Although Kodály composed this piece for a specific occasion (the 250th anniversary of the liberation of Buda from Turkish rule), it is a hymn of praise to the Lord, which seems to speak for all mankind. He uses the Latin text of the 4th-century Christian doxology, whereas the score eschews Hungarian folk music, thus giving the "Te Deum" its universality. It reflects Kodály's deep religiosity, which he never renounced, even during the years of Stalinist dictatorship.