"Ambrosian Hymn" redirects here. For hymns written by Ambrose, seeAmbrosian hymns.
Te Deum stained glass window byChristopher Whall at St Mary's church, Ware, Hertfordshire
TheTe Deum (/teɪˈdeɪəm/ or/tiːˈdiːəm/,[1][2]Latin:[teˈde.um]; from itsincipit,Te Deum laudamus (Latin for 'Thee, God, we praise')) is a LatinChristian hymn traditionally ascribed to a date before AD 500, but perhaps with antecedents that place it much earlier.[3] It is central to theAmbrosian hymnal, which spread throughout theLatin Church with other parts of theAmbrosian Rite ofMilan in the 6th to 8th centuries. It is sometimes known as the Ambrosian Hymn, although authorship bySaint Ambrose is unlikely. The termTe Deum can also refer to a short religious service (of blessing or thanks) that is based upon the hymn.[4]
It continues in use in many contexts by several denominations. In particular it is the core of a short church service of thanksgiving held, often at short notice, to celebrate good news such as a military victory, the signing of a peace treaty, or the birth of a royal child.
Vatican Reg. Lat. 11, fol. 230v (Frankish Hymnal, mid-8th century)Te Deum on a stained glass window in the Sorrowful Mother Shrine Chapel (Bellevue, Ohio)
Authorship of the hymn is traditionally ascribed toSaint Ambrose (died 397) orSaint Augustine (died 430).In 19th-century scholarship,Saint Hilary of Poitiers (died 367) andSaint Nicetas of Remesiana (died 414) were proposed as possible authors. In the 20th century, the association with Nicetas has been deprecated, so that the hymn, while almost certainly dating to the 4th century, is considered as being of uncertain authorship. Authorship of Nicetas of Remesiana was suggested by the association of the name "Nicetas" with the hymn in manuscripts from the 10th century onward, and was particularly defended in the 1890s byGermain Morin. Hymnologists of the 20th century, especiallyErnst Kähler (1958), have shown the association with "Nicetas" to be spurious.[5] The Te Deum has structural similarities with aeucharistic prayer and it has been proposed that it was originally composed as part of one.[6]
The hymn was part of theOld Hymnal since it was introduced to theBenedictine order in the 6th century, and it was preserved in theFrankish Hymnal of the 8th century. It was, however, removed from theNew Hymnal which became prevalent in the 10th century. It was restored in the 12th century in hymnals that attempted to restore the praiseful intent of the Rule of St. Benedict, Chap. 12: How the Morning Office Is to Be Said.[clarification needed]
In theDaily Office of theCatholic Ordinariates the Te Deum is sung at Morning Prayer as the Canticle following the First Lesson. It is appointed for (1) Sundays except in Pre-Lent and Lent, (2) Feasts and Solemnities, and (3) all days during the Octaves of Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost.[11]
The hymn is in regular use in theCatholic Church, Lutheran Church, Anglican Church and Methodist Church (mostly before the Homily) in the Office of Readings found in theLiturgy of the Hours, and in thanksgiving to God for a special blessing such as the election of a pope, the consecration of a bishop, thecanonization of a saint, areligious profession, the publication of a treaty of peace, a royal coronation, etc. It is sung either after Mass or the Divine Office or as a separate religious ceremony.[12] The hymn also remains in use in theAnglican Communion and someLutheran Churches in similar settings.
Originally, the hymn Te Deum was written on aGregorian chant melody. The petitions at the end of the hymn (beginningSalvum fac populum tuum) are a selection of verses from the book ofPsalms, appended subsequently to the original hymn.
The hymn follows the outline of theApostles' Creed, mixing a poetic vision of the heavenlyliturgy with its declaration of faith. Calling on the name of God immediately, the hymn proceeds to name all those who praise and venerate God, from the hierarchy of heavenly creatures to those Christian faithful already in heaven to the Church spread throughout the world.
The hymn then returns to its credal formula, naming Christ and recalling his birth, suffering and death, his resurrection and glorification. At this point the hymn turns to the subjects declaiming the praise, both the universal Church and the singer in particular, asking for mercy on past sins, protection from future sin, and the hoped-for reunification with the elect.
A Te Deum service is a short religious service, based upon the singing of the hymn, held to give thanks.[4] InSweden, for example, it may be held in theRoyal Chapel in connection with the birth of a prince or princess, christenings, milestone birthdays, jubilees and other important events within theroyal family of Sweden.[16]
InBelgium, a service is held annually in the presence of the royal family on 21 July, which is the dateLeopold I of Belgium officially became king of the Belgians and is to this day the national holiday of Belgium.
A version by Father Michael Keating is popular in some Charismatic circles.Mark Hayes wrote a setting of the text in 2005, with Latin phrases interpolated amid primarily English lyrics. In 1978, British hymnodistChristopher Idle[21] wroteGod We Praise You,[22] a version of the text in 8.7.8.7.D meter, set to the tuneRustington. British composerJohn Rutter has composed two settings of this hymn, one entitledTe Deum and the otherWinchester Te Deum.Igor Stravinsky set the first 12 lines of the text as part ofThe Flood in 1962.Antony Pitts was commissioned by theLondon Festival of Contemporary Church Music to write a setting for the 2011 10th Anniversary Festival.[23][24] The 18th-century German hymnGroßer Gott, wir loben dich is a free translation of the Te Deum, which was translated into English in the 19th century as "Holy God, We Praise Thy Name."[25]
^Kooy, Brian K. (25 September 2007). "The Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent)2007313Kevin Knight. The Catholic Encyclopedia (New Advent). Last visited May 2007. URL: www.newadvent.org/cathen/index.html Gratis".Reference Reviews.21 (7):14–16.doi:10.1108/09504120710821550.ISSN0950-4125.
^To those who have devoutly sung or recited the hymn in a solemn manner inside a church or oratory during the last day of the year to thank God for the benefits received during the past year. Partial indulgence is granted to those who recite it at sunrise or sunset; at the beginning or conclusion of their workday; before or after the spiritual nourishment
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Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913)."Holy Innocents".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Retrieved14 April 2010.
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