![]() Most hymnals include three verses, while some, such as the United Methodist Hymnal and the Baptist Hymnal 2008 add a fourth that begins, “Silent night, holy night! Wondrous star, lend thy light….” Some hymnals, like the Presbyterian Hymnal and Trinity Hymnal, include the German text. John Freeman Young’s 1859 translation is the most familiar and often used. ![]() Since it was first penned by Joseph Mohr, this text has been translated into at least 175 languages, and has undergone many different English translations, many of which are rather free paraphrases. On December 24, 1818, Parish priest Joseph Mohr wrote six stanzas of a poem in Oberndorf, Austria. For the “dawn of redeeming grace” is something far greater and grander than any song we could ever write. It is important, then, to not simply listen to what we might consider a quaint, nostalgia-evoking carol, but to sing out the depth of these words. Paul Westermeyer writes, “Partly because of its popularity, STILLE NACHT can easily point to itself rather than beyond itself to the Word” ( Let the People Sing, 153). But these honors should also make us wary. In a sense, this spreading of the Word is a joy. Movies and operas revolve around the hymn, and almost every recording artist that has ever made a Christmas album has recorded it. If you ever visit Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Michigan, you can visit a replica of the Silent Night Chapel. Stories abound as to the exact circumstances of the hymns origin, and there are societies dedicated to the task of protecting the authentic hymn text and story. ![]() In the small, quiet town of Oberndorf, Austria, on a snowy Christmas Eve, a priest and an organist wrote what is now the most beloved Christmas carol world-wide. Henrietta Ten Harmsel ( PHH 61) wrote stanza 2 and made other alterations in the text in 1984 to "stress the paradoxes and deeper meanings of Christmas."Ĭandlelight worship services on Christmas Eve church school programs "carols from many lands" choral services. Hollister's Sunday School Service and Tune Book (1863). ![]() The familiar stanzas 1, 3, and 4 in the Psalter Hymnal come from the popular English translation by John F. Various English translations abound, some of which are rather free paraphrases. He spent his later years in Hintersee and Wagrein. Mohr was a priest in various churches near Salzburg, including St. A choirboy in Salzburg Cathedral as a youth, Mohr studied at Salzburg University and was ordained in the Roman Catholic Church in 1815. Without attributing the hymn's composition to Mohr and Gruber, the Leipzig Katholisches Gesang-und Gebetbuch first published the hymn in 1838 because of the efforts of Gruber's grandson, the author and composer were soon recognized.Īuthor Joseph Mohr was born into a humble family–his mother was a seamstress and his father, an army musketeer. Because it was sung by various Tyrol folk groups (including the touring Strasser "sisters" and the Rainer family), "Silent Night" became known as a “Tyrolean carol.” The hymn's widespread use enhanced its popularity throughout Europe and North America during the middle nineteenth century. ![]() Hallein, near Salzburg, Austria, 1863), composed this beloved hymn to be accompanied on guitar for the Christmas Eve service.Īfter organ repairman Karl Mauracher heard the hymn, he took the manuscript to the Tyrol region. Unterweizberg, near Hochburg, Austria, 1787 d. Because the church organ had broken down that day, Mohr and his parish organist, Franz Gruber (b. Wagrein, Austria, 1848) wrote the original German text in six stanzas in Oberndorf, Austria, on December 24, 1818, for St. With a mixture of reflection and awe, the writer evokes the night of Christ's birth, recalling not only the birth but also its meaning: the Christ who is born in Bethlehem is our Savior and our King! ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |