Over the course of time, many composers have honoured the mother of Jesus with a musical Ave Maria (a Hail Mary). One of the most well-known is that of the French composer Charles François Gounod (1818-1893), who added a melody to the first prelude from Das Wohltemperierte Klavier by the German master-composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). The result is a long, lyrical melody line with a wonderfully built-up curve of tension, floating above a softly sparkling accompaniment. Lorenzo Bocci has arranged the Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod for clarinet ensemble.
