The poem by John Berryman sees God as the 'sole watchman of the stars' who shall help man to learn humility. The setting for two choirs plays with the space and represents the poem in two contrasting ways: Whereas the text in Choir 1 is always presented clearly and directly, the words of Choir 2 are freely chanted and nearly formless, thus expressing the desire for unity and order while demonstrating the universality of the inherent weaknesses of human character.

Schott Music