| Hymn | |
|---|---|
| Choralsong byJean Sibelius | |
 The young composer (c. 1896) | |
| Opus | 21 |
| Text | Fridolf Gustafsson [fi] |
| Language | Latin |
| Composed | 1896 (1896),rev. 1898 |
| Publisher | Fazer & Westerlund [fi] (1898)[1][a] |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 26 May 1896 (1896-05-26)[3] |
| Location | Helsinki,Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Conductor | Jean Sibelius |
| Performers | amateur male choir |
| External audio | |
|---|---|
| Sung by theYL Male Voice Choir | |
 Op. 21,Hymn |
TheHymn (in Latin:Hymne; in Finnish:Hymni),[3]Op. 21, is a choral song formale choir (TTBB)a cappella written in 1896 by the Finnish composerJean Sibelius. The piece is a setting of the Latin-language text "Natus in curas ..." by the FinnishphilologistFridolf Gustafsson [fi].
The piece premiered on 26 May 1896 in Helsinki during a ceremony dedicating a memorial stone toJosef Pippingsköld [fi], the late professor ofobstetrics at theImperial Alexander University in Finland (now the University of Helsinki) and member ofFinnish Diet; Sibelius conducted a small amateur choir in the old university graveyard.[3]
The ceremony began with a performance of "Integer vitæ", a funereal choral song (1811) by the German composer and medical doctorFriedrich Ferdinand Flemming [fi], which Sibelius conducted. Following this, the university's docent,Gustaf Heinricius [fi] gave a tribute that celebrated Pippingsköld's life and accomplishments, and the memorial event concluded with the performance of Sibelius's new choral piece.[4][5] The newspaperHufvudstadsbladet reviewed Sibelius'sHymn as follows: "The simple opening act was brought to a particularly impressive end by a hymn Jean Sibelius had composed for the occasion in the old Italian style. This did not fail to affect those present".[4]
In 1898, Sibelius made minor revisions to theHymn.[6] Helsinki'sFazer & Westerlund [fi] (Helsingfors Nya Musikhandel) published the revised version in 1898, although this first edition was superseded in 1906 when the German-based firm ofBreitkopf & Härtel—having bought Fazer's Sibelius contracts and plates in 1905—issued a reprint.[7] The original, however, is extant, and each version takes about four minutes to perform.[3]
Thetempo marking isModerato, thetime signature is3
2, and thekey is with one sharp. Eventually, the song transitions to a middle section markedUn pochissimo allegro and with no sharps or flats. TheHymn then concludes as it began.
