This edition was prepared by Allen Garvin — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Ave maris stella
Staff Notation • Sacred, Office hymns
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6 editions of this piece
Different typesettings and voicings of the same work. This page shows the main edition; the others are below.
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Ave maris stella by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina — Lyrics
Ave, maris stella,
Dei Mater alma,
Atque semper Virgo,
Felix caeli porta.
Sumens illud Ave
Gabrielis ore,
Funda nos in pace,
Mutans Evae nomen.
Solve vincla reis,
Profer lumen caecis,
Mala nostra pelle,
Bona cuncta posce
Monstra te esse matrem
Sumat per te preces,
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About Ave maris stella
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, the towering figure of late Renaissance Roman polyphony, offers a profound setting of the ancient Marian antiphon Ave maris stella. Written for SATB choir, this Latin motet exemplifies the clarity, balance, and serene beauty characteristic of his style. The text, a prayer to Mary as the 'star of the sea,' Mother of God, and ever-Virgin Gate of Heaven, implores her intercession. It asks for peace, the undoing of Eve's curse, the release of the guilty, and guidance for the blind. The choir's faithful rendering of these sacred words will surely move the listener, seeking purity and eternal joy through Christ. Palestrina's mastery ensures a spiritual and musically satisfying experience for any choir.
