Holy Night

It would hardly be possible to celebrate Christmas without carols. But some songs are special to our holiday tradition. John Denver and the Muppets is such a one in our home. Especially Silent Night. While the muppets sing the song in its original German John Denver tells the story I love listening to over and over.

"On December 24, 1818, the curate of a parish in Oberndorf, Austira, Joseph Mohr gave a poem he had written to a friend of his, Franz Gruber, who was also the choir master and organist of that church. He asked Mr. Gruber if he might write music for his poem and that he might write it for two solo voices and guitar music because the organ being broken, he desperately wanted music to be a part of their Christmas Eve service. Mr. Gruber wrote the melody to the song that would become the most beloved of all Christmas carols, 'Stille Nacht,' in English-- Silent Night. 'Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh.' Sleep in heavenly peace."

The other thing I love about this song is that it translates so well. Obviously words don't rythme the same in other languages, but Silent Night rhymes in German, English, and Spanish as far as I know, and I believe it rhymes in many of the other 300 languages its been translated to as well. It seems to me that Joseph Mohr had some divine help writing this song.