The arrangement of this familiar Christmas carol is multifaceted. At first, the voices that enter one after the other intertwine to a spherical, static soundscape over which the tenor sings the beginning of the first stanza. The accompanying voices flare up repeatedly in the course of the individual stanzas and are combined to a homophonic choral setting that is ultimately enriched by a rhythmic bass ostinato. An effective, varied choral piece for every Christmas concert - to be sung in English or German (O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf).