Travel through history and the Ave Marias from the Renaissance to the present day.

The idea originated from a very simple and common question: “Ah, the Ave Maria, how beautiful!” But… which one? It’s such a frequent question for singers, who are often asked to “sing the Ave Maria.” This sparked the idea of creating a concert as a response to that question. But how to build a concert around a single text without tiring the listener? By following a form, the Rosary (ten minutes of Ave Maria, followed by a Pater!), and by focusing on the text itself, which spans centuries and continents, inspiring all musical styles: “Hail Mary, full of grace…” This prayer, learned by Christians from childhood, spread through Christendom from the 13th century. Composed of an excerpt from the Gospel and a meditation by a Carmelite monk in 1265, it has inspired nearly every composer from all eras and countries. The same goes for the other daily prayer, the Our Father. These short musical pieces are often inspired miniatures where composers express varied emotions: intimacy, lyricism, sobriety or exuberance, contemplation or joy, contrition or praise. This results in a great variety of forms, freedom of style, and expression.