Perry Como did indeed do a beautiful job with this song.
I have so many favorite renditions of Ave Maria. This one in particular, by Leontyne Price as the soloist, brings me to tears:
https://youtu.be/4RjW6WDx1A0BUT Andrea Bocelli's version also makes me choke up. I have admired Bocelli since he declined Tom Cruise's request that he sing Ave Maria at Cruise's Scientology marriage to Katie Holmes. Not that I wanted to see Cruise or Holmes be disappointed, and from what I understand Holmes was raised as Roman Catholic. But Ave Maria would not have been appropriate at the ceremony. (Bocelli did sing at the reception, from what I've read.) It's not often you see a Catholic stand up for their faith like that. I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers; I have simply had one too many arguments about how Catholics allegedly "worship" Mary. It gets old—fast.
Anyway. Grab a tissue (Well, I'll be dabbing at my eyes, anyway
):
https://youtu.be/pwp1CH5R-w4