This is one of the composer's few mature works which does not include vocal soloists, making it an ideal concert opener. It is an attractive and accessible work, the vocal lines are not over-demanding, and the piece is short enough for liturgical as well as concert use. The second of Haydn's Te Deum settings, the work was performed in September 1800 on the name-day of the wife of Haydn's patron, Prince Nicolaus Esterhazy II, and it features the C major tonality and extensive use of trumpets and drums that were often associated with festive ceremony.