[1] The text begins with the prophecy "Das Volk, so im Finstern wandelt, siehet ein Licht".
The text related to the nativity is almost exclusively taken from the Bible in the translation by Martin Luther, quoting both Luke and Matthew.
The narrator is a tenor as the Evangelist, and other solo voices appear for Gabriel, Mary, Elisabeth, the angel of the annunciation to the shepherds, Herod and Simeon.
The oratorio ends with a setting of "Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet, daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab" from the Gospel of John.
Distler's expressive music still uses features of the 20th century, with characteristic quarts, pentatonic melodies and an often polymetric setting.