The Virgin Mary has been given many names, and one of the most poetic of these is "maris stella," or "star of the ocean."

"Hail, star of the sea, loving Mother of God

and ever Virgin, happy gate of heaven...

Break the captive's fetteres, give light to the blind,

drive away our evils, ask for all good things."

So beseeches the 9th century hymn that calls upon Mary in her guise of hope, especially for those who sail upon the seas.

Settings of this hymn are also found in the 13th century Las Huelgas manuscript of Northern Spain.

Guillaume du Fay's 15th century setting was adopted in 1844 as the national anthem of the Acadians, French-speaking Canadians of the maritime provinces.  Pomerium Musices, directed by Alexander Blachly, performs du Fay's setting on their Archiv release entitled A Musical Book of Hours.

Although the original hymn tune is a fairly simple one, some quite sophisticated settings of its text have been made.  In a 17th century version by Venetian composer Orazio Tarditi, the soprano soloist is accompanied by organ, violin and a pair of cornetti.  Maria-Christina Kiehr, with the ensembles La Fenice and Elseneur perform on the Harmonia Mundi release, Ave Maris Stella, Seicento, Venise: à la gloire de la Vierge.

Antonio de Cabezon, a Spanish composer of the 16th century, set two versions of Ave maris stella, one for organ and the other for harp.  Calvert Johnson performs the organ setting on the CD Early Spanish Organ Music, Vol. 1, and the Harp Consort performs on the Harmonia Mundi release El Arte de Fantasia.

Other ensembles who have recorded settings of Ave maris stella include A Sei Voci, ensemble Mora Vocis, and The Sixteen.

The most famous settings of this hymn are by Antonio Vivaldi and Claudio Monteverdi.  You can hear Vivaldi's "Vespri per l'Assunzione di Maria Vergine" performed by soprano soloist Anna Simboli on the recording of the same name.  John Eliot Gardener and the Monteverdi Choir perform Monteverdi's "Vespro della Beata Vergine," on the recording of Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610 release on the Archiv label.

Listen to the Monteverdi Choir perfrom "Ave Maris Stella" from Monteverdi's Vespers of 1610:

Our featured release of the week is from the Egidius Kwartet and Egidius Consort.  "Fortune Helas...Thomas Crecquillon: Chansons," is a collection of works by Thomas Crecquillon, from the Et Cetera label.