This is one of my favorite Christmas carols on the piano. I have always enjoyed playing this one at home, in church and for various gatherings.
Silent Night, Holy Night speaks to the peace of Christmas.
It is a piece of music that signifies Christmas even if the words are silent.
It feels like I am walking with Josef Mohr and I can almost picture the view from the hill that he sees.
Track #1 of 15 songs on Christmas Piano.
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History
Silent Night, Holy Night was written in 1818 by a minster, Josef Mohr in Austria. The story goes that because the church organ was not worked and would not be repaired before Christmas, that a roving band of actors performed the story of Christ’s birth in a private home. As Josef Mohr was walking home, he was reflecting on the play and taking a long path up over a hill overlooking the village. He remembered a poem he had written a couple of years before about the angels announcing to shepherds on a hill, the birth of Jesus.
With the help of a church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber, they came up with a melody using a guitar to create the Christmas carol, Silent Night, Holy Night. After Christmas when the organ was finally fixed, they sat down and created the music as we know today. It began to spread across northern Europe with the help of the Strasser sisters. Finally in 1863, it was translated from German into English and today, Silent Night is sung in more than 300 different languages around the world. (Source: Southern Nazarene University and Christmas Carols)
Lyrics To Silent Night, Holy Night
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, Darkness flies, and all is light;
Shepherds hear the angels sing: Alleluia! Hail The King!
Jesus the Saviour is here, Jesus the Saviour is here.
Holy night, peaceful night, Child of heaven, O how bright,
Thou didst smile when thou wast born; Blessed was that happy morn,
Full of heavenly joy, Full of heavenly joy.
Silent night, holy night, Guiding Star, O lend the light;
See the eastern wise men bring, gifts and homage to our king!
Jesus the Saviour is here, Jesus the Saviour is here.
Silent night, holy night, Wondrous Star, O lend thy light!
With the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our king!
Jesus our Saviour is here, Jesus our Saviour is here.
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