Te Deum

SATB, organ

The hymn known as Te Deum Laudemus, or, more familiarly, the
Te Deum, first appeared in Latin in the Rule of St. Benedict in 540 CE, but had been in existence for some time before that. Its authorship is disputed: there is a tradition that asserts that it was composed spontaneously by St. Augustine and St. Ambrose at St. Augustine’s baptism (it is sometimes referred to as the “Ambrosian Hymn”); others that credit its creation to St. Hilary or St. Niceta of Remesiana. In any event, its potency as an expression of praise and Trinitarian doctrine has inspired its musical interpretation countless times.

During 1999-2000, I was composer-in-residence for three Minnesota congregations through the American Composers Forum’s “Faith Partners” program. This piece was written at the request of Kristina Langlois, the organist and Director of Music at Westwood Lutheran Church in Minnetonka as part of a larger Lutheran Morning Service liturgy. It was intended for liturgical use, and to have optional parts for any of Westwood’s vast musical resources (organ, choir, bell choir, wind ensemble, congregation), to be used in any combination, depending on the attendance of the particular morning.