Sonoma Bach
  • The Flowering of the Spirit
    • 2021-2022 Concerts >
      • Clothed Head to Foot in Song
      • World of Wonder
      • Early Music Christmas: Lo How a Rose
      • Sacred Realms: Très Riches Heures
      • Never to Forget
      • Season Finale: Born of the Sun
      • Organ Recital: The Incomparable Herr Buxtehude
    • 2021-22 Educational Events
    • 2021-22 Virtual Offerings >
      • Virtual BachTalks
      • The Choir Loft >
        • June 5th - How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
        • June 12th - Sacred Works by Valentin Silvestrov - Steve Osborn
        • June 26th - Some Music by Palestrina - Comfort in Perfection - Dan Solter
        • July 3rd - William Byrd: Motets and Masses Part One
      • Repertoire Exploration Projects
    • Tickets
    • Donate today!
    • COVID-19 Audience Safety
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Virtual Offerings - Archive >
      • The Choir Loft
      • Virtual BachTalk
      • Adventures in Sightsinging
      • Parliamo Italiano! Language Workshop
      • Madrigal Mondays
      • Chorale Wednesdays
      • Motet Fridays
      • Virtual Recording Projects
      • Virtual Concerts >
        • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
        • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
        • Agave Baroque American Originals
        • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
    • Concert Programs
    • Scores & Parts
    • Rehearsal Recordings
  • Contact
  • Join our Mailing List!
  • The Flowering of the Spirit
    • 2021-2022 Concerts >
      • Clothed Head to Foot in Song
      • World of Wonder
      • Early Music Christmas: Lo How a Rose
      • Sacred Realms: Très Riches Heures
      • Never to Forget
      • Season Finale: Born of the Sun
      • Organ Recital: The Incomparable Herr Buxtehude
    • 2021-22 Educational Events
    • 2021-22 Virtual Offerings >
      • Virtual BachTalks
      • The Choir Loft >
        • June 5th - How Brightly Shines the Morning Star
        • June 12th - Sacred Works by Valentin Silvestrov - Steve Osborn
        • June 26th - Some Music by Palestrina - Comfort in Perfection - Dan Solter
        • July 3rd - William Byrd: Motets and Masses Part One
      • Repertoire Exploration Projects
    • Tickets
    • Donate today!
    • COVID-19 Audience Safety
  • Who we are and What we do
    • Mission Statement
  • Our Ensembles
    • Sonoma Bach Choir
    • Circa 1600
    • Green Mountain Consort
    • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
  • Support
    • Donate
    • Escrip & Amazon Smile
  • Resources
    • Virtual Offerings - Archive >
      • The Choir Loft
      • Virtual BachTalk
      • Adventures in Sightsinging
      • Parliamo Italiano! Language Workshop
      • Madrigal Mondays
      • Chorale Wednesdays
      • Motet Fridays
      • Virtual Recording Projects
      • Virtual Concerts >
        • Live Oak Baroque Orchestra
        • Music for these Distracted Times - Barefoot All-Stars
        • Agave Baroque American Originals
        • Bach's Long Walk to Lübeck - Anne Laver, organ
    • Concert Programs
    • Scores & Parts
    • Rehearsal Recordings
  • Contact
  • Join our Mailing List!
Ave Maria by Biebl
I'm a little behind due to a Circa 1600 retreat yesterday and a concatenation of other happenings overlapping and intruding and/or obtruding upon each other.

But here I am, late but nonetheless in possession of a truly wonderful motet and performance of same. If you are a Chanticleer fan, you probably already know the piece--it's a staple of the group's repertoire, the 'Ave Maria' by Franz Biebl (1906-2001). Scored for a double-choir, and available in several keys and voicings, the motet calls for a trio of soloists and a four-voice choir.

What brought it to my mind afresh was serendipitously stumbling upon this wonderful recording by Voces8. They don't do all the internal repeats which Biebl indicates, but in all other ways their rendition is simply stunning. Check it out!

You can also easily find Chanticleer performing the piece in both live and studio recordings. Here's a good example. Or what about this very good girls' choir from Hungary? And for something different and surprisingly moving, listen to The President's Own United States Marine Band playing the piece antiphonally.

If you'd like to follow with the music and/or sing along, a score is attached to this message. Here's a link to Franz Biebl on Wikipedia--there's lots of information there about the 'Ave Maria'. And if you'd like to go still deeper, I am attaching a DMA thesis on the piece by Matt Oltman, who sang with Chanticleer for a long time and was once director of the group.​
Click here to download learning materials
Sonoma Bach  | 911 Lakeville Street #193 |  Petaluma |  CA  |  94952 
​707-347-9491 | info@sonomabach.org

Sonoma Bach is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization