Drew Roth - Silent Night - Interview

281 views • Sep 30, 2024

Description

Drew shares with us about "taking a classic text and song and giving it new life". Also, learn the back story to this popular Christmas song.

The Historic Faith · Hymn Companion

Drew Roth

Words by Joseph Mohr; English translation by John Freeman YoungMusic by Franz Xaver GruberWritten 1818Tune STILLE NACHT

Silent night! holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night! holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight,
glories stream from heaven afar,
heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born!

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.

Story Behind the Song

"Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!" began as a German Christmas text written by Austrian priest Joseph Mohr in 1816. On Christmas Eve 1818 in Oberndorf, Austria, Mohr asked schoolmaster and organist Franz Xaver Gruber to compose a melody, and the carol was first sung that night with guitar accompaniment. The familiar English version is largely the 1859 translation by Episcopal bishop John Freeman Young.

Scripture

Found In

Hymns Ancient and Modern, The English Hymnal, The Hymnal 1982, Lutheran Service Book, Trinity Hymnal