Day 12 - For our final day of The Twelve Days of Christmas, Susan Lewis brings us the story behind the classic Christmas carol Silent Night . . .
"It's a song about a calm, bright and silent night, and the wonder of a tender and mild newborn child; words written in 1816 by a young Austrian priest, Joseph Mohr, not long after the Napoleonic wars had taken their toll.
As the story goes, that young priest went for a walk and looked out over a very quiet, snow-laden town. That town at peace inspired him to write his verses. On Christmas Eve 1818, the now-famous carol was performed for the first time as Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht. And performing it were guitarist Joseph Mohr, the young priest who wrote the words, accompanying singer Franz Xaver Gruber, the choir director who had written the melody.
Some time later, an organ builder and repair man working at Mohr and Gruber's church (St. Nicholas in Oberndorf) took a copy of the six-verse song to his home village. There, it was picked up and spread by two families of traveling folk singers, who performed throughout northern Europe. In 1834, the Strasser family performed it for the King of Prussia. In 1839, the Rainer family of singers debuted the carol outside Trinity Church in New York City. The composition evolved, was translated into over 300 languages, and arranged for a wide variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles. It was sung in churches, town squares, and even on the battlefield during World War I. During a temporary truce in the war on Christmas Eve, soldiers sang carols from home. Silent Night (by 1914 now known round the world) was sung simultaneously in French, German and English.
Over the years, the carol's mystique grew with its popularity. After the original manuscript was lost, some speculated that the music had actually been written by Haydn, Mozart or even Beethoven. But in 1994, an original manuscript was found in Mohr's handwriting, with Gruber named as composer. Today, the Franz Xaver Gruber Museum in Hallein and the Joseph Mohr School in Wagrain, Austria honor the creators of this classic carol. The Stille Nacht Gesellschaft (The Silent Night Society) hosts a virtual Silent Night museum, tracks events, and promotes the use of all six verses, which in the words of the Silent Night Society president encourage peace and demand responsibility around the globe.
Day 4 - Cecil Frances Alexander took her position as an Anglican bishop’s wife very seriously. She accompanied her husband throughout his Ireland travels, scolding the wicked and praising the good, and most of all working with the youngsters, for whom she wrote a number of little poems and hymns. Her most famous collection was published in 1848 – Hymns for Little Children – and it was there that Once in Royal David’s City first appeared. A year later, H. J. Gauntlett discovered Mrs. Alexander’s poem and set it to music. The city, of course, is Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and of His ancestor King David.
Since 1918, this carol has had the distinction of being played as the processional hymn during the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve at King's College, Cambridge, and is one of only two carols or hymns which has the distinction of being played annually; the other is Hark The Herald Angels Sing. [a big thank you to the website The Hymns and Carols of Christmas for this very informative note!]
This is one of my favorite carols (it takes me to St. Thomas Church in New York City where their choir, too, presents the Nine Lessons and Carols on Christmas Eve. Just other worldly.
Once in royal David's city Stood a lowly cattle shed, Where a mother laid her Baby In a manger for His bed: Mary was that mother mild, Jesus Christ her little Child.
He came down to earth from heaven, Who is God and Lord of all, And His shelter was a stable, And His cradle was a stall; With the poor, and mean, and lowly, Lived on earth our Savior holy.
And through all His wondrous childhood He would honor and obey, Love and watch the lowly maiden, In whose gentle arms He lay: Christian children all must be Mild, obedient, good as He.
For he is our childhood's pattern; Day by day, like us He grew; He was little, weak and helpless, Tears and smiles like us He knew; And He feeleth for our sadness, And He shareth in our gladness.
And our eyes at last shall see Him, Through His own redeeming love; For that Child so dear and gentle Is our Lord in heaven above, And He leads His children on To the place where He is gone.
Not in that poor lowly stable, With the oxen standing by, We shall see Him; but in heaven, Set at God's right hand on high; Where like stars His children crowned All in white shall wait around.
Once in Royal David's City - Choir of King's College, Cambridge
Once in Royal David's City - Per-Olov Kindgren (guitar)
Once In Royal David's City - Sawlon (ukulele) . . . pure simplicity
. . . and a song from my youth, inspired by the carol, which I still love . . . Christmas Song (Once in Royal David's City) - Ian Anderson/Jethro Tull
- but they cut out at the end of the song, "Hey, Santa! Pass us that bottle, will you?"
Once in Royal David's City stood a lonely cattle shed, Where a mother held her baby. You'd do well to remember the things He later said.
When you're stuffing yourselves at the Christmas parties, You'll just laugh when I tell you to take a running jump. You're missing the point I'm sure does not need making That Christmas spirit is not what you drink.
So how can you laugh when your own mother's hungry, And how can you smile when the reasons for smiling are wrong? And if I just messed up your thoughtless pleasures, Remember, if you wish, this is just a Christmas song.
