Due the overwhelming and sustained interest in the Biebl "Ave Maria", I
thought that this would be of interest.


I am quoting from Songs from the Hill,
A History of the Cornell Glee
Club: by Michael Slon


In Germany in 1970 the Glee Club was scheduled to record a program for
the Frankfurt Radio Network. During the session a voice made repeated
intelligent comments over the loudspeaker about intonation and phrasing,
and according to Sokol [Thomas A. Sokol, the Glee Club's director
1957-1995] "what he was saying was absolutley correct." When the session
ended, the man came out of the booth to introduce himself--Franz Biebl,
the music director of the network. He gave Sokol some of his own music
to look over, which included an arrangement of Hungarian Folk Songs the
Glee Club performed two years later in Budapest, and an Ave Maria.
Today, decades after Sokol brought the piece to the States, few male
choristers in America need further introduction to Biebl's "Ave Maria"

Scott A Tucker

Assistant Professor of Music

Director of Choral Music

Director of Undergraduate Studies, Music


218 Lincoln Hall Tel:(607)255 3423

Ithaca NY. 14853-4101 Fax:(607)254 2877

email:sat14(a)cornell.edu