Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Silent Night



Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
sleep in heavenly peace!

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
glories stream from heaven afar
heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah

Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God love's pure light
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus, Lord at thy birth.




The origin of the Christmas carol we know as "Silent Night" was a poem that was written in 1816 by an Austrian priest called Joseph Mohr. On Christmas Eve in 1818 in the small alpine village called Oberndorf, it is reputed that the organ at St. Nicholas Church had broken. Joseph Mohr gave the poem of Silent Night (Stille Nacht) to his friend Franz Xavier Gruber and the melody for Silent Night was composed with this in mind. The music to Silent Night was therefore intended for a guitar and the simple score was finished in time for Midnight Mass. Silent Night is the most famous Christmas carol of all time!

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