On December 23, 1818 the St. Nicholas Church organ, in Austria, was broken, and would not be repaired before Christmas. For Father Josef Mohr the broken organ made it very difficult to plan an effective Christmas celebration for his congregation. On a walk that evening, he climbed a hill, and the sight of his little town blanketed in show, reminded him of a poem he had written a number of years earlier. It was about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to the shepherds. Mohr decided the words would make a beautiful carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas eve service, but he didnt have music for the poem. The next day Mohr visited the church organist, Franz Gruber. By that evening, Gruber had composed a musical setting for the poem. On Christmas Eve, the little congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Grubers guitar. Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived to fix the organ. When he finished, he stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber played the simple melody, Mauracher was deeply moved. He took copies of the music and words of Silent Night back to his own church. Two well-known families of singers — the Rainers and the Strassers — heard it. Captivated by Silent Night, both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire. The Strassers sang the carol across northern Europe, and in 1834, they performed Silent Night for King Frederick William of Prussia. He ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas eve. Twenty years after Silent Night was written, the Rainers brought the song to the United States singing it in German at the New York Citys Trinity Church. After nearly fifty years of being sung in German, Silent Night was translated into English. Today the words of Silent Night are sung in more than 300 different languages around the world. Why is Silent Night” the most loved Christmas carol? Perhaps, it’s because it’s quiet and reflective, calling us to meditate on the manger scene, by both the gentle words, and peaceful melody. All is calm, all is bright. Who is in that manger? What is the significance of this birth? What is Christmas about — really? Perhaps most of all, Silent Night is loved because it reminds us in its simple, but exceedingly clear way, the truth behind it all — the truth that changes everything: Christ, the Savior is born! Its gentle peace washes over you, and renews your soul. Jesus, Lord, at thy birth! Jesus, Lord, at thy birth!
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 16:52:28 +0000
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