He wrote his own text, beginning "Clear in the darkness",[1] three stanzas with the refrain "Ave Maria" ("Hail Mary").

[3] He composed it on a 1989 commission from The Bach Choir for the celebration of the 70th birthday of their conductor David Willcocks.

[3] It was first performed at the choir's Christmas concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London, an event that Rutter knew from being a member of the audience as a boy.

[5] It was also sung by the chamber choir Polyphony with the City of London Sinfonia, conducted by Stephen Layton.

In four-part homophony, marked pianissimo, all voices hail Mary, growing to mezzoforte in a second greeting.