O HOLY NIGHT
1) O Holy night!
The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
‘Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees; O hear the angel voices.
O night divine. O night when Christ was born.
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
2) Led by the light of faith serenely beaming.
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend.
3) Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace.
And in His name, all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we.
Let all within us praise His Holy Name.
Christ is the Lord;
O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim!!!
The story behind
“O Holy Night”
In 1847 in a small French town, a man named Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was known for his talent at writing poetry. Roquemaure began thinking about the birth of Jesus. With that inspiration, he wrote “Cantique de Noel.” He was so pleased with how the poem came out that he decided it needed to be a song.
Since he was a poet but not a musician, he turned to a friend, Adolphe Charles Adam, to see if he would set his poem to music.
Adolphe Adam was a famous classical musician who had composed many works all around the world. He agreed to come up with music for his friend’s poem. The interesting thing was that Adolphe Adam was a Jewish man who didn’t celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Even so, Adam did compose music to go with the beautiful words and the song was performed only a few weeks later on Christmas Eve.
“Cantique de Noel” became popular in France and was sung in many Christmas services.
A decade later, an American writer, John Sullivan Dwight, saw something in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ.
An abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: “Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease.”
This verse mirrored Dwight’s view of slavery in the South.
He published his English translation of “O Holy Night” in his magazine, and the song quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.
The story of the song continued. Years later on Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden–a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison–did something long thought impossible.
Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man’s voice was broadcast over the airwaves: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed,” he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would.
Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers were amazed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading the Christmas story.
To those who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle to hear a voice somehow transmitted to those far away.
Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn’t have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle.
After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played “O Holy Night,” the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves.
Since “O Holy Night” was first sung at a small Christmas celebration in 1847, the song has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the most recorded and played Christmas/ spiritual songs.
This incredible work, written by a poet and given beautiful music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the awfulness of slavery as tell the story of the birth of the Savior has become one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever created.
The Lord can work in amazing ways to see His Word proclaimed!
-Debra
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