Today is the birthday of FRANZ XAVER GRUBER (1787-1862)!! He was the organist for St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf bei Salzburg where he wrote the music for Silent Night (Stille Nacht). Father Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics. It was first performed at Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church in 1818. The original church was destroyed by a flood in 1899, but there is a Silent Night chapel standing in its place today. The six-minute video below gives a nice tour of the church and Oberndorf.
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:02:27 +0000