Ave maris stella

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composer

Owain Park (b1993)

2014; SSATB; written for the Richard III Society, George Haynes and the St Peter's Singers

author of text

Anonymous - liturgical

Hymn at First Vespers of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Introduction
English

The repetitive, slightly jingly metre of this popular medieval hymn presents a challenge to the composer; Park does not attempt to camouflage the insistent metre but instead allows it to propel the music forward, retaining a pleasing simplicity in his melody (he acknowledges Grieg’s setting to be an influence), while clothing it with more sophisticated harmonies that would have delighted Francis Poulenc. The stanzas of the text are prefaced by bell-like repeated notes to the words ‘Ave maris stella’, rising from D via E flat and E natural to a final high G, leading to a luscious final Amen. Written in 2014, Ave maris stella is inscribed ‘for the Richard III Society, George Haynes and the St Peter’s Singers’.

Recordings

A Rose Magnificat

Gabrieli Consort, Paul McCreesh (conductor)

Studio Master: SIGCD536Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available

Paul McCreesh leads the Gabrieli Consort in a collection of English works composed either before 1558 or after 1915, responses all to medieval texts associated with the Virgin Mary.» More