Ave maris stella
SATB chorus with optional organ doubling
No. 0201
Audio
0:00
Text
Ave, maris stella,
Dei mater alma,
atque semper virgo,
felix cæli porta.
Sumens illud «Ave»
Gabrielis ore,
funda nos in pace,
mutans Evæ nomen.
Solve vincla reis,
profer lumen cæcis,
mala nostra pelle,
bona cuncta posce.
Monstra te esse matrem,
sumat per te preces
qui pro nobis natus
tulit esse tuus.
Virgo singularis,
inter omnes mitis,
nos culpis solutos
mites fac et castos.
Vitam præsta puram,
iter para tutum,
ut videntes Jesum
semper collætemur.
Sit laus Deo Patri,
summo Christo decus,
Spiritui Sancto
tribus honor unus. Amen.
Hail, star of the sea,
caring mother of God,
yet ever-virgin,
happy gate of heaven.
Receiving the “Ave”
from Gabriel’s mouth,
ground us in peace,
transforming the name of Eva.
Break the chains of the guilty,
bring light to the blind,
dispel our evil,
intercede for all goods.
Show that you are a mother,
may He receive prayer through you
who, in being born for us,
assented to be yours.
Singular virgin,
meek among all,
when we are free from our sins,
make us meek and chaste.
Grant pure life,
prepare a safe way,
that upon seeing Jesus,
we may rejoice forever.
Praise be to God the Father,
Glory to Christ most high,
and to the Holy Spirit
honor, to the three as one. Amen.
About the piece
Ave maris stella is a tranquil hymn to the Blessed Mother. The music is suited to liturgical meditation, and may be accompanied by organ doubling. The recording above was made by the First Readings Project, under the direction of J. David Moore, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis, MN. The score is available in the full SATB choral version as well as a two-part version. If you would like to order parts or a free sample copy, please send me an email.