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The Origins of Silent NightThe Story of How and Why the Popular Hymn was Written
Some consider the traditional account of the origins of Silent Night to be a legend while others believe it to be true. The story of the well-known carol is fascinating.
Joseph Mohr wrote the words for the hymn Silent Night in 1816. Mohr was a village priest in the Austrian village of Oberndorf. Mohr’s friend, musician Franz Gruber, composed a guitar accompaniment for the lyrics. The hymn was first sung on Christmas Eve in 1818. The hymn spread through the efforts of traveling folks singers and was commonly known as the Tyrolean Folk Song. For many years, the origins of the song and the writer of its lyrics were unknown. In 1994, an original manuscript written by Mohr with credit to Gruber was discovered. The Popular LegendSilent Night was written on a night when the plans for music were disrupted by a broken organ in the new church. Father Joseph Mohr was prepared for the midnight service at the Church of St Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. The midnight service had been planned with carefully selected music as part of the celebration. Mohr was troubled because they would not be able to sing in celebration of Christ’s birth. Then it occurred to him that he could write something that did not require an organ to accompany it. On that night, December 24, 1818, a humble hymn was written to be accompanied by the equally humble instrument, the guitar. However, the humble song sung on that fateful night was not to be silenced by the repair of the organ. Karl Mauracher came to Oberndorf to repair the organ. When he heard the story, he requested a copy of the song. He carried the song with him throughout Austria and told the story of the ‘Tiroler Volkslied.’ The song’s success was assured when the Strasser children began singing it. The Strasser children would stand in front of their parents’ business booth and sing in order to attract customers. Soon Silent Night became one of their most popular performances. As a result, the ‘Tiroler Volkslied’ became very popular and even attracted the attention of the king and queen who requested a performance. Formal PublicationSilent Night was elevated above the ranks of folk tune, in 1838, when it was published in a German hymnbook to be used for congregational singing. Soon, German-speaking congregations in the United States began to use hymnal. In 1863, it was translated into English and included in a collection of Sunday school songs. SourcesReynolds, Virginia. The Spirit of Christmas: A History of Best-Loved Carols. Peter Pauper Press, Inc. 2000. Morgan, Robert J. Then Sings My Soul: 150 of the World’s Greatest Hymn Stories. Thomas Nelson Publishers. 2003.
The copyright of the article The Origins of Silent Night in Protestantism is owned by Melissa Howard. Permission to republish The Origins of Silent Night in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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