Bach / Gounod
A sing-along score: the notes and words light up as they go by. Tap any note, in the voice or the piano, to start from there.
Melody: Charles Gounod (vocal version 1859), set over J. S. Bach’s Prelude in C major, BWV 846, with the extra bar Gounod used. Text: the Latin Hail Mary.
Blue is the voice; with the piano part shown, the piano notes light up in gold. The piano plays four bars on its own before you come in.
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum.
Benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus.
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Sancta Maria, sancta Maria, Maria,
ora pro nobis, nobis peccatoribus,
nunc et in hora, in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen.
Holy Mary, holy Mary, Mary,
pray for us, for us sinners,
now and in the hour, the hour of our death.
Amen.
Sung in church Latin, the vowels stay pure and open. A few words trip people up: gratia is GRAH-tsee-ah, Jesus is YEH-soos, peccatoribus is peh-kah-TOH-ree-boos, mulieribus is moo-lee-EH-ree-boos, and nostrae is NOH-streh.
The line spans a thirteenth, from the low notes on “Dominus”, “benedictus” and the end of “nostrae” up to the climax on “hora” about two-thirds of the way through. Choose the key by that top note: it should feel exciting, not desperate. G major is Gounod’s own key for soprano; altos and baritones often sing it in C or D. If you have a low voice, set Voice to Lower so the score reads an octave down.
Start with Melody and piano until the tune is secure, then switch to Piano only and sing it yourself while the words keep lighting up. Work phrase by phrase with the Play menu and Loop, or tap the note where you want to start. The last section, from “nunc et in hora”, carries the big climax and needs a full breath before it. Every phrase ends with a rest, so breathe there, and let the long notes on “A-” and “Ma-” float rather than push.