The composer Peter Cornelius (1824-1874) from Mainz often called himself a 'poet-composer': All his life, he busied himself with composing and writing alike. No wonder that he had devoted himself particularly to the composition of songs, already in his student days in Berlin in the late 1840s. The newly edited 'Ave Maria' was found among the composer's unpublished works. Although bearing the dedication 'Fräulein von Hillebrandt zum 13. September 1862', it was probably created earlier. It is a simple, chordally accompanied song which is quite suitable for liturgical purposes. The arrangement for strings, which can perform soloistically or in groups, expands the possibilities of use especially for this area.