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 soloist 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).