commentary to Ehre sei Gott (Gloria)
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Glory to God (in English) for 4-part Choir a cappella (1972)

 

Ehre sei Gott beginning

 

First performance : July 23, 1972 / Würzburg, Kiliansdom
Würzburger Domchor / Siegfried Koesler

Duration: 5 Minutes

Publisher: Schott Music C 54677 / ISMN: 979-0-001-18011-5

Video: Works by Hummel on youtube


English Version German Version
Glory to God in the highest,
And peace on earth to men of good will.
We praise you,
we bless you.
We worship you,
we glorify you and give thanks to you
because of your great glory.
Lord and God, heavenly king, God the Father,
ruler over the world, Lord, the only-begotten Son! Jesus, the Christ.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer.
You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy upon us.
For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus, the Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
Amen.

Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe und Friede auf Erden den Menschen seiner Gnade.
Wir loben dich,
wir preisen dich,
wir beten dich an,
wir rühmen dich und danken dir,
denn groß ist deine Herrlichkeit.
Herr und Gott, König des Himmels, Gott und Vater,
Herrscher über das All, Herr, eingeborener Sohn, Jesus Christus,
Herr und Gott, Lamm Gottes, Sohn des Vaters,
du nimmst hinweg die Sünden der Welt, erbarme dich unser.
Du nimmst hinweg die Sünden der Welt, nimm an unser Gebet,
du sitzest zur Rechten des Vaters, erbarme dich unser.
Denn du allein bist der Heilige, du allein der Herr,
du allein der Höchste, Jesus Christus, mit dem Heiligen Geiste zur Ehre Gottes des Vaters.
Amen.


Foreword (Schott Music C 54677)

After the Second Vatican Council also permitted the Catholic Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular, Bertold Hummel was one of the first composers in Germany to take advantage of this new opportunity and composed a Great Mass for solo voices, choir, congregation and orchestra in 1967 to mark the re-opening of the Cathedral in Würzburg.
This Glory to God for four-part mixed choir composed in 1972 also exudes this same spirit of optimism in the Catholic Church. Hummel's work not only displays the composer's own inimitable tonal language, but is also quite naturally orientated to motet compositions of the old masters, exploiting part-writing, changes of tempo and dynamics to the full to produce a spirited interpretation of the text. This composition has a place within the liturgy as the second part of the Ordinary of the Mass ("Gloria in excelsis Deo") and is additionally suitable for inclusion in sacred choral concerts with its vibrant praise of God.

Martin Hummel Translation: Lindsay Chalmers-Gerbracht

 

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