave Maria, Mighty, yet lowly,
    Pure, and most holy,
    Hear from thy starry throne our prayer:
    Though faithless friends may grieve us,
    Wealth and fortune leave us,
    Grant to our grief and to our pain thy tender care.
    Sancta Maria! Sancta Maria! Maria!
    When we are tearful,
    When we are fearful,
    Give to us thine aid,
    To us thine aid, thine aid of prayer!

2.  Ave Maria, Mother of the desolate!
    Guide of the unfortunate!
    Hear from thy starry throne our prayer:
    If sorrow will await  us,
    Tyrants vex and hate us,
    Teach us thine own most patient part to bear!
    Sancta Maria! Sancta Maria! Maria!
    When we are sighing,
    When we are dying,
    Give to us thine aid, to us thine aid,
    Thine aid of prayer!
    Amen.

Click in the following link for the music track, 'Ave Maria'
http://cross.tv/143087 

With thanks to J Louw and A W


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