"Dona nobis pacem" (, "Give us peace") is a round for three parts to a short Latin text from the

Agnus Dei is the Latin name under which the " Lamb of God" is honoured within the Catholic Mass and other Christian liturgies descending from the Latin liturgical tradition. It is the name given to a specific prayer that occurs in these liturgies, and ...

. The melody has been passed orally. The round is part of many hymnals and songbooks. Beyond use at church, the round has been popular for secular quests for peace, such as the

reunification of Germany German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

History

The text of "" is a short prayer for peace from the

of the Latin mass. In the round for three parts, it is sung twice in every line. The melody has been passed orally. It has traditionally been attributed to

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

but without evidence. English-language hymnals usually mark it "Traditional". The melody is relatively easy, with the second and third line supplying mostly

harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...

to the first line, in many long notes versus the flow of the first. The round is part of many songbooks. Thomas Doss composed a

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

arrangement for brass orchestra with optional vocal parts in 2003. Alfons Scheirle composed a piano accompaniment in 2013. Beyond use at church, the round has been popular for secular quests for peace, such as the

. It was sung in 1989 in many churches and open air by people who possibly didn't know the meaning of the Latin text but understood its intention.

References

External links

{{YouTube, _mEXfohmzj4, Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace) by Traditional Round (2016) Christian songs Rounds (music)