Groot is de wereld = Vast is the world, 1967 - 1980

This song was written for a Christmastide baptism. Huub Oosterhuis'son, Tjeerd Pieter, was born on Christmas Day, 1971. Tjeerd Pieter was to become a composer of his father's texts in the Amsterdam tradition, but would achieve even greater fame with his sister, Trijnje, among the leading musicians in The Netherlands pop-rock band scene with their band Total Touch. He later devoted himself to the jazz music scene.

The music setting is from Huijbers evocative canon, Kyrie/Glory to God, the Penitential rite and the Gloria Angel chorus from Luke's Gospel Infancy Narrative, derived from the refrains of the Christmas Night opening song, This Is The Day You revealed Your Glory (JM 157). Huijbers admitted that the intervals in this piece had originated from the lingering intervals in the Beatles' song, Eight Days A Week. The canon is sung initially as a unison round (as often as necessary), and then becomes a 2-voice canon, eventually with choir descant embellishments, which may be introduced with textual phrases 'grabbed ad lib.' from the acclamation.