Another Christmas carol that I adore is from the Austrian Alps, "Silent Night." This carol was born out of misfortune. It seems the new church of St. Nicholas in the Austrian Alps was suddenly without a working organ on the night of the 1818 Christmas Eve music program. The church priest, Joseph Mohr, quickly wrote the song to be sung without an organ. The song was sung that Christmas Eve as a duet, and later its fame spread throughout the Austrian Alps. It was even sung before the King and Queen!
The carol relays the story of Christ's birth including the shepherds' meeting with the angel, the "glories" streaming from heaven, and the "wondrous star" as a leading light. It ends by proclaiming Jesus' birth as the "dawn of redeeming grace." What a wonderful thought that our own redemption today began on that "silent night" over 2,000 years ago.
The information about these hymns comes from a book I am reviewing called, "Then Sings My Soul," by Robert J. Morgan. It contains 150 stories about favorite Christmas, Easter, and other Christian hymns that have been sung for hundreds of years. I will be adding more reviews of favorite hymns in the future so please check back.
