Ave Maria was written by Franz Schubert in 1825 as the sixth song in his song cycle based on Walter Scott’s poem The Lady of the Lake. It is perhaps the best known of all his melodies, adapted for piano by Franz Liszt, and for orchestra many times since. It is often sung with the Latin lyrics of the Catholic hymn of the same name and has been heard everywhere from the Disney movie Fantasia to the funeral of J.F. Kennedy. This version is arranged as a duet for two Alto Saxophones.

Musicians at an intermediate level and above will find this ideal for formal and informal performances. Both parts play the melody. The overall performance time is around four and a half minutes. The sample recording is from the Clarinet and Alto Saxophone version of these Duets.

Teachers will enjoy using this arrangement as a fun way to help with phrasing and expressive playing. The rhythms are straightforward though there are extended triplet quaver arpeggios which will pose a challenge for finger coordination and breathing.