ABOUT US

AVE International, a label specialising in the rapidly expanding Christian music market, was initially set up as a label for an album by one of the UK's most broadcast choirs, AVE. AVE - the Adventist Vocal Ensemble - is a choir founded and directed by Ken Burton for television programmes, chiefly one of the UK's flagship programme on BBC 1, 'Songs Of Praise'. It originally only intended to service the programmes on a session basis, however the response from viewers internationally was such that it became increasingly evident that recorded product was going to be needed.

The choir therefore decided to record an album of viewers' favourites.
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The AVE International (Ltd.) label was set up and incorporated as a shareholder limited company, an idea inspired by one of the regular singers of the choir. Sensing a need in the market for a different type of sound, the label is expanding its portfolio. In 2012, it produced a digital download album, Up Above My Head, to coincide with a 'Songs Of Praise' programme exclusively presented by AVE.

In 2003, the choir was filming a Christmas 'Songs Of Praise programme, and the producer wanted to film a performance of a popular Christian song, "Mary Did You Know?" (Mark Lowry, Buddy Greene). Typically the song would be performed as a solo - as recorded by Aled Jones (who actually heard it through AVE), or a duet (the most known recording is by Wyonna Judd and Kenny Rogers). Ken Burton decided to do something different - arrange and present it as a quartet. The song poses a series of rhetorical questions, so it seemed to make sense to use a variety of voices to sing. The quartet was part of the larger choir. However, it worked so well that it was becoming obvious that the quartet was going to become established as a group in its own right, and the foursome - Tessera - was created. The group would go on to be a part of the regular itinerary of BBC Television's religious/crossover programmes, and has made several appearances on 'Songs Of Praise' and The Lesley Garrett show.

Owing to its connections with the larger choir, when the eponymous AVE album was released in 2007, songs from Tessera were included as part of the album.

Warner Music released an album Aled Jones presents: Good Morning Sunday and included Tessera's Mary Did You Know? as part of the double album compilation.
Increasingly, the demand for Tessera product grew, and in September 2012 AVE International Ltd produced its third album project You'll Never Walk Alone, Tessera's debut album.