 Contemporary music critics received the " Ave Maria " with mixed reception . While some praised Knowles ' emotion @-@ filled vocals , others stated that her version as merely a normal take on the original . Joey Guerra of the Houston Chronicle commended the open @-@ hearted emotion and the soft vocals that Knowles adopts on " Ave Maria " , before adding that it is " a clever riff on the classic aria " and " a unique risk that pays off " . Likewise , the Hartford Courant 's Eric R. Danton , praised the rework of the classic aria , adding that Knowles ' lyrics were an " elegant take on the timeless melody " . Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork Media commented that Knowles ' twist on the song is " vocally impeccable , but it reads more like recital fodder rather than a true confessional . " Leah Greenblatt from Entertainment Weekly wrote that on the I Am disc there were some " lovely ballads " including " Disappear " , the " soaring ' Halo ' and ' Ave Maria ' " . Matos Michaelangelo of The A.V. Club wrote that " Beyoncé has a real flair for grandeur " and the " big , wide melodies of ' Halo ' and ' Ave Maria ' give her enough to work with that . " Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune commented that " Ave Maria " offers a " rare moment of comfort " and added that it " come [ s ] off as delicate as [ Knowles ' ] emotions . " Jim Farber of Daily News praised the song with its " operatic flourishes ... [ and ] heavenly élan " . In another review , he noted that the song was " by far her most melodically sure , and musically diverse , work " . USA Today 's Elysa Gardner chose " Ave Maria " as one of the songs to download from the album . 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 ' ] . " 
