Ave verum corpus is a short Eucharistic chant that has been set to music by many composers. It dates to the 13th century, first recorded in a central Italian Franciscan manuscript (Chicago, Newberry Library, 24). A Reichenau manuscript of the 14th century attributes it to Pope Innocent (variously identified as Innocent III, Innocent IV, Innocent V, or Innocent VI^[1])

During the Middle Ages it was sung at the elevation of the Eucharist during the consecration at Mass. It was also used frequently during Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

The prayer is a meditation on Jesus's Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament, and ties it to the redemptive meaning of suffering in the life of all believers.

Musical settings include Mozart's motet Ave verum corpus (K. 618),^[2] as well as settings by William Byrd and Sir Edward Elgar. Not all composers set the whole text. For example, Mozart's setting finishes with "in mortis examine", Elgar's with "fili Mariae". Marc-Antoine Charpentier composed three versions: H.233, H.266, H.329.

There is a version by Franz Liszt [Searle 44], and also ones by Camille Saint-Saëns, Orlande de Lassus, Imant Raminsh,^[3] Alexandre Guilmant, William Mathias, Colin Mawby, Malcolm Archer^[4] and Jack Gibbons.^[5] Liszt also composed a fantasy on Mozart's work, preceded by a version of Allegri's celebrated Miserere, under the title À la Chapelle Sixtine [Searle 461 – two versions]. Versions of this fantasy for orchestra [Searle 360] and piano four-hands [Searle 633] follow closely the second version for piano.

There is also a version for organ [Searle 658] with the title Evocation à la Chapelle Sixtine. The chant is included Poulenc's opera Dialogues of the Carmelites. The composer wrote a different "Ave verum corpus" in 1952.

Mozart's version, with instruments only, was adapted by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as one of the sections of his Mozartiana, a tribute to Mozart. A 20th century version is that by Colin Mawby and from the 21st century there are settings by the Swedish composer Fredrik Sixten^[6] and the English composer Philip Stopford.^[7]

• Ave verum corpus natum. The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press (2013).
• Guido Maria Dreves: Analecta Hymnica Medii Aevi (1886), 54.257.

Latin Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Ave Verum Corpus

• Mozart's "Ave verum corpus": Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Mozart's "Ave verum corpus" at ChoralWiki
• Elgar's "Ave verum" at ChoralWiki
• William Byrd's "Ave verum corpus" at ChoralWiki
• William Byrd's "Ave verum corpus" as interactive hypermedia at the BinAural Collaborative Hypertext site
• Version in Gregorian chant

v t e Prayers of the Catholic Church
Prayers of the Mass	Agnus Dei Confiteor Creeds Apostles' Creed Athanasian Creed Nicene Creed Gloria in excelsis Deo Gloria Patri Kyrie eleison Pater noster Sanctus Signum crucis
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Other Catholic prayers	Act of Contrition Adoro te devote Angele Dei Anima Christi Ave verum corpus Benedictus Chaplets Come, Holy Spirit Jesus Prayer Mental prayer Laudes divinae Litanies Litany of the Saints Morning offering Novena Nunc dimittis O salutaris hostia Penitential Psalms 51: Miserere mei 130: De profundis Prayer before a crucifix Prayer of Saint Francis Prayer to Saint Joseph Prayer to Saint Michael Requiem æternam Spiritual Communion Tantum ergo Te Deum Thanksgiving after Communion Veni Creator Spiritus Veni Sancte Spiritus Visit to the Blessed Sacrament Stations of the Cross
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