Posted on 12/20/2005 4:15:24 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
For 22 years I looked after the spiritual needs of senior citizen homes. Volunteers helped. Among them was Anna Cairnduf, a lady who hails from a mountain town in Austria. She's the grand niece of Father Joseph Mohr, the writer of the Christmas carol "Silent Night" which for a long time was ignored. Why?
Great music is expected from great cities and great Cathedrals but hardly from a poor, cold, drafty little mountain church, where a few days before Christmas in 1818, a hungry mouse chewed through the bellows of the old organ, silencing it. Oh no! No music for Christmas.
Nothing good was expected from the mountains and less was expected from pathetic Father Mohr. He was not a bright light in the diocese. He would never make a monsignor, hardly even a pastor. The bishop sent him into the mountains to help a stern old pastor, who at the sight of his new helper became even sterner.
At the church, the day before Christmas Eve, organist Franz Gruber arrived and discovered the damaged organ. Exasperated, he pressed the keys and pumped the bellows. Not a sound! He and Father Mohr pondered, "What could be done to save Christmas?" Shyly the priest withdrew from his pocket a paper and showed him the words he had scrawled in German, "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!"
Franz Gruber was captivated by the simplicity of the song, that told so well the wondrous story. Hastening home he fingered his violin and wrote the music so he and Father Mohr could harmonize.
Come midnight Mass, the arriving parishioners and lumber jacks, trudging through the snow, were disappointed when they heard there was no organ. No music! Sterner than usual the pastor began the Mass and delivered his Christmas sermon.
Then to everyone's surprise at the front of Church, appeared six children in colourful dress and bright red bows, flanked by Father Mohr and Franz Gruber playing his violin.
There in that little church in the mountains was heard the world premier of "Silent Night." The surprised parishioners didn't know what to think. But one glance at the angry pastor told them. After Church the departing faithful quickly bid Christmas wishes and "Good Night". No one mentioned the song. One polite lady said the children's clothes were pretty. That was all.
Perhaps the performance of Silent Night was the last straw, causing the pastor to complain to the Bishop. Whatever! By the time the snow had gone and Spring had come, and the organ repair man arrived with horse and cart, Father Mohr had long vanished like a log round the bend of the river.
Up in the choir loft, the organ man found the scrap of paper on which was written "Silent Night". He carried it out of the mountains to the world, to its cathedrals, music halls and palaces. Authorship was attributed to famous composers like Bach and Beethoven. Only later did the world learn of the humble authors.
Now all the names of other Austrian Priests and organists of the time have vanished. But the names of Father Joseph Mohr and organist Franz Gruber live on in a museum built in their honour and in the beautiful Christmas song, sung in 200 languages every Christmas around the world - "Silent Night"
In their Austrian homeland, in the 1800 on Christmas Eve, when lumberjacks were gathering and `Stille Nachte' rang out through the Alpine mountains, here in Canada through forested, snow covered hills, across frozen lakes, lumberjacks also strode to church, summoned by the bells, organs and the beautiful Christmas carol, "Silent Night".
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.
My grandma always sang it in German on Christmas Eve. She was an NYC public schoolteacher for 50 years, and went to work every day because her job was to manufacture Americans.
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.
For the tenth straight year, by popular request, I am NOT singing in the choir.
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)
*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.
Agreed.
With the possible exception of being in Carolina in the morning. < ducking >
LOL! I thought that as soon as it posted, but just couldn't post it with a straight face!
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