''Ad multos annos'' (English: ''For many more years'') is a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

acclamation for celebrations, and also a

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'' ...

used in the rites of the Orthodox and Catholic churches.

Origin

A Greco-Roman form of congratulation

''Ad multos annos'' was a form of congratulation during Greco-Roman antiquity, which was especially used as an acclamation for higher-ranking people.

The Latin version of the Greek ''Polychronion''

In the Orthodox liturgy, ''Ad multos annos'' has a Byzantine equivalent of the first millennium which is an acclamation called ''Eis polla eti'' (Greek ''εἰς πολλὰ ἔτη''): it is part of the

Polychronion The Polychronion (Greek: Πολυχρόνιον, "many years"; ka, მრავალჟამიერი, ; cu, мъногаꙗ лѣта ''mŭnogaja lěta'') is a solemn encomium chanted in the liturgy of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Cat ...

. In Slavic Orthodoxy, especially Ukraine and Russia, ''

Mnohaya lita ''Mnohaya lita'' ( ua, Многая літа, literally "Many Years" or the implied meaning "wishing you many years of life") is a traditional Ukrainian celebratory song. The song is based on both the el, Εις πολλά έτη ''Eis polla etē'' ...

'' has become a traditional celebratory song, akin to Happy birthday to you.

A century-old Catholic traditional acclamation

In the Roman Catholic liturgy, it was an element of the episcopal ordination rite first found in the Pontifical of Apamea from the 12th century: the newly consecrated bishop sang this three times to his consecrator; or in the case of an abbot at his investiture, once only. In a ceremonial similar to that of the

Laudes Regiæ The Laudes Regiæ (English: Royal Praises or Royal Acclamations) is a hymn used in the rites of the Catholic Church. There are variant texts, but they most often begin with these words that give the hymn its alternative title: Christus vincit! Chri ...

or Carolingian Litany, the bishop at his ordination would acclaim his consecrator in order to thank him. In three stages, the bishop would advance toward his consecrator, perform three genuflections, and sing three times giving his voice each time a higher pitch, the acclamation: ''Ad multos annos!'' There is an exception to this rite: when the newly consecrated bishop is the pope (this happens when a man who is not a bishop is elected pope), it is the consecrator who sings to the pope, not vice versa. It is still sung during major celebrations, such as conclaves for bishops who are elevated to the cardinalate. Today the Latin phrase is also used in greetings and toasts in academic and ecclesiastical circles, especially at the

Pontifical North American College The Pontifical North American College (NAC) is a Catholic Church, Roman Catholic educational institution in Rome, Italy, that prepares seminarians to become priests in the United States and elsewhere. The NAC also provides a residence for Pri ...

in Rome where it has become a

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

Music

''Ad multos annos'' was set to various musical arrangements. Austrian composer

Joseph Balthasar Hochreither Joseph Balthasar Hochreither (Salzburg, 16 April 1669 - Salzburg, 14 December 1731) was an Austrian organist and composer. He may have been a student of Heinrich Biber. Works, editions and recordings * ''Vesperae Joannis Hochenreitter'' oseph Bal ...

wrote the ''Missa ad multos annos'', his oldest surviving work from 1705, on the occasion of the

consecration Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service. The word ''consecration'' literally means "association with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different grou ...

Abbot

Maximilian Pagl Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name "Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459– ...

of Lambach Abbey in

Upper Austria Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, a ...

. The premiere took place on April 19, 1705 in the Lambach collegiate church. The most popular version of the ''

'' sang in Russia, Ukraine and among the diaspora was composed by

Dmitry Bortniansky Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky ; ; alternative transcriptions of names are ''Dmitri Bortnianskii'', and ''Bortnyansky'', group=n (28 October 1751 – ) was a Russian Imperial composer of Ukrainian Cossack origin. He was a composer, harpsichord ...

(1751 † 1825), when he was choirmaster of the imperial chapel in Russia and it was adapted into the Latin ''Ad multos annos'' by Maxime Kovalevsky (1903 † 1988) when he was chapel master in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ad multos annos Christian hymns Catholic liturgy Latin-language Christian hymns