“The Heavens are Telling” from Haydn’s “The Creation” is a piece that has been performed as a separate octavo throughout the last century. It is a wonderful way to introduce young musicians to the classical era of choral composition. Although the original movement was written with full orchestral accompaniment, these have been transcribed for string quintet. This edition also includes a new English translation which was written to better match the beauty of Haydn’s compositional writing.

Composer’s Notes

This new English translation is part of a full edition of Haydn’s The Creation that was the culmination of research for my doctoral document at the University of Arizona. This English translation is based on current research into The Creation, as well as review of original text sources: the original English text of Baron van Swieten; the German translation, provided by van Swieten, that Haydn used to compose the oratorio; original source material including the King James Bible and Milton’s Paradise Lost. Finally, these text sources were combined with modern language and syntax in order to more accurately represent the original English text. A companion document detailing this research is available.

– Philip Moody

Text

Uriel: and the people of God sang praise with voice and heavenly song to end the fourth day. They proclaimed God’s power saying:

Choir: The heavens are telling the glory of God. The sky proclaims the work of God’s almighty hands.

Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael: God’s work is proclaimed from day to day, from night that is gone to following night. In every land resounds the word, all the world can hear it, always understood.

-Philip Moody

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