19th Jan 22:

Dr dear Dr: Why is Mozart's Ave Verum Corpus voted the most popular church anthem by listeners on the radio so often, is it the finest anthem in the world?

Well RSAs of the nice Zulu kind, might say that the "Missa Luba" is the finest church anthem for a catholic mass, given that so many fine composers acknowledge that the composition of music for a mass is the apex of man's musical achievement, this for every composer, catholic or not. But the French too might prefer something moderne from Frere Roger RIP or Abbe Decha in Lourdes maybe. The Spanish have their preferences, and the Irish have theirs such as "Ag Criost", but the Italians might have some difficulty refusing the above accolade to the anthem Allegri's "Miserere." Still Mozart was a religious genius who felt the tug of church toward the end of his life and thus the Ave Verum Corpus is included in many favourite repertoires, alongside the haunting melodies of his unfinished work, the Requiem Mass, such as "Confutatis Maledictis" and "Lacrimosa." Yes, the Ave Verum Corpus is a huge favourite with our own British audiences and church attendances, even those searching for the elusive magic ingredients of a real and genuine Beauty.