"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14
"It was Christmas Eve in the Austrian alps. At the newly constructed Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, a Tyrol village near Salzburg, Father Joseph Mohr prepared for the midnight service.
He was distraught because the church organ was broken, ruining prospects for that evening's carefully planned music. But Father Joseph was about to learn that our problems are God's opportunities, that the Lord causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.
It came into Father Joseph's mind to write a new song, one that could be sung organless. Hastily, he wrote the words, 'Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright...' Taking the text to his organist, Franz Gruber, he explained the situation and asked Frantz to compose a simple tune.
That night, December 24, 1818, 'Silent Night' was sung for the first time as a duet accompanied by a guitar at the aptly named Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf."
Later the organ repairman, Karl Mauracher, hearing about this, began sharing the song with others. Later still the Strasser Family, which was a well-known family who sang and performed together, also heard of the song and began singing it for their audiences. Soon even the king and queen had heard it and the carol has been well known ever since.
"Were it not for a broken organ, there would never have been a 'Silent Night.'"
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| St. Nicholas Church, Oberndorf, Austria |
Here's one of my favorite versions of Silent Night! by Martina McBride:
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!
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.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!
*All quotes from Robert J. Morgan's book "Then Sings My Soul: Book 1" a collection of great hymn stories.
Song #1- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Song #2- O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Song #3- Joy to the World!
Buy it HERE on Amazon
Hi Cathy! I also researched a few carols on my blog and learned so much! I didn't get to Silent Night, wonderful story!
ReplyDeleteHi Nannette, I visited your blog and enjoyed reading your posts on Christmas carols! I especially loved the history of 'O Little Town of Bethlehem.' Thanks for stopping by. : )
DeleteI have Morgan's book too and have so enjoyed it. Wouldn't it have been spectacular to hear Silent Night at its debut? Love it still.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would have enjoyed that very much! Thanks for stopping by Lisa. : )
DeleteOh! Hi Cathy. I found your blog fascinating and interesting. I too love history. Did you know a mere 99 years later, Dec 25, 1917, the Germans and Allies left their trenches and met in the middle of the DMZ (demilitarized zone) in the middle. They sang and celebrated Christ's birth as fellow Christians. On Dec 26, 1917, they fought as enemies in the War to End all Wars.
ReplyDeleteI love that story too! I think I saw a war movie that depicted that scene. It was very moving. Thanks for sharing and visiting Chris! : )
DeleteWho would have known that we would be still singing this song? Amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt really is a beautiful song. Thanks for stopping by. : )
DeleteThank you for sharing this. I always find it fascinating to hear or read about the story behind a song.
ReplyDeleteThe beauty of this blog page just draws one into investigate all that is written here. I intend to come back here often. I too love books! Blessings Sylvia
ReplyDeleteThank-you for your kind words Sylvia! Glad you stopped by. : )
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