1000 Songs/Te Deum laudamus--We praise Thee O God

Te Deum laudamus--We praise Thee O God Te Deum

1000 Songs

Text

Te Deum laudamus Britannica online has some great additional facts about this ancient hymn, as well as a list of composers that have worked with the hymn in the past.

Author

Tradition holds Saint Ambrose and Augustine to be the authors in AD 387 on the event of Augustine's baptism by St. Ambrose. Also it has been accredited to St. Hilary. The Catholic forum holds the authorship to Nicetas, Bishop of Remesiana in the 4th century.

Translations/Challenges

Original translation in Latin. Translated in English A well known transliteration was written by Fr. Clarence Alphonsus (7th stanza by Msgr. Hugh Thomas Henry.)

For the setting of Holy Are You Lord the group had these challenges: it was a long text, had many themes, and it had old English language. The group had to change some of the old English words to modernize the song. The group took certain lines from the Te Deum that they liked and added some not from the Te Deum to form the song. The Te Deum could be a multi-work song project due to multiple themes within the Te Deum.

Editor's Choice

Rich Lusk points out in his "Notes on the Liturgy: Te Deum" four main attributes of what the hymn offers to those who use it.

A group of students created a new setting of part of the Te Deum. They are Sarah Arnold, Josh Maines, Spencer Pierce, and Brandon Rehn. The song was titled, "Holy Are You Lord".

We praise You O God We acknowledge You to be Lord The Father Everlasting To You all angels cry aloud

Holy, Holy are You Lord

Heaven and earth are full of your glory We sing Your praise, O God

The father of infinite majesty We praise Your true and only Son Jesus Yours is the victory In You we have overcome

You opened up the kingdom To all those who believe By Your grace and mercy You've called us Your redeemed

Holy, Holy are You Lord

Heaven and earth are full of your glory We sing Your praise, O God

Music

Tune

Te deum is sometimes used as a bridal processional

Arrangements

by Charpentier, Marc-Antoine; John Rutter (1945); Anton Bruckner (1824-1896); Franz Joseph Hadyn

Editor's Choice

Here is a recording of "Holy Are You Lord" Te Deum

Background

For the background and some interesting facts on St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, this link is very helpful: click here

For more about Ambrosian hymnody, go to: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosian_hymns

Cultural setting

← Veni veni Emmanuel--O come O come Emmanuel

1000 Songs

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