Ave Maris Stella III by Emily Dickens arranged by Josh Cooter

Ave Maris Stella III

This contemporary setting of the plainchant Ave Maris Stella was written by Emily Dickens (b. 1987) arranged by Josh Cooter.

The lyrics are from a 10th Century text which first appeared in manuscripts in Salzburg and the Abbey of Saint Gall.

Virgo singularis,
Inter omnes mitis,
Nos culpis solutos,
Mites fac et castos.

Vitam præsta puram,
Iter para tutum,
Ut videntes Jesum,
Semper collætemur.
Amen.

Virgin all excelling,
Mildest of the mild,
Freed from guilt,
preserve us,
Pure and undefiled.

Keep our life all spotless,
Make our way secure,
Till we find in Jesus,
Joy forevermore.
Amen.

This is part three of our Ave Maris Stella series.
We’ve used this gorgeous contemporary setting of the plainchant to weave a recurring theme throughout the album 'Where All Roses Go'.
In these two verses we’ve developed the idea further, moving away from its simplest form. Penny sings the chant as the rest of the group introduces dissonant harmonies around her, creating an almost jazz-like sound world. The piece is paired with ‘Aye, Here’s To You’, a setting of a poem by Carol Ann Duffy by Fraser Wilson.

This piece appears as the fourteenth track on the album Where All Roses Go.
The album is released on the VOCES8 Records Label.
Apollo5 performs at the VOCES8 Centre, filmed by VOCES8 Studios.

The award-winning British vocal ensemble Apollo5 is based in London at the VOCES8 Centre and is part of the VOCES8 Foundation - our aim is to inspire people through music with an innovative education outreach programme alongside a busy schedule of concert performances around the world.

Follow Apollo5 on social media:

@Apollo5

Apollo5:
Penelope Appleyard
Clare Stewart
Josh Cooter
Oli Martin-Smith
Greg Link