By Susan Wordal
It’s the Christmas season. Decorations are going up around town and in our homes. Some are subtle and consist of quiet memories. Some get downright flamboyant in an effort to be noticed. Movies have illuminated the joyous and sometimes competitive spirit of decorating for Christmas.
But the music of Christmas is what draws me every year. Growing up, Dad had to leave around 10 pm for choir rehearsal before the final service of the night, which began at 11 pm and ended with singing in the old Central Christian Church which 1st Congregational Church shared at that time. And what, might you ask, was the final song? Usually it was “Silent Night,” complete with candles being lit in the pews as people sang and the lights were turned down/off. And there were tables in the front loaded with candles. When I was old enough to go, but not old enough yet to sing in the choir, my job was to watch the candles and make sure they were blown out before they caused any problems. The hush that fell over the sanctuary as people sang this old hymn and then quietly blew out their candles and exited for home was something I cherished. I miss that midnight service.
But the song has its traditions also. Written in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars and performed for the first time in 1818 with a guitar because the organ in the church was feared to have been damaged by flooding, it has become a beloved hymn. Its history seems to have taken on various versions depending on who is telling the story. Recently, I stumbled across an old rendition on a tv show, featuring two actors known for their parts in Hogan’s Heros. Werner Klemperer and John Banner sang this song in the old words. It was enough to give you chills. In 1995, an original manuscript was discovered which revealed that a young Catholic Priest, Father Joseph Mohr, wrote the words and Franz Xaver Gruber, a schoolmaster and organist, wrote the original melody for Nikolauskirche, the parish church of Obendorf in Austria. While Gruber had been credited with the tune, people had forgotten about Mohr until the manuscript was found. And even Gruber was not always credited with the music, but had his work attributed to various more well-known composers. As you might imagine, the words and even the melody have seen some “tweaking” over the years. But for the most part, it is relatively close to the original version. It’s been translated into some 300 languages.
This song has been credited with being sung during both WWI and WWII by soldiers on the battlefields. It’s sung on tv and in movies. And its one of the pieces to be played, with choir, at the Bells of the Bridger’s Concert at Pilgrim this season.
May your Christmas season be decorated as you prefer. Graced with family or that favorite movie (and yes, “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie!), and full of your favorite holiday foods and beverages. And may our wish for mankind this holiday season remain that timeless prayer from the song:
Sleep in heavenly peace.