Select the song image below for a printable PDF of Silent Night, or the Silent Night sheet music with lyrics. For more information about the carol, visit this site about the history of Silent Night. Regardless of the circumstances of its composition, Silent Night became one of the most beloved Christmas carols in the world. Supposedly, he gave it to a vocal group which helped spread the melody through Austria. Legend also tells us that the organ tuner who came to repair the instrument was impressed with Silent Night and took a copy of it with him after fixing the church’s instrument. The image of the starry sky, the little church, and the lone guitar is one of enduring humility and quiet beauty.Gruber composed the beautiful melody to Silent Night, which was immediately well received. And why Joseph Mohr selected a guitar accompaniment for his hymn is not known, but the choice was fortunate. Gruber's simple but beautiful music blended perfectly with the spirit of Mohr's words. As they sang, they couldn't have guessed that Silent Night would be remembered not only the next Christmas in their small village, but almost two hundred years later, around the world. Just after midnight, Mohr and Gruber stood in front of the main altar and introduced their song. The priest approved, and after learning the guitar chords, whisked the music off to the choir members, who were waiting for their rehearsal. There, in the candlelit sanctuary, Gruber shared his new music with Mohr. Showing him the poem, he asked Franz to write a melody with guitar accompaniment for his words-music simple enough that could be learned by the choir that night.Ī few hours later, the two friends met at St. The distressed priest explained his dilemma. Nicholas, and was also a talented composer. He hurried through the snow-covered streets to Franz Gruber's drafty apartment over the town schoolhouse. The poem was perfect for the Christmas Eve midnight mass, now just hours away. Digging Stille Nacht! heilige Nacht! from his desk, Mohr reread the words. He was suddenly reminded of a Christmas poem he had written two years earlier. Realizing nothing could be done, he prayed for inspiration. A frantic Mohr struggled with the old instrument, but in spite of his efforts, the organ remained silent. ![]() But as he cleaned and readied the sanctuary, he encountered a serious problem: St. Everything from music to message was in place. Twenty-six-year-old village priest Joseph Mohr was making last-minute preparations for a special Christmas Eve mass at St. It was December of 1818, during a particularly cold winter in the Austrian Alps. Though scholars find no solid evidence for some details of the narrative, it is a fascinating account. ![]() The story of the creation of the Christmas song Silent Night has been passed down from generation to generation. I have also included an MP3 of me playing it that you may download. I usually try to make these Christmas songs easy to play (but still sound full and interesting) so they can be learned by Christmas. This Christmas music for classical guitar may be reprinted, but please be considerate and give credit to Douglas Niedt. (Music by Franz Gruber, Words by Joseph Mohr)Ĭopyright Douglas Niedt, All Rights Reserved.
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