Last updated on 10/12/2024
🕒 3 minA Small Prayer for Peace and Humanity
In a world torn by pain and indifference, this ‘Ave Maria‘ I’ve composed emerges as a cry of hope directed towards the heavens. It is not merely a musical composition for choir and orchestra, but an ardent prayer for peace, an appeal to our shared humanity.
Started four years ago, this composition evolved unexpectedly, gradually transforming into a dedication to my intense and painful hope, which I direct to Heaven so that the children and women of Palestine may finally cease to suffer unjustly and begin to rejoice.
«May the land of Palestine soon know the sound of children playing freely, the aroma of freshly baked bread in rebuilt homes, and the warmth of embraces that no longer fear tomorrow. May its people finally look to the sky not in fear, but for the joy of living in happiness»
Over the past two years, as I continued writing this “Ave Maria“, I directed the compositional and production process of this orchestral work towards the tragic situation in Palestine, a conflict that continues to claim innocent victims amidst the indifference of many.
The Latin words “Ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc et in hora mortis nostrae” (Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death) take on a deep significance in this context.
As I was finalising the last contrapuntal adjustments in the choral section, an unexpected encounter gave a face to my prayer. During a rare moment of pause from work, I came across a reportage from Gaza. There, amidst the rubble and despair, I saw the face of Plestia Alaqad, a young Palestinian journalist: Her eyes, tired but full of love, struck me deeply. In that moment, I saw in her not just a reporter, but the very incarnation of grace and human strength.
This encounter shaped not only the sense of my music but also the visual image of the work (what in jargon is called “cover art“). The cover of my Ave Maria portrays a Palestinian Virgin Mary ( مريم, Maryam), whose features are reminiscent of Plestia’s. It is not an appropriation, but a tribute to the resilience, compassion, and hope that this young woman represents in the midst of such suffering.
Composition elements: Ave Maria for Soprano Choir and Orchestra
The Ave Maria begins with a Strings bow technique which immediately creates tension and a sense of urgency. I achieved that sound by dividing the strings into all sections. To the ‘A‘ divisi, I assigned a decisive pizzicato, while the ‘B‘ divisi were instructed to perform a brief sforzando using a combined ‘jeté-louré‘, creating a ‘dark’ and melodic effect.
In the original full score, I included a further division of the violas and cellos, which, when further divided, perform a short sforzando ‘col legno battuto’. However, this technique was not included in the published recording.
This percussive-melodic effect in the strings evokes the anxiety and unrest of the current situation, while the response of the female choir (sopranos and altos) establishes the emotional atmosphere of the piece from the outset.
Then, the soprano soloist emerges as a voice of hope, supported by the choir representing humanity united in prayer.
The soloist begins by singing (and repeating) the words ‘Ave Maria’. I chose to extend the first vocalise in a way that is probably unconventional. The vocalise on the ‘i’ of ‘Marìa’ does not change pitch, despite the surrounding orchestral harmony changing around it. This, in my opinion, should create a sense of an immense and continuous prayer. Subsequently, the soprano maintains the vocalise and enriches it with a slow embellishment in semitone, adding further depth to the musical expression.
The orchestra develops into a crescendo that symbolises our collective cry for peace, culminating in an “Amen” that is more a cry of pain than a peaceful acceptance.
Musical purpose of this “programmatic music”
This Ave Maria is not just a prayer to the Virgin Mary, It is a heartfelt appeal for the land of Palestine may soon know the sound of children playing freely and the warmth of embraces that no longer fear tomorrow.
In an era where music often serves as mere entertainment, this Ave Maria stands as a bridge between the sacred and the profane, between tradition and the urgency of the present. It aspires to create a space for shared reflection, where the spiritual sensibilities of different traditions, such as Christian and Islamic, can meet in a common yearning for peace and compassion.
I embrace you all, with all my heart, hoping that this music may touch your souls, even just a little, as it touched mine in composing it.
Gregorj Cocco
