Ave Maria

Original Music by Franz Schubert

Public Domain

1st recording 1949

With Choir and Organ directed by Mitchell Ayres

and Ray Charles

Recorded at The Church of Incarnation, New York City

Produced by Charles Grean

Recording Time 4:40 P.D.

Recorded September 30, 1949 ~ Matrix No. D9VC - 1953 Take 1 - 1A

Single release: RCA-78RPM 12" 28-0436

RCA-45RPM 52-0071-A

Single Flip Side: "The Lord's Prayer"

US Chart Position No. 22

RCA Gold Standard Series 78/45-RPM-420/447-0110 ( F2PW-4296 ) May, 1955

Single Flip Side: "The Lord's Prayer"

Album issue: RCA-45RPM-EP "Songs of Faith" EPA-410 MONO 1953

Album issue: RCA-LP12 "I Believe" LPM-1172 MONO 1956

Album issue: RCA-45RPM-EP GOLD STANDARD "Songs of Faith" EPA-5142 MONO 1959
Album: RCA-AUSTRALIA EP GOLD STANDARD "Bless this House" RCA-20033 MONO

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2nd recording 1959

With Male Voices of the Robert Shaw Chorale,

Orchestra conducted by Mitchell Ayres

Produced by Charles Grean and Lee Schapiro

Recorded in Manhattan Center, New York City

Recording Engineer: Bob Simpson

Recording Time 4:22 P.D.

Recorded October 26, 1959 ~ Matrix No. K2PB-6075 Take 3

Single release: RCA-45RPM-47-7650-B

Single Flip Side: "The Lord's Prayer"

Stereo Single release: RCA-45RPM-61-7650 ( same flip side )

Album issue: CAM-LP12 "The Lord's Prayer" CAS-2299 ELECTRONIC STEREO 1969

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3rd recording 1968

Arranged and Adapted by Nick Perito

Roncom Music Company

Conducted by Nick Perito with the Ray Charles Singers

Produced by Andy Wiswell

Recorded in Webster Hall, New York City

Recording Engineers: Ed Begley and Ray Hall

Recording Time 4:40

Recorded July 12th, 1968 ~ Matrix No. WPA1-5617 Take 1 +

Remake July 17th, 1968 ~ Matrix No. WPA1-5617 Take 5

Remake August 1st, 1968 ~ Matrix No. WPA1-5617 Take 8

I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever ~ 1982

Roger Whittaker & Perry Como - Christmas Favorites

Album issue: RCA-LP12 "The Perry Como Christmas Album" LSP-4016 STEREO 1968

Album Re- issue: RCA-LP12 "The Perry Como Christmas Album" ANL1-1929 STEREO 1975

Album issue: RCA-JAPAN-LP12 "The Perry Como Christmas Album" SRA-5032 STEREO 1976

Album issue: RCA-LP12 "I Wish It Could Be Christmas Forever" AYL1-4526 STEREO 1982

Album issue: RCA-LP12 "Whittaker & Como Christmas Favorites" RCA SPECIAL PRODUCTS DPL1-0615 STEREO 1983

Ave Maria or Hail Mary, name given by Roman Catholics to a form of address to the Virgin Mary, included in the Divine Office and in a few antiphons of the Mass. Ave Maria are the first two words of the prayer that is taken from the salutation (see Luke 1:28) of the angel Gabriel, traditionally worded: "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women." Appearing in varying forms as early as the 6th century in the Liturgy of St. James and others, the Ave Maria was finally adopted as a popular devotion in the 11th century. The present form was fixed by Pope Pius V in 1568 and has been used by the Roman Catholic laity as widely as the Our Father, or Lord's Prayer.