Silent Night

In the winter of 1818 at St. Nicholas' Church in Obendorf, a village not far from Salzburg, Joseph Mohr, assistant to the priest, was faced with something of a dilemma. It was only days before Christmas, and the church organ, so vital in providing music for the services, was broken. Since the repairman was not a village local, it would be months before the organ could be put back into working condition...by which time, Christmas would be long past. Mohr's solution to this problem resulted in one of the most popular Christmas carols of all time.

Two years previous, Mohr had written a simple poem, easily understood by the people of the village, which expressed the wonder of the birth of the Christ Child. Mohr had asked his friend, Franz Gruber, the organist at St. Nicholas' Church, to compose music for his poem, so that they might sing it together using the accompaniment of a guitar.

Thus, the newly-composed carol "Silent Night..." was first performed during the Christmas Eve midnight service held at St. Nicholas' Church on December 24, 1818. It did not, however, instantly receive the worldwide recognition that it has since garnered. It was not until some years later, in 1825 when Carl Mauracher was rebuilding the broken organ, that a handwritten copy of the words and accompanying sheet music was discovered in the organ loft.

Mauracher was from an area in the Tyrol Mountains where there were many traveling folk choirs who performed throughout Europe. He returned with the carol to his home and it soon became a favored song with the traveling singers. Thus, did the popularity of "Silent Night, Holy Night" spread as these choirs journeyed the countryside, singing their songs.

There are no church or diocesan records to back up this claim. Also, there is a silly tale of mice eating the organ bellows (easily repaired). However, this is a nice song.

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