Mikkel Storleer Eriksen and Tor Erik Hermansen, together under the stage name Stargate, wrote and produced the song with Amanda Ghost, Ian Dench,Makeba Riddick and Beyoncé, who also co-produced it.

[3] Ghost told The Daily Telegraph that Beyoncé's references to rapper Jay-Z are usually unclear and open to interpretation, yet her music, including "Ave Maria", "is the one place she can be incredibly expressive".

[11] The song samples Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria",[12][13][14] however as noted by Leah Greenblatt of Entertainment Weekly, even though it "does riff on the classic aria, it's not an actual cover".

[6] Throughout the song, Beyoncé's voice shows restraint as she sings in a lower register with an operatic soprano[15] that gives her more vocal power, as commented by Jennifer Vineyard of MTV News.

Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle commended the open-hearted emotion and the soft vocals that Beyoncé adopts on "Ave Maria", before adding that it is "a clever riff on the classic aria" and "a unique risk that pays off".

[16] Likewise, the Hartford Courant's Eric R. Danton, praised the rework of the classic aria, adding that Beyoncé's lyrics were an "elegant take on the timeless melody".

[18] Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork commented that Beyoncé's twist on the song is "vocally impeccable, but it reads more like recital fodder rather than a true confessional.

"[20] Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune commented that "Ave Maria" offers a "rare moment of comfort" and added that it "come[s] off as delicate as Beyoncé's emotions.

[24] While reviewing I Am... Sasha Fierce, a critic from People magazine noted that "the classically tinged 'Ave Maria,'... shows even more range [than 'If I Were a Boy'].

"[14] Spence D. of IGN Music praised "Ave Maria", writing that it shows Beyoncé in "crystal clear form" due to the mellow accompaniment that highlighted her "often captivating" voice.

[25] Darryl Sterdan, writing for the Canadian website Jam!, noted that Beyoncé "draws on the classic composition for this sweeping number" and echoes a similar line to John Lennon's quote: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.

[5] In his consumer guide, Robert Christgau wrote, "But me, I'm a hater, and thus I'm something like outraged, by not just those two pimp-outs but an 'Ave Maria' lacking even the dumbstruck literalism of Pink's rendition or the grotesque conversion of 'Umbrella' into 'Halo.

[27] Colin McGuire of PopMatters commented that "Ave Maria" is a "pretty normal take, a piece that has simply been done too many times before to think Beyoncé would even have a shot at putting her stamp on it.

[30] Adam Mazmanian of The Washington Times gave a negative review for the song, writing that the high notes included on "Ave Maria", "should have remained a secret between Beyonce and her producers".

[36] When Beyoncé performed the song in Sunrise, Florida on June 29, 2009, animated graphics of turntables, faders, and other club gear throbbed behind her and her musicians.

[37] Beyoncé was accompanied by her two drummers, two keyboardists, a percussionist, a horn section, three backup vocalists called the Mamas and a lead guitarist, Bibi McGill.

[38] According to Parke Puterbaugh from News & Record, the strangest moment of the concert was Beyoncé's "unironic delivery" of "Ave Maria", for which she was attired in a wedding dress and veil.

[40] While reviewing another concert by Beyoncé, Ann Powers of Los Angeles Times also compared the performance with "pop's ultimate alpha female" Madonna at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards.

[43] Jim Farber of the Daily News praised the performance of the song, saying that "Beyoncé hit notes with a new delicacy, then moved seamlessly into the final operatic crescendo".

[56] Beyoncé appeared in an angelic Balmain mini white dress,[56][57] and according to a writer from The Daily Telegraph, she performed a "moving version" of "Ave Maria".

[62] Simon Holt of The Sydney Morning Herald noted that "she has a voice which brought tears to many eyes", including coach and mentor Seal's.