"" (I want to praise the Lord) is a Christian

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

by Maria Luise Thurmair, based on the

Magnificat The Magnificat (Latin for "y soulmagnifies he Lord) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary or Canticle of Mary, and in the Byzantine Rite as the Ode of the Theotokos (). Its Western name derives from the incipit of its Latin text. This ...

and set to a 1613 melody by

Melchior Teschner Melchior Teschner (29 April 1584 – 1 December 1635) was a German cantor, composer and theologian. Born in Wschowa in Poland, Teschner attended the ''Gymnasium'' in Zittau, Saxony, and studied under Johann Klee. In 1602 he began studies in music t ...

, which was used for "". The hymn in three

stanza In poetry, a stanza (; from Italian ''stanza'', ; ) is a group of lines within a poem, usually set off from others by a blank line or indentation. Stanzas can have regular rhyme and metrical schemes, but they are not required to have either. ...

s of eight lines was first written in 1954, and revised in 1971. It appeared in the Catholic hymnal ''

Gotteslob ''Gotteslob'' ("Praise of God") is the title of the hymnbook authorized by the Catholic dioceses in Germany, Austria, South Tyrol, Luxembourg and Liège, Belgium. First published in Advent 2013, it is the current official hymnal for German-speak ...

'' in 1975, and in the current ''

'', but also in a German Protestant hymnal. A general song of praise, it has been set to music several times.

History

Maria Luise Thurmair wrote the hymn first in 1954. It is a close paraphrase of the

(Song of

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a female given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religion * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also called the Blesse ...

), written to match a 1613 melody by

. The hymn is in three

s of eight lines each. It was revised in 1971. It appeared in the Catholic hymnal ''

'' in 1975 as GL 261. In the current ''

'', it is GL 395, in the section "Lob, Dank und Anbetung" (Praise, thanks and adoration). Based on a biblical Marian song, it was also included in regional parts of the Protestant hymnal in Bavaria and Thuringia as EG 604. As a general song of praise, it is suitable for any church service, but especially for

Marian feast days Marian feast days in the liturgical year are celebrated in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The number of Marian feasts celebrated, their names (and at times dates) can vary among Christian denominations. History and development Early history ...

Tune and settings

The melody by

, used for ", begins with a rising first line, spanning an

octave In music, an octave (: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is an interval between two notes, one having twice the frequency of vibration of the other. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referr ...

, and suitable for praise. The melody was used for many hymns. The hymn was set by Karl-Ludwig Nies for the visit of

Pope Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as p ...

at the Frauenkirche, the cathedral of

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

dedicated to Mary, in 2007. Nies scored it for mixed choir, trumpet and timpani. Thomas Schmid wrote a setting for four-part choir and optional strings, published by Dr. J. Butz.

Karl Norbert Schmid Karl Norbert Schmid (16 December 1926 – 13 February 1995) was a German organist, composer, choir director and music educator.

composed a prelude and setting for brass, published by

Bärenreiter Bärenreiter (Bärenreiter-Verlag) is a German classical music publishing house based in Kassel. The firm was founded by Karl Vötterle (1903–1975) in Augsburg in 1923, and moved to Kassel in 1927, where it still has its headquarters; it ...

in a collection ''Bläserbuch zum Gotteslob'' to accompany the new edition of ''Gotteslob'' in 2013.

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Herren will ich loben, Den 1954 compositions 20th-century hymns in German Magnificat settings