God Is Hij Alleen - Beurtzang naar psalm 97 = You Alone Are God - Antiphonal song from Psalm 97, 1978 - 1981

Oosterhuis' choice of this text from Psalm 97, the responsorial psalm for the Dawn Mass of Christmas Day, celebrates God's all-pervading presence in the world. It is the second of three consecutive psalms whichcelebrate the kingship of God. It was designated to be sung at the Feast of the Enthronement prior to the newyear festivals in late October. They originally accompanied the anointing of the new king in Israel's Temple, celebrated each year on the anniversary of this event. The King was understood as ruler of the nation, standing in for God as the earthly ruler of a terrestrial kingdom. This is a hymn to God's pure and unadorned majesty. His refrain, God is Hij allen, vuur gaat voor Hem - He alone is God, fire goes out from him would not work well in the Anglophonic world, with its gender sensitivities. Hence, I have rendered it as Who alone is God, fire paves the way, since Who is an acceptable Oosterhuis way of proclaiming the Deity, and avoids the gender conflict. You alone are God, fire goes out from you, though rhythmically correct,nevertheless violates the artform of proclamation. So, Who it is!

Huijbers chose two melodies for this text. Notum fecit Dominus is the third antiphon of the third nocturn for Christmas Matins, The Lord has made known salvation. Responsorium breve, as the name suggests, is the short response from the Office of Compline, In manus tuas Domine - Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Both are in a Lydian mode, Gregorian psalm tone 6F. Huijbers found a ritual connection between Oosterhuis' text and the original connotation of the music. Both refer to the presence of an all-powerful Deity throughout the entire world, yet in whose hand we find communal protection and safety.

There are also echoes of Romans 8 in Oosterhuis' text. Paul describes the whole world as struggling, groaning to be born, as a mother in the throes of labor. She likewise brings new life into the world. We will always be struggling to be born, of change resulting from dying. This will be fully-accomplished only when we reach ultimate perfection, on that day when we are born into eternal life, becoming re-absorbed in that light eternal from which we came. - Tony Barr