Diethard Zils O.P. (born 1935) is a German Dominican, priest and hymnwriter.

Born in Bottrop, Zils is known as a hymnwriter for the genre Neues Geistliches Lied and a translator of such songs. They have been included in the Catholic hymnal Gotteslob (GL), and also in Protestant hymnals such as Evangelisches Gesangbuch (EG) and the Mennonitisches Gesangbuch [de] (MG). They were set to music by notable composers:[1]

Selected works

• "Abraham, Abraham, verlass dein Land" (music: Wim ter Burg [de]) (EG 311)
• "Ein befreiendes Lied" (music: Ludger Stühlmeyer) (youth music festival at Clemenswerth 1992)
• "Frieden und Shalom" (melody from Israel)
• "Im Dunkel unsrer Ängste" (music: Jo Akepsimas [de]) (MG 296)
• "Kommt herbei, singt dem Herrn" (melody from Israel, GL 140)
• "Lass uns den Weg der Gerechtigkeit gehen" (music: Cristóbal Halffter Jiménez) (MG 490)
• "Lobt und preist die herrlichen Taten" (music: Lucien Deiss) (EG 429)
• "Mädchen du in Israel" (music by Albe Vidakovic)
• "Pilger sind wir Menschen" (after the melody of "Land of Hope and Glory" by Edward Elgar)
• "Sag ja zu mir, wenn alles nein sagt" (music by Ignace de Sutter, 1959, GL Austria 815 and other regional sections)
• "Wir haben Gottes Spuren festgestellt" (music: Jo Akepsimas, MG 406)
• "Wir preisen deinen Tod" (music: Michael Ambroise Wackenheim, 1986, GL different regional sections)

References