Learning the Ave Maria

[JW]

A conversation with my 5 year old granddaughter (SM)

SM: Grandpa, I bet you don't know the Hail Mary in Latin.

JW: Strangely enough I do. Do you know it?

SM: Yes we're going to sing it at school for our Mother's Day Mass. If you know it, can you say it for me?

JW: Ave Maria, gratia plena, dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus et..

SM (Interrupting): We don't do all that. We stop at benedicta tu.

JW: Well, that's not really the whole of the prayer. What tune are you learning? Can you sing it to me?

SM: I've forgotten.

Two weeks later, I'm emptying the dishwasher while said granddaughter is colouring in the conservatory. Suddenly she belts out the chorus of 'As I kneel before you'...

[VML]

[Howard Baker]

Lovely!

[alan29]

Grandchildren .... the blessing of our advancing years.

[Peter]

... Suddenly she belts out the chorus of 'As I kneel before you'...

Could have been worse. If the hymn concerned was "Holy Virgin, by God's decree" she'd have learned even fewer of the Latin words of the "Ave Maria"!

[SOP]

Reminds me of being asked to sing at a wedding and the only information I got was that the bride wanted Ave Maria. Duly phoned her to find out more and which Ave Maria she had in mind. Eventually she sang it to me. Still, it was fun telling the person who thought they were doing a solo she was not required and taking the rest of the singing group through As I Kneel Before You!

[alan29]

My absolute favourite wedding story is of the bride who requested the song from "Robin Hood" meaning the Bryan Adams "Everything I do....."
What she got was the theme tune from the ancient TV series "Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen."
I'm not sure if its apocryphal, but I really hope its true.

[musicus]

An oldie, but a goody.

[quaeritor]

I was once asked for "Ave Maria" where "Ave" rhymed with "brave"

Q

[Biodiode]

My absolute favourite wedding story is of the bride who requested the song from "Robin Hood" meaning the Bryan Adams "Everything I do....."
What she got was the theme tune from the ancient TV series "Robin Hood, Robin Hood, riding through the glen."
I'm not sure if its apocryphal, but I really hope its true.

This did actually happen at an Anglican church in my town, even made the local papers. It did teach me a very valuable lesson when the Bride and Groom ask for a specific piece of music, as I always ask who it's by. You should see the look on some of their faces when they ask for Ave Maria and I inquire which one.