Composer

:

Alfonso X (el Sabio)

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Cantiga

Average_duration

:

2:37

Cantiga de Santa María 79, Ay, Santa María, is a medieval Spanish song composed by Alfonso X (el Sabio) in the 13th century. The song is part of a collection of 420 songs known as the Cantigas de Santa María, which were composed in Galician-Portuguese and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The Cantigas de Santa María are considered one of the most important collections of medieval music in Europe. The Cantiga de Santa María 79, Ay, Santa María, is a song of praise to the Virgin Mary. It is a monophonic song, meaning that it is sung by a single voice without any accompaniment. The song is composed in the Galician-Portuguese language and is characterized by its simple melody and repetitive structure. The Cantiga de Santa María 79, Ay, Santa María, is divided into three movements. The first movement is a solo voice singing the refrain "Ay, Santa María, / Madre de Deus, / rogai por nós, / pecadores, / agora e na hora / da nosa morte" (Oh, Santa María, / Mother of God, / pray for us, / sinners, / now and at the hour / of our death). The second movement is a solo voice singing a verse that tells the story of a man who was saved from drowning by the Virgin Mary. The third movement is a repetition of the refrain sung by a choir. The Cantiga de Santa María 79, Ay, Santa María, is characterized by its simple melody and repetitive structure. The melody is based on a simple scale and is easy to sing. The repetitive structure of the song makes it easy to remember and sing along to. The song is also characterized by its religious content and its devotion to the Virgin Mary. The Cantiga de Santa María 79, Ay, Santa María, was composed by Alfonso X (el Sabio) in the 13th century. It was first performed in the royal court of Castile and later became popular throughout Spain and Portugal. The Cantigas de Santa María were an important part of medieval Spanish music and continue to be studied and performed today.

More....