143 Silent Night, Holy Night

The original lyrics for the song in German, "Stille Nacht", were written by Joseph Mohr and the melody was composed by Franz X. Gruber. It is said that there exist over 300 translations of the song in the world.

In the year 1818, the carol "Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht" was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr's guitar.

On that Christmas Eve, a song was born that would wing its way into the hearts of people throughout the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is sung by untold millions every December from small chapels in the Andes to great cathedrals in Antwerp and Rome. More history...

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, all is light;
Shepherds hear the angels sing,
"Alleluia! hail the King!
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.

Silent night, holy night,
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born.

12/25/04

Stille Nacht

[as recorded at SF Central on 12/25/04]

The MIDI file below is an arrangement of Silent Night from Joseph Mohr's manuscript (ca. 1820) in the Carolino Augusteum Museum. It is based on the melody and guitar chords he wrote down which is the earliest known version of the song. By Bill Egan. More versions...

MIDI [ Click > to play ]

Grace Notes was a joint production of the late Minister of Music, Steve Gungl, and former Pastor John Duge. It relies heavily on The Companion to the Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal and The SDA Digital Hymnal.

[ SDA HYMNAL ]

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