The millennium hymn Te Deum has been known and sung in Poland for over forty years. The author of this dissertation presents the complicated circumstances revolving around the creation of this hymn. The inspiration were incorrect notes about the composer of the hymn, which had been published in song-books. In past years it lead people to believe that Te Deum was composed by the priest Antoni Chlondowski. The author, who based his research on that of Maria Wacholc, opposed the idea that the priest Chlondowski had composed the hymn. This article presents analysis of the composing style and the biography of the priest Chlondowski, which contradict his authorship. Next, in the following part of this article the author presented some facts which helped him to find the authentic composers. According to the author of this dissertation the authentic composers of Te Deum were Józef Furmanik and Franciszek Wesołowski. The aim of this article is to emphasize the necessity of the correction of the mistaken information about the composer in the song-books which will be published in the future. This article has the following structure: Te Deum in the history of the Catholic Church; Polish language version of Te Deum used in the liturgy in the XXth century; Polish millennium Te Deum; The controversy around the authorship of the priest Antoni Chlondowski; The controversy around the authorship of Franciszek Wesołowski; The authentic composers – Józef Furmanik and Franciszek Wesołowski.
Krzysztof Penderecki (born 1933) is considered to be one of the most outstanding contemporary composers. The religious theme is often taken to be an inspiration for his vocal-instrumental output. Penderecki presents in his compositions the religious and moral problems related to the human nature and existence. The principal issues in his activity are a trial to find a reason of evil and misfortune and also the vision of ordeal. The composer makes use of not only biblical and liturgical texts but also religious poetry mainly in latin language. His religious output has a concert character thanks to the musician language and composing techniques. His own commentaries concerning his compositions prove that his religious activity is an artistic confession of his faith.
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