Gabriel Angelus locutus est Mariae

Gabriel Angelus…Ave is the Magnificat antiphon at Vespers of the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25).

For Gabriel the Archangel's Vespers (March 24) the Liber Usualis gives the different antiphon Gabrielis Angelus…Ecce concipies in utero for the 4th Psalm.

See also Gabriel Angelus apparuit Zachariae.

Settings by composers

• Giovanni Francesco Anerio SSATB+organ (a much longer text)
• Francisco Guerrero SSSA (adds variant 1)
• Luca Marenzio SATB
• Tiburtio Massaino SATB.SATB (adds variant 2)
• Johannes Ockeghem
• Cipriano de Rore
• Ludwig Senfl a 5
• Pierrequin de Therache
• Philippe Verdelot a 4

Other settings possibly not included in the manual list above

• Elzear Genet — Gabriel angelus
• Christoph Straus — Gabriel Angelus a 9

Text and translations

Latin text Gabriel [Arch}angelus locutus est Mariae dicens: Ave [Maria,] gratia plena, Dominus tecum, benedicta tu in mulieribus.

English translation The [arch]angel Gabriel spoke to Mary, saying: Hail [Mary,] full of grace, the Lord be with you, you are blessed among women.

German translation Der Engel Gabriel sprach zu Maria, indem er sagte: Sei gegrüßt, voll der Gande, der Herr ist mit dir, du bist gebenedeit unter den Frauen.

Variant 1, the 2nd a pars of Guerrero's motet

Gabriel archangele veni in adjutorio populo Dei, qui semper assistis in conspectu Domini. Variant 2, the 2nd a pars of Massaino's motet Ecce ancilla Domini: fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. Et verbum caro factum est et habitavit in nobis. Alleluia.

Variant 1   Archangel Gabriel, come in aid for the people of God, you who always stand by in the sight of the Lord. Variant 2 Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it unto me according to thy word. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. Alleluia.