Großer Gott, wir loben dich — SATB Choir Sheet Music
The great German hymn of thanksgiving, arranged for SATB Choir by Paul Lorenz — with ecumenical text for Catholic & Protestant services
When Angela Merkel chose “Großer Gott, wir loben dich” for her final ceremony as German Chancellor, she was not choosing a church hymn — she was choosing the sound of a nation pausing to give thanks. For over 250 years, this melody has opened every great German-language ceremony of thanksgiving: ordinations and episcopal consecrations, confirmations, Corpus Christi processions, year-end services, and state occasions from Vienna’s Stephansdom to the Bundestag. No other hymn in the German-speaking world carries the same ecumenical authority, appearing as both GL 380 in the Catholic Gotteslob and EG 331 in the Protestant Evangelisches Gesangbuch.
A performance of this stature demands notation that rises to meet it. The standard bulk choir editions — printed at minimum 20 copies, often from aging engravings — were never designed for the conductor’s podium or the scrutiny of an important occasion. This Paul Lorenz SATB arrangement delivers what professional Kirchenmusiker actually need: a beautifully engraved two-page score with all four verses underlaid in a single, instant PDF download. No minimum quantity, no shipping delay, no pencil corrections before the first rehearsal.
Choose your “Großer Gott, wir loben dich” edition
Choir Arrangement (SATB)
€9.90The complete two-page SATB score for unaccompanied choir, with all four verses underlaid. High-resolution PDF, delivered the moment you pay.
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- Licensed edition
Quality in detail
- Ecumenical Text: Uses the official AoL text — fully compatible with Catholic (GL 380) and Protestant (EG 331) services without alteration.
- Instant Availability: Download in under 60 seconds. No shipping delays — ready even when event preparation is urgent.
- Professional Engraving: 600 DPI, generous staff sizes meeting MOLA standards. Legible for every choir member, on paper or tablet.
- Unlimited Copies: One purchase covers your entire ensemble, any size. No per-copy fees, no minimum quantity.
- Bespoke Customization: Need a different key, added brass parts, or an extended introduction? Contact Paul Lorenz Music — every arrangement can be tailored to your exact requirements.
Großer Gott, wir loben dich sheet music at a glance
| Song | Großer Gott, wir loben dich — melody Vienna, 1776; text Ignaz Franz, 1768; public domain |
| Arrangement | SATB choir, a cappella |
| Arranger | Paul Lorenz — arrangements recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road |
| Scoring | Complete SATB choral score, unaccompanied — 2 A4 pages, all four verses |
| Difficulty | Grade 2 of 5 — trained parish choirs; no soloists required |
| Format | High-resolution PDF — instant download, print- and tablet-ready |
| Licensing | Public-domain work — arrangement licensed for performances by the purchasing ensemble; standard PRO reporting (GEMA/AKM/SUISA) by the organiser |
| Price | €9.90 |
Is this edition right for you?
Program this hymn when the moment calls for a voice the whole German-speaking world recognises as its own. This edition is written for:
- Confirmations and priestly ordinations — the official ecumenical AoL text, compatible with GL 380 and EG 331 alike
- Corpus Christi, year-end and thanksgiving services — the traditional processional and Te Deum setting
- State occasions and public commemorations where a single, unifying hymn is needed
- Parish and cathedral choirs preparing on a short deadline
Need a transposition or a different voicing? Paul Lorenz adapts it on request — just ask before you buy.
What you receive
- The complete SATB choral score, unaccompanied — two A4 pages with all four verses underlaid
- One high-resolution PDF, delivered instantly and yours to keep — print a copy for every singer
Programming Großer Gott, wir loben dich
This is a hymn of arrival and thanksgiving — it belongs at the close of a service or the summit of a ceremony, where its broad, four-square melody can gather an entire congregation into one voice. Set it as the recessional after a confirmation or ordination, or as the Te Deum at a year-end thanksgiving, and let the choir carry the outer verses in full harmony while the assembly joins the melody. Its ecumenical standing means it sits comfortably in Catholic and Protestant liturgy without a word changed. Explore the related arrangements below to build the rest of the programme.
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Großer Gott, wir loben dich sheet music — frequently asked questions
What exactly is included in the download?
One high-resolution PDF containing the complete SATB choral score — two A4 pages, unaccompanied, with all four verses underlaid. The setting is a cappella, and the four voices are engraved together in score rather than as separately extracted parts.
What is the difficulty level of this arrangement?
Grade 2 of 5 — accessible for trained parish choirs with standard sight-reading ability. No professional soloists are required. An experienced choir can prepare this arrangement in one to two rehearsal sessions. The notation is deliberately clear to serve both professional ensembles and accomplished volunteer choirs.
Do I need a performance license?
The original melody (Vienna 1776) and text (Ignaz Franz, 1768) are fully in the public domain. Your purchase includes the license to perform this Paul Lorenz arrangement with the purchasing ensemble — concerts as well as services and liturgical occasions included. Any reporting of the public performance to a performing-rights society (GEMA/AKM/SUISA, or ASCAP/BMI/PRS elsewhere) is handled by the organiser as usual; parishes with a blanket agreement often report themselves. For commercial recordings or broadcast, please contact us directly.
Is this arrangement suitable for confirmations and ordinations?
Yes — this is precisely the context it was designed for. The arrangement uses the official ecumenical AoL text, making it fully compatible with Catholic (Gotteslob GL 380) and Protestant (Evangelisches Gesangbuch EG 331) services without any alteration. It is regularly used for confirmations, priestly ordinations, Corpus Christi, and year-end thanksgiving services throughout the German-speaking world.
Can the arrangement be customized for my ensemble?
Absolutely. Paul Lorenz Music offers bespoke customization — a capability unique in the industry. Whether you need an alternative key, added brass or string parts, or an extended ceremonial introduction, we can tailor this arrangement to your exact requirements. Contact us directly to discuss your needs before or after purchase.
What is your refund policy?
Due to the digital nature of our products, we cannot offer refunds once the download has been accessed. We encourage you to review the score preview carefully and contact us with any questions before purchasing.