Holy, Holy, Holy

Notes from Tom

This song is a musical retelling of Isaiah 6— the moment when Isaiah sees the Lord seated on His throne, surrounded by angelic beings called seraphim crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.”
The entire song is written fromIsaiah’s perspective, a first-person retelling of what he saw and felt. From the smoke-filled temple to the trembling doorposts, from his fear to his forgiveness, and finally to his commissioning — “Here am I. Send me.” It all unfolds through his eyes.
While Jesus and the name “I Am” aren’t explicitly mentioned, they’re woven into the heart of this song. Thetriple “Holy”is a reference to the Trinity. Theatoning coalpoints to Christ, whose sacrifice alone makes our lips clean. And thevoice that calls and sendsis the same voice that spoke from the burning bush and centuries later said to disciples, “Follow Me.”

A note on the music

This song was fun to make, but took a few tries. I really like the hymn “Isaiah Mighty Seer in Days of Old” and started out thinking I would remake that. But I kept hearing the sound of an angelic choir. So I went a different direction and created a song that begins and ends with afemale unison choirto open, and then afull, swelling a cappella chorusto close — with the last chorus having a similar feel toPentatonix. That layered harmony helps express what words alone can’t.
You’ll also hear solo male vocals narrating the prophet’s experience in the verses, with the choir re-entering each time to bring us back to the throne room. There’s both tension and awe — but also resolution.
And musically, the ending is meant to echo the beginning — but with added weight. The repetition of the chorus three times at the close gives a final moment of reverence, magnifying the glory of the One who was, and is, and is to come.