This ever-popular piece is often performed at weddings, funerals and many other solemn ceremonial events. It has always been a favorite among instrumental players and often used in recitals or concert encores. In 1853, the well-known French composer Charles Gounod added his own melody over a rippling keyboard accompaniment which was a slightly adapted version of the Prelude No. 1 in C major, BWV846, from Book I of J. S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier, published in 1722. The title of the ?combined? piece was Méditation sur le Premier Prélude de Piano de S. Bach. Gounod?s original arrangement transposed Bach?s keyboard part from C major into F major and it was scored for violin (or cello), organ and piano. In 1859, the French music publishing company Jacques-Léopold Heugel brought out a vocal version based on the familiar Latin text. Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is a traditional Catholic prayer addressed to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The version of Bach's prelude which Gounod used included the so-called "Schwencke measure" (m. 27 in this arrangement), a measure (bar) allegedly added by the German composer and pianist Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke (1767-1822) in an attempt to correct what was considered a harmonic weakness in the original. Whether there actually was a ?harmonic weakness? (or possibly an error in the manuscript) remains a matter of conjecture but the fact remains that the most familiar-sounding version of this piece, recorded countless times by both singers and instrumentalists includes this Schwencke measure. It is therefore included in this arrangement.
Some published arrangements show minor inconsistencies in the rhythm of the melody. This arrangement uses the familiar rhythm of the Ave Maria version as it appeared in the 1859 edition.

'Classical Highlights' presents the best-known and most popular performance pieces of the classical repertoire in arrangements for flute. Every flautist looking for a popular classic for lessons or recitals will make a find. Suitable repertoire for musical accompaniment at weddings and funerals can be found here as well. To make practising easier, backing tracks can be downloaded as MP3 files. The piano accompaniment is available in PDF format. Contents: Bach, Air - Handel, Largo - Mendelssohn, Wedding March - Schumann, Träumerei - Schubert, Ave Maria - Elgar, March from 'Pomp and Circumstance' - Ravel, Bolero - Satie, Gymnopédie No. 1 - Kreisler, Liebesfreud - Liebesleid, and others.