Ave Maria — A Prayer in Light

his time, I created a rosary inspired by Schubert's Ave Maria.

Some time ago, I made another rosary inspired by the Gregorian Chant Ave Maria.

Although they share the same title, they speak with very different voices.

To me, the Gregorian chant is a quiet and timeless prayer.

Schubert's Ave Maria, on the other hand, feels like prayer wrapped in light—clear, luminous, and filled with gentle hope.

That was the world I wanted to capture in this rosary.

Which Ave Maria?

When I first began planning this piece, I thought about creating another interpretation of the Gregorian Ave Maria.

Schubert.
Bach–Gounod.
Caccini.
Saint-Saëns.

Each has its own character, and each has something to admire.

Then I realised how many beautiful Ave Maria settings there are.

For a while, I wondered which one I should choose.

Yet, whenever I imagined the finished rosary, it was always Schubert's melody that returned to my mind.

So this time, I decided to begin there.

Schubert's Ave Maria

Many people know Schubert's Ave Maria as a setting of the Latin prayer.

In fact, it was originally composed as Ellens dritter Gesang (Ellen's Third Song), based on Sir Walter Scott's The Lady of the Lake.

It is a song in which Ellen prays for the safety of her father.

Later, the familiar Latin text of the Ave Maria came to be sung to Schubert's beautiful melody.

That later tradition became the inspiration for this rosary.

The quiet devotion of the Latin prayer and the heartfelt longing of Ellen's song seem to meet within the same music.

A prayer made of light

The main beads are blue quartz in softly varied shades.

By combining lighter and deeper tones, I hoped to create a gentle sense of depth within the blue.

Angelite adds a calm, peaceful touch, while faceted crystal beads catch the light like tiny reflections woven into the melody itself.

The Our Father beads are natural rock crystal, adorned with star-shaped bead caps and delicate crystal accents.

Together they create small points of light, as though each prayer quietly sparkles.

The lily motif on the crucifix was chosen as a symbol of the Virgin Mary.

Its pure white bloom, together with the gentle blue throughout the rosary, quietly recalls her presence.

A different Ave Maria

The Gregorian Ave Maria rosary I created before was inspired by Mary's purity.

This one is different.

Rather than portraying Mary herself, it reflects the prayer offered to her.

A quiet plea.
A hopeful heart.
A melody filled with light.

That was the image I carried with me while making each bead.

What I hear in Schubert's melody

Whenever I listen to Schubert's Ave Maria, I imagine transparent light.

A clear blue sky.
Soft rays of light.
A prayer rising quietly, carrying both tenderness and hope.

There is a gentle sadness in the melody, yet it never feels without hope.

If the Gregorian chant feels like prayer itself,

Schubert's Ave Maria feels like a prayer gently lifted towards heaven.

That is the image that inspired this rosary.

A Prayer in Light

We cannot see prayer.

Yet if prayer had colour—

if it had light—

perhaps it would look something like this.

Clear.
Gentle.
Quietly radiant.

That is the image I held in my heart while creating this rosary.