Ave Maria

Born in Chester in 1947, Howard Skempton has worked as a composer, accordionist, and music publisher. Renowned for the distinctive clarity of his musical language, he has composed over 300 pieces, many of which are miniatures for solo piano or accordion. His orchestral and instrumental works have been recorded by, among others, the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Ensemble Bash. In recent years, Skempton has concentrated increasingly on writing vocal and choral music; his choral commissions include works for the BBC Singers and the Belfast Philharmonic Society. He is currently an Honorary Professor of Music at De Montfort University.

Howard Skempton's Ave Maria also has warmth, with the harmony dominated by thirds and sixths. The opening 'Ave Maria, gratia plena, Dominus tecum'â is repeated four times with the same melody but varied harmonization each time. The climax is on the word 'Jesus', two-thirds of the way through. The final simple cadence is strangely satisfying.