Austria Commemorates 200th
Anniversary of Silent Night
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| Church stand on the site of St Nikolaus church where "Silent Night" was played for the first time on 24 December 1818.- AFP |
Austria is commemorating the 200th anniversary of the famous
Christmas carol "Silent Night". The peaceful song about the birth of
Jesus that became a crucial part of Christmas celebrations, was sung publicly
for the first time in December 1818 in an Austrian town.
By Stefan J. Bos
Austria is commemorating the 200th
anniversary of the famous Christmas carol that
survived and sometimes interrupted wars or other conflicts. Silent
Night, the peaceful song about the birth of Jesus that became a crucial
part of Christmas celebrations, was sung publicly for the first time
in December 1818 in an Austrian town. A series of exhibitions
underscore that first Christmas concert.
Silent Night background
Exactly 200 years after it was first performed, people
gather to sing "Stille Nacht," known in English as "Silent
Night."
It's the Christmas carol that briefly silenced
guns and reverberated through the tranches of World War One and other
battles.
The lyrics of "Silent Night," were written by
priest Joseph Mohr in Mariapfarr, in the volatile Austrian state of Salzburg.
Two years later, Mohr was transferred to another parish,
Oberndorf. There he asked the local school teacher and organist Franz Xaver
Gruber to compose music for his poem.
Silent Night museum
Florian Knopp is director of Austria's Stille Nacht, or
Silent Night, Museum. "The guitar you see behind me is actually the
original guitar on which Silent Night, Holy Night, was played for the first time
by Joseph Mohr on December 24, 1818, and sang together with Franz
Xaver Gruber, the composer of the melody," he told a visiting reporter.
"One prevalent legend is that mice destroyed the organ just a few days
before Christmas Eve and that they had to find another
instrument," he added.
Silent Night translations
Historians believe it was composed for the guitar as
that instrument was more widely available. Since then, the Silent Night lyrics
have been translated it nearly 300 languages and dialects.
Silent Night artists
It also became an essential part of the repertoire of
American artists, recalls multi-Grammy Award-winning producer David
Foster.
"The list is endless of Christmas albums that
I have done. Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Andrea Bocelli, Rod Stewart, Mary J.
Blige, Dolly Parton, Celine. Silent Night is a song that permeates all of our
our lives. Every generation and every person no matter what their music
taste," Foster noted.
Silent Night lives on
The Austrian UNESCO Commission has listed "Silent
Night" as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of this Alpine nation.
That doesn't surprise the Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Siedah
Garrett. "It is an amazing piece of music that really stood the test
of time," she said.
Silent Night has played an essential role in exhibitions and
politics. But everyone asked seems to agree that it also comforted people in
times of hardships and wars with timeless lyrics that include the words 'Silent
night, holy night! Son of God, love's pure light.
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