661. Silent Night (John Freeman Young, Franz Gruber)

The original German words of "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" were written just before Christmas in 1818, by Joseph Mohr, 26-year old assistant to the priest at St. Nicholas' Church at Oberndorf, a village 11 miles down the Salzach River from Salzburg. He asked his friend, 31-year-old Franz X. Gruber, a school teacher in the neighboring village of Arnsdorf and organist at St. Nicholas', to set it to music so that they could sing it together at the midnight Christmas service, using guitar accompaniment as the church organ had broken down. This song was to become the best known of all carols, translated into every language, yet before that it was almost lost. After its initial performance it was forgotten for seven years, until Carl Mauracher was commissioned to rebuild the organ at St. Nicholas' in 1825, and found a handwritten copy of the words and music in the organ loft. He took it back to his Tyrolian home where choral groups took the song with them wherever they sang. It became known as "the Tyrolian folk carol." When it became the favourite carol of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia, the director of the Royal Court Choir of Berlin researched its origins, in 1854, and traced it back to Salzburg and its composers, Joseph Mohr and Franz X. Gruber. The most popular English version of "Silent Night" is a translation by the Episcopal priest Reverend John Freeman Young," who enjoyed translating European hymns and carols into English. His 1863 text of "Silent Night" text is the version found in most modern English hymn books and Christmas carol collections. Last Christmas I posted the original German version of this song, so, for the first of my Christmas songs this season, I am starting with this most popular English translation. Here is my playlist of Christmas Songs: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6A87F72E113CE495 For lyrics and chords of my songs, please see my website: http://www.raymondcrooke.com