Silent Night

Christmas music should be joyful and triumphant-full of french horns and boisterous orchestras and booming men's choirs. It is a time to celebrate through music.

Or so I thought.

I used to think quiet songs had no proper place in the Christmas canon. Don't tell anyone, but I used to hate Silent Night because it was slow and boring. I would roll my eyes and refuse to sing along. Thank goodness my Young Women leader changed my mind. She said, "Christ's life was mainly full of persecution and noise. There weren't too many times when 'all [was] calm, all [was] bright.' But Christ's birth-free of persecution-in a private, lowly, stable was a silent, holy night."

And now Silent Night is my favorite hymn.

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright'
Round yon virgin mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Saviour is born
Christ the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

HISTORY OF SILENT NIGHT

Back in 1816 an Austrian priest named Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics for Silent Night. Two years later the song was performed on Christmas Eve. Just a few hours before the performance Mohr took the lyrics over to Fraz Xaver Gruber and asked him to write a melody for the poem. Some sources say Mohr also explained that the church organ was broken. But whatever the reason, Silent Night was originally composed for guitar. The song was finished just in time for Midnight Mass.

Part of the tune resembles Austrian yodelling.

The above info only touches the surface of the history. Yes, I did take my info from wikipedia. And you can learn more about it from this wikipedia link.

This version of the popular Christmas carol was done by Simon and Garfunkel. You can hear the 7 o'clock news announcements in the background although you might want to listen a few times to catch it all. It's an odd juxtaposition at first but I really think it's rather appropriate. All the horrible things in the world coupled with the humble birth of our Lord and Savior.

Stew on that for a minute.



May you and your loved ones sleep in heavenly peace tonight and may you pray for those who won't.