song: Ave Maria (Hail Mary)
artist: Bobby McFerrin
writers: J.S. Bach (1722) / C.F. Gounod (1853) / C.F.G. Schwencke (1722) / J.L. Heugel (1859) / Bobby McFerrin

This piece has quite a trajectory. In 1722, Johann Sebastian Bach first published his ground-breaking work, 'The Well-Tempered Clavier', of which the first piece was the 'Prelude No. 1 in C major'. In 1853, Charles-François Gounod published the prelude with a melody for violin, added on top of Bach's piano part, titled 'Meditations over Prelude 1 for Piano by S. Bach'. (This version included the "Schwencke measure", inserted by Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Schwencke around 1722 to 'correct' a chord progression.) Subsequently, in 1859, Jacques Léopold Heugel republished Gounold's reworking with the Latin words of the Catholic prayer 'Ave Maria' added to the melody. Nowadays, Bobby McFerrin sings his solo vocal arrangement of Bach's piano part (in D major), while letting the audience sing Gounod's violin melody.

"Years ago when I was in a jazz festival in Finland, I was escorted around by this young woman who was part of a jazz group. ... She said to me one day: "You know, you should learn a Bach prelude". ... So, I learned that first one. And, singers should really learn Bach preludes, they are really good exercises for you to learn, good for intonation and stuff life that." - Bobby McFerrin