There probably isn’t a more loved Christmas Carol than “Silent Night, Holy Night.” It is sung around the world and this year marks its 200th anniversary. The story behind the carol is shrouded in truth, mystery and folklore.
In 1818 this well known carol was sung for the first time in a small village church in Oberndorf, Austria. It was originally written in German by a young priest, Joseph Mohr, in 1816 while he was assigned to a pilgrimage church in Mariapfarr, Austria. The song has outlasted the originator of the words. Historical records are reported that Father Joseph Mohr is buried in the tiny alpine ski resort in Wagrain, Austria. Born into a poor family he died penniless in Wagrain where he had been assigned as the pastor of the church. He was reported to be very generous, donating all of his earnings to be used for the care of the elderly and the education of the children in the area. He was described as “a reliable friend of mankind toward the poor, a gentle, helping father” in a report to the bishop. On December 24, 1818 it is said that Mohr travelled to the home of musician and school teacher Franz Gruber, a friend and organist and choir director at the church. Mohr showed Gruber his poem from 1816 and asked him to compose a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be performed at midnight mass that evening. The folklore that has been assigned to this carol has been commonly accepted but is not accepted by all, especially sincere historians. It was Christmas Eve and the organist, accompanied by Father Mohr on his guitar and the choir were ready to sing this new carol as part of their worship service. Arriving at the church, it was discovered that the church mice had eaten the bellows of the organ and the organ was rendered inoperable. But the show must go on! So, alone with his guitar, Mohr, Gruber and the choir introduced this new song to the congregation. It was a hit! And the folklore has survived. In truth, all went well and the organ worked well. Maybe! A master organ builder and repairman, Karl Mauracher, from the Ziller Valley worked on the St. Nicolas organ often and he discovered a copy of the carol and took it home with him. Its use spread to the point where it was referred to as a “Tyrolean Folk Song.” Because of the carol’s folk-like composition it was adopted by two travelling folk singing families from the Ziller Valley, the Strassers and the Rainers . If you are familiar with the music of the Trapp Family, from the Sound of Music, you’ll have an idea of the sound. Its fame grew to the point where it was sung before Emperor Franz 1 and Tsar Alexander 1. It became a favourite of King Frederick William IV of Prussia who had it performed every year. The melody changed over the years until it finally arrived as the familiar tune we know today. Over the course of time, after the death of Mohr, the melody had been assumed to be the work of Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven, even though Franz Gruber wrote to the authorities in Berlin claiming to be the composer. The controversy was settled in 1994 when a long-lost arrangement of “Stille Nacht” in the hand of Joseph Mohr was authenticated. In the right hand corner of the arrangement Mohr had penned, “Melodie von Fr. Xav. Gruber. Apparently, this carol was first sung in America, in 1839, at the Alexander Hamilton Monument outside Trinity Church in New York City. The performers were none other than the Rainer family, from Ziller Valley. In 1914, during the First World War, historian Stanley Weintraub, writing about the Christmas Day truce that happened on the battlefield, attributes German Officer and sometime member of the Berlin Opera, Walter Kirchoff with singing the carol that encouraged the exchange of songs, greetings and gifts between opposing soldiers. A strange peace indeed! Even though the history of the carol is clouded, wrapped in truth and folklore, it’s incredible to think that an obscure pastor of a small mountain congregation, and a musician-teacher wrote a poem and composition that in time became one of the most well-known and liked carols that we sing today. This song has turned hearts heavenward for 200 years and it’s likely to continue for many more ages to come. The hope and peace pronounced in the six verses are a message that have withstood the test of time, survived many rumours and myths and reveal to people all around the world the incredible gift of “God is with us – Immanuel.” You’ll probably recognize the first 3 verses but verses 4-6 might not be familiar to you. Together they make for a great Christmas Eve devotional. MERRY CHRISTMAS! 1. 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! 2. Silent night! Holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight! Glories stream from Heaven afar, Heavenly Hosts sing Alleluia! Christ, the Saviour, is born! Christ, the Saviour, is born! 3. 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! 4. Silent Night, Holy Night Here at last, healing light From the heavenly kingdom sent, Abundant grace for our intent. Jesus, salvation for all. Jesus, salvation for all. 5. Silent Night! Holy Night" Sleeps the world in peace tonight. God sends his Son to earth below A Child from whom all blessings flow Jesus, embraces mankind. Jesus, embraces mankind. 6. Silent Night, Holy Night Mindful of mankind's plight The Lord in Heav'n on high decreed From earthly woes we would be freed Jesus, God's promise for peace. Jesus, God's promise for peace. *** I am thankful for the research and writing of many who love this Carol. I claim no originality and offer this blog as a compilation of many resources. The stories associated with this carol abound and whether they are mere folklore or based on historical research do not change the wonderful message that has stood the test of two centuries. Roy MacGregor
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The Origins of Christmas Carols … Hark the Herald Angels Sing
By Charles Wesley (1707 – 1788) This familiar carol or Christmas hymn has a rich history. In the 1700’s Britain was under a radical transformation. The Industrial revolution was underway and people were moving from the rural, country style of living to find work in the quickly growing cities. London was dirty, dangerous and the line drawn between the “haves and the have nots” was clearly defined. The small middle class, called “yeomen” pretty much disappeared by the end of the 18th century. Rich people lived in large houses filled with opulent furniture and enjoyed their wealth. Slavery was still practiced, especially in the Colonies, and would not be banned by the Slavery Abolition Act until 1833. The new industrial advances and the practice of slavery made men rich increasing the difference between the rich and the poor. In the early years of the 18th century gin was readily available and commonly overused resulting in many lives were ruined by overindulgence. Food was expensive and potatoes were the main diet for most families. Education was the sign of wealth. Universities and Colleges were opening across the land and many of these colleges had religious denomination affiliation. But religion was under the strong control of the government, so much so that only the church of England (Anglican) had official recognition. Most of the religious leaders graduated from these recognized and credentialed schools. Britain was expanding it’s colonial rule but life in the colonies was anything but peaceful. In what is modern day America, unrest was growing as the colonists took a strong dislike to this empirical rule. Canada was under British governance and that put the colonies in America and those in Canada at odds. The tension was growing. It was into this quickly changing world that John and Charles Wesley were born. They were the sons of Samuel and Susanna Wesley. Charles was the eighteenth child of nineteen children, of which only ten reached maturity. He followed his father into service to the Anglican church after graduating from Westminster School and Christ Church at Oxford with a masters degree in classical language and literature. John went on to become a great orator and eventually, along with brother Charles established the Methodist movement. Over time, Charles became the author and composer of many hymns, some of which are still sung in worship today. You might know some of these familiar hymns written by Charles: "Arise My Soul Arise," "And Can It Be That I Should Gain?," "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today," "Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies," "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus," “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” "O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing," "Love Divine, All Loves Excelling," and "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today." Charles was estimated to have written 10 poetic lines a day for 50 years. He composed the lyrics and sometimes the tunes for 9,989 hymns making him by far the greatest poetical hymn writer of all time. And yet Charles has been referred to as ‘the forgotten Wesley.” He was a compatriot of George Whitefield, an Anglican evangelist and cleric who along with the Whitefield brothers was instrumental in the establishment of the Calvinistic Methodist church. Whitefield became the most popular preacher of the Evangelical Revival in Great Britain and the Great Awakening in America. Even though George and Charles were friends, there was a time when Charles was greatly displeased with George. The original line of “Hark the Herald Angels sing” was, "Hark, how the welkin (heaven) rings, Glory to the King of kings" and George changed it to the words we sing today, “Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King.” He argued that the term “welkin” referring to “heaven” was outdated and antiquated. Charles disagreed. The original tune was slow and methodical, as Charles Wesley liked his music. The current tune for this carol was composed by Mendelssohn, who himself was a Messianic Jew. It is from the second chorus of a cantata he wrote in 1840. The cantata was originally written to commemorate Johann Gutenberg and the invention of the printing press. Mendelssohn strictly warned that his composition was to only be used in a purely secular manner. However, in 1856, long after both Wesley and Mendelssohn were dead, Dr. William Cummings ignored both of their wishes and joined the lyrics by Wesley with the music by Mendelssohn for the first time. As a result, the modern version of this beautiful, gospel-centered carol was born and generations have been singing it ever since. We sing three verses to this Christmas hymn but there is a fourth verse that is seldom included in our modern hymnals. It goes like this: Come, Desire of nations come, Fix in us Thy humble home; Rise, the Woman’s conquering Seed, Bruise in us the Serpent’s head. Adam’s likeness now efface: Stamp Thine image in its place; Second Adam, from above, Reinstate us in thy love. Hark the herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King. All together this well-known anthem is a wonderful presentation of the Gospel message. When you lift your voice this season and your heart is filled with gratitude and memories of Christmas past and the hope and the promise of Christmases to come, remember the rich heritage that connects us to Christ followers of years gone by. “Glory to the newborn King” |
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