A few years ago I was fortunate enough to hear Schubert’s Ave Maria being rehearsed for a forthcoming wedding in the glorious surroundings of Ripon Cathedral. The loftiness of the cathedral’s Gothic architecture provided a fitting acoustic resonance to showcase such a lofty piece of music.

Franz Schubert composed the piece in 1825, and actually it wasn’t technically an Ave Maria at all (an “Ave Maria” being music written specifically as a prayer to the Virgin Mary and for use in the liturgy) but was called Ellens dritter Gesang (Ellen’s Song), and was part of his Opus 52, a series of settings based on Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem The Lady of the Lake. It didn’t take long, however, for the composition to develop into the “all-purpose” Catholic piece that’s so popular today (although many conservative Catholics won’t play it at weddings or funerals precisely because it’s non-liturgical).

Anyway, it is popular for good reason. It has a wonderfully lilting refrain and offers the right singer an excellent vehicle with which to approach sonic beauty. It’s been sung by everyone from Shirley Bassey to Beyoncé, but for real fulfilment of its potential, it calls out for a full, round and rich soprano voice. To that end, listen to this version by American soprano, Barbara Bonney. Less of a household name perhaps than Maria Callas, say, or Joan Sutherland, but nevertheless Barbara Bonney exhibits an immaculate artistry on this recording of Ave Maria.