How many times have you sang the song Silent Night? Many of us remember this song from the Christmas Eve services, but do you know the history of the song? This year marks the 200th anniversary of the first time the song Silent Night was sung in Oberndorf in present-day Austria.
It was a young priest, Father Joseph Mohr, who wrote the lyrics as a poem in 1816 and, two years later, his good friend Franz Xaver Gruber composed the melody. It was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818.
The song was picked up by folk singers and made its way around Europe over the next few years. The first performance in the United States was in New York City, 1839, by the Rainer Singers. In 1914, it is said that German and British solders sang it while on the battlefield. President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill sang the song together in the garden of the White House in 1941.
Silent Night has been performed in more than 300 different languages and dialects around the world. But none more special to me than a few years ago at St. Luke’s Christmas Eve Service.
As the service was nearing the end, I realized some of the choir didn’t have candles for the end of service. I was able to pick up some candles and moved into the choir loft as Silent Night was beginning. I was able to sit in the loft as the room went dark and people started singing that special song. Seeing the room light up and watching people’s faces as they sang about the birth of Christ will be one of the picture-perfect moments I hold onto forever.
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, Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night, shepherds quake at the sight; Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia! Christ the Savior is born, 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, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.
Brent Manning, Director of Communications
