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Barbra's Holiday Surprise

Feature/November 2005

   

Decades Later, it's Barbra's "Ave Maria" - in English

Now out of print, the 2005 release of "Baby, It's Cold Outside" featured the English language version of a Barbra Streisand Christmas favorite: "Gounod's Ave Maria." This version of the song was never released until Starbucks got the rights to include it in this special edition CD. You might still be able to find a few copies at amazon.com.
   

   
Lost Streisand Track Unearthed

November 8, 2005
Christmas arrived early with the unexpected release of a "new" Streisand single. The song, Gounod's Ave Maria, was recorded by Barbra in both Latin and English during recording sessions for 1967's A Christmas Album.

The Latin version was chosen for use on the LP. But for the past 38 years, the English language version of the recording remained hidden away under lock and key, and is only now being made commercially available.


The surprise emergence of this unknown cut from Barbra's 1966 recording session is a delightful revelation that will have fans all around the world scrambling for a copy. This early Streisand vocal is breathtakingly pure. It matches Barbra's original Latin version in its graceful reverence and piety, while surpassing it with a much more dynamic and intense vocal delivery.

The "new" Ave Maria is featured on a special edition holiday CD called, Baby, It's Cold Outside, which was originally available at most Starbucks retailers
.

Hear an audio sample

 


The New Liner Notes

"Barbra Streisand has twice included the Latin prayer "Ave Maria" on Christmas albums, most recently including the more familiar Franz Shubert version on 2001's Christmas Memories.  Here, however, the prayer is set to the music of 19th-century French composer Charles Gounod, which is based on J. S. Bach's first prelude in The Well-Tempered Clavier. "Gounod's Ave Maria" was recorded in both Latin and English for 1967's A Christmas Album. Streisand opted to include the Latin take on the LP, shelving the English version for 38 years. It makes its debut on this CD."


The English Lyrics
as sung by Barbra Streisand
Ave Maria,
Thou art highly favored,
God is with thee,
Blessed, blessed art thou.

Above, above all women,
Blessed be thy Offspring,
Blessed be thy Son,
The Son of God,
The Lord most high.

Blessed Maria,
Blessed Maria.

Maria,
Pray, o pray for us,
For us wretched sinners,
Now and when the hour
Of our death, our death
O'er takes us.

(Chorus):
Blessed Maria,
Blessed Maria.

Maria,
Pray, o pray for us,
For us wretched sinners,
Now and when the hour
Of our death, our death,
O'er takes us.

Amen,
Amen.

The Latin Lyrics
as sung by Barbra Streisand
Ave Maria,
Gratia plena,
Dominus tecum,
Benedicta tu.

In mulieribus,
Et benedictus,
Fructus,
Ventris,
Tui Jesus.

Santa Maria.
Santa Maria.

Maria,
Ora pro nobis,
Nobis pecatoribus,
Nunc et in hora,
In hora,
Mortis nostrae.

(Chorus):
Santa Maria,
Santa Maria.

Maria,
Ora pro nobis,
Nobis pecatoribus,
Nunc et in hora,
In hora,
Mortis nostrae.

Amen,
Amen.