Silent Night, Holy Night

Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

 

The world's most popular Christmas Carol 

was first sung in Austria

on Christmas Eve 1818 in St Nicolas Church in Oberndorf

near Salzburg/Austria. The melody was composed by 

Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) a teacher and organist

in the village of Arnsdorf/Austria.

The words were written by Joseph Franz Mohr (1792-1848)

a young priest in Mariapfarr/Austria

 

The carol became so well known when an Austrian

organ builder performed it with other musicians

in the City of Leipzig/Germany.

The audience was entranced by the melody.

From there, Silent Night, Holy Night blazed a trail across

Germany and the whole world.
By now, the carol has been translated into

300 different languages and dialects.

 

The first known performance of "Stille Nacht"

in the United States took place near New York City's

Trinity Church. In 1839 the Rainer family singers

of Austria included the German version of "Stille Nacht"

in their repertoire during an appearance at the

Alexander Hamilton Monument near the church,

some 24 years before an English version of

the carol would be published.

 

Today's most popular English version of "Silent Night"

was translated by the Episcopal priest John Freeman

Young, assigned at the time to the same Trinity Church

associated with the 1839 performance of "Stille Nacht."