Silent Night, Holy Night is one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time. It has been translated in over 300 languages and is sung by millions of people every December, in churches, department stores and radio stations. It is performed by many famous singers, all around the world, and yet many people may not know who wrote the carol and where and when.
Well, here is the story behind the carol. According to history, it was composed by Josef Mohr, in 1818. Josef Mohr was pastor of the church of St. Nicholas at Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria. After the evening program in 1818, Mohr chose the longer way home (3 miles), that took him up over a hill overlooking the village. Reveling in the silence of the wintry night, he remembered a poem he had written. He decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation for the midnight mass. The 26 year old young priest went to see the church organist, Franz Gruber, and asked him to compose a melody. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody, but he was able to do it. That night the congregation heard Mohr and Gruber play the new carol. It spread across northern Europe. In 1834, singers performed Silent Night for King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who then ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas Eve.
Twenty years after it was written, the song was brought to the United States and was performed, for the first time, at the Alexander Hamilton monument, outside Trinity Church in New York City.
Who would have imagined that their composition would have made such an impact on the world, and we get to enjoy it 200 years later! Sometimes we over analyze things and find excuses not to do something. We may rationalize that we don't have enough time, or talent or even courage. However, most of the time all it takes is to just do it, or at least give something a try. What if these two individuals had decided they did not have enough time and given up? We would have never had the chance to enjoy this beautiful music!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Well, here is the story behind the carol. According to history, it was composed by Josef Mohr, in 1818. Josef Mohr was pastor of the church of St. Nicholas at Oberndorf, near Salzburg, Austria. After the evening program in 1818, Mohr chose the longer way home (3 miles), that took him up over a hill overlooking the village. Reveling in the silence of the wintry night, he remembered a poem he had written. He decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation for the midnight mass. The 26 year old young priest went to see the church organist, Franz Gruber, and asked him to compose a melody. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody, but he was able to do it. That night the congregation heard Mohr and Gruber play the new carol. It spread across northern Europe. In 1834, singers performed Silent Night for King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who then ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas Eve.
Twenty years after it was written, the song was brought to the United States and was performed, for the first time, at the Alexander Hamilton monument, outside Trinity Church in New York City.
Who would have imagined that their composition would have made such an impact on the world, and we get to enjoy it 200 years later! Sometimes we over analyze things and find excuses not to do something. We may rationalize that we don't have enough time, or talent or even courage. However, most of the time all it takes is to just do it, or at least give something a try. What if these two individuals had decided they did not have enough time and given up? We would have never had the chance to enjoy this beautiful music!
MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!
