Georg Friedrich Händel Te Deum for the Victory of Dettingen

Wir preisen dich, o Gott,
wir erkennen dich als Herrn der Welt.

Alle Welt verehret dich,
den Vater ewig allmächtig.

Laut singet dir der Engel Chor;
dir singt der Himmel und sein mächtig Heer.

Die Cherubim und Seraphim,
von Ewigkeit zu Ewigkeit lobsingen sie vor dir:
Heilig, heilig, heilig, Herr Gott Zebaoth!
Voll sind Erd und Himmel der Herrlichkeit deines Ruhmes.

Der hochgelobte Chor der Apostel preiset dich;
die hochgepriesene Schar der Propheten preiset dich;
die große Heerschar der Märtyrer preiset dich.
Die heil’ge Kirche durch die ganze Welt, sie bekennet dich,
den Vater unermesslicher Herrlichkeit,

...

We praise Thee, o God;
we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship Thee,
the Father everlasting.

To Thee all angels cry aloud,
the heav’ns and all the pow’rs therein. 

To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth!
Heav’n and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory.

The glorious company of the apostles praise Thee;
the goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee;
the noble army of martyrs praise Thee.
The holy church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee,
the Father of an infinite majesty;
Thine honourable, true, and only Son;
also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. 

Thou art the King of glory, o Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man,
Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb. 

When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death;
Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

...

Benedikt Poensgen
Translation: Elizabeth Robinson

On 27 June 1743, the British King George II personally led an army of British, Hanoverians and Austrians who besieged the French at Dettingen am Main during the Austrian War of Succession. It was the last time in history that a British king himself led troops into battle. The news of the victory at Dettingen was enthusiastically received in England.2 As a result, George Frideric Handel, composer at the English court from 1723, began work on a specially ceremonial Te Deum on 17 July 1743 which he probably completed at the end of July. When George II finally returned to England in November 1743, a triumphant reception was prepared for him, the like of which had not taken place since his coronation. The work, henceforth known as the “Dettingen Te Deum,” was performed on the morning of 27 November 1743 in the presence of the King during the Sunday service in the Chapel of St. James’s Palace in London.

The Te Deum was performed with large forces. Handel probably played and conducted from the autograph score. In it, he noted the names of some of the singers and named the two bass soloists, “Mr.

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