Ave Maria by Franz Biebl (1906-2001)

Wicker Park Choral Singers
Angels & Demons
July 10, 2010
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
St. Charles, IL

Hans Royal-Hedinger, baritone
Anthony Hinrich, tenor

While Franz Biebl was a 20th century German composer, his Ave Maria borrows heavily
from traditional church liturgy and plainsong melody. Written in 1964 for a volunteer
choir of firemen outside Munich, the piece gained little fame until 1970 when the Cornell
University Glee Club brought it to the United States from Germany. Performed sporadi-
cally until the men's vocal group Chanticleer performed it in 1997, it has become Biebl's
most well known piece. Utilizing the Angelus and Ave Maria devotion texts, the piece is
written for a double men's choir. Beginning with a cantor-like solo to introduce the Ange-
lus, the first choir quickly enters with the Ave Maria, harmonized to bring a fresh and
modern feel to a simple melody. The second choir follows the first, reiterating the text
and filling out the harmonic structure for the remainder of the piece. -SP

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ave maria
• catholic
• mary
• choir
• choral
• classical
• mens
• a capella
• biebl
• wicker park
• chicago