I knew that story and it is a wonderful one. Merry Christmas to you, too.
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior 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
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
Very nice post, Aussie Dasher.
bump
There is nothing finer than a Silent Night.
The story's dubious, but as a story, it's still a good one.
I heard that story before, but enjoyed reading it again. Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy and Healthy New Year!
P.S. I really enjoy listening to Mannheim Steamroller's version of the song. Different, but pretty.
Classical composers have not had much luck writing Christmas carols, perhaps because they lack the popular touch. But there are a few exceptions.
Handel wrote "Joy to the World" as a part-song for men -- after one too many pots of ale.
Mendelssohn knocked out "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" during his years in Birmingham (England). The original arrangement for SATB chorus and organ is formidable, but is rarely heard today.
Brahms tried his hand at a carol, "Lullaby of the Spirit", a song for contralto (or baritone) with piano and viola accompaniment. (Not to be confused with the famous "Brahms Lullaby"). The problem is that one needs an operatic quality singer to make it work. No church congregation could navigate its way through this song.
The greatest success of a classical composer at writing a Christmas carol was "Cantique de Noel" by the French composer Adolphe Adam (accent on the last syllable of each name). We know it as "O Holy Night". Adam is also known for an insipid ballet titled "Giselle", but "Cantique" guarantees him a spot in the Composer's Hall of Fame when "Giselle" is forgotten. The problem with "Cantique" is not that it was written in D-flat Major (5 flats), but that it was written for an operatic quality soprano (or tenor). The singer is expected to reach a high A-flat at the climax and then go down the scale to a high D-flat without resorting to a slur. I've seen many a church congregation fall flat on its -- er -- face with this one.
Amateurs like Gruber and Wade ("O Come All Ye Faithful") fared far better than the pros in this arena.
Thanks for this post.
Silent Night, what a wonderful song.
*snif-snif*
I only know how to sing this song in American English, but I sing it in tenor, mostly, and variations of alto. I haven't been able to sing higher notes since I was 10.
But now, it's difficult for me to sing it. I cry a lot. I get choked up. So I try not to even listen to it as it catches me unawares when I hear it, and I cry like a baby.
Thanks for posting the story. I think we all need to be reminded on occasion, of the REAL Reason for the Season.