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The Fest-Kantate Preiset den Herrn, WAB 16, is a festive cantata composed by Anton Bruckner in 1862 for the celebration of the laying of the foundation stone of the new Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom of Linz.

To celebrate the laying of the foundation stone of the new Mariä-Empfängnis-Dom (Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) of Linz, bishop Franz-Josef Rudigier asked Bruckner for a cantata. Bruckner responded enthusiastly with the composition of the Festive Cantata Preiset den Herrn (Praise the Lord) on a text of the theologian Maximilian Pammesberger.

On 1 May 1862 the foundation stone was laid. To celebrate the event the cantata was performed by the choir Frohsinn, invited guest singers and the brass band of the Infantry Regiment Freiherr von Bamberg No. 13 under the baton of Engelbert Lanz.

The manuscript of the cantata is stored in the archive of the Episcopacy of Linz. A facsimile was first published in volume III/2, pp. 197–216 of the Göllerich/Auer biography. A choir and piano score has been issued by Doblinger in 1955. It is published in volume XXII/2 no. 6 of the Gesamtausgabe.

The Festive Cantata, WAB 16, is the first notable religious work that Bruckner composed after his strenuous study period by Sechter. It will be followed one year later by Psalm 112 (1863), and again one year later by the secular cantata Germanenzug and the first great mass, Mass No. 1 in D minor (1864).

The cantata uses a text of the theologian Maximilian Pammesberger.

Preiset den Herrn, Lobsinget seinem heiligen Namen! Grund und Eckstein bist du, Herr, Deiner Kirche groß und hehr. Thaue deine Kraft und Stärke Ueber Fundament und Stein, Die wir zu dem heil’gen Werke Weihend senken ein. Preiset den Herrn, Maria preiset, Ohne Mackel empfangen! Aus der Erde Schooß Wächst der Bau Riesengroß In des Himmels Blau. Das ist der Unbefleckten Haus, Drin öffnet sich die Gnadenquelle, Und strömet reich und helle Ins Land hinaus. Des Landes Stämme wallen fromm Aus allen Gauen zu dem Dom Von unsrer lieben Frauen; Sie grüßen sie viel tausendmal Und schöpfen Heil im Gnadensaal Durch Glauben und Vertrauen. Preiset den Herrn, Lobsingt seinem heiligen Namen, Maria preiset, Die mächtige Helferin. Amen.

Praise the Lord, Sing the praises of His holy name! My Lord, Thou art the fundament and cornerstone Of Thy great and noble church. Thaw Thy power and force On foundation and stone, Which we sink devoutly Into the holy work! Praise the Lord, praise Mary, Conceived immaculate! From the bowels of the earth The building is growing Striking greatly Into the blue of the sky. This is the house of the Immaculate, In which the source of grace Arises and streams rich and pure Into the country. The tribes from all the districts of the country Go on a devout pilgrimage to the cathedral Of our blessed Lady; They greet her times without number And find salvation in the room of grace By faith and trust. Praise the Lord, Sing the praises of His holy name, Praise Mary, The mighty helper. Amen.

The 241-bar long work in D major for men's chorus, male solo quartet, bass soloist, and wind band (2 flutes, 2 oboes, 4 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 bass tuba and timpani), is composed of eight short parts:

Total duration: 10 to 13 minutes.

The opening choir with its starting octave leap in unison, as in the Overture in G minor, and its reminiscence to the "Hallelujah" chorus from Händel’s Messiah – on which Bruckner often made improvisations – is majestic and solemn. It thereafter evolves in a fugato on "Grund und Eckstein bist du, o Herr". To bind the work together the solemn opening choir is repeated twice, in the third and eight parts.

A commercial recording in full accordance with the original score edited by the critical Gesamtausgabe is still awaited.

Out of the seven commercial recordings, Fiala's live performance – with trombones colla parte during the choir repeat of part 2 (mm. 70–82) – is the most in accordance with the original score. Kerbl's live recording – with organ colla parte for a cappella parts 2, 5 and 7 – is, according to Hans Roelofs, also a convincing performance.

The Festive Cantata has undergone several adaptations: for choir, only with organ accompaniment, for mixed choir with a different text ...The two recordings by Track follow his own adaptations, one for male-voice choir (1990), the other as Festkantate zur Weihnacht (festive Christmas cantata) for mixed choir with Herbert Vogg’s text "Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe" (1996).