Silent Night may be in the top three of my favorite Christmas carols. The song was written by Father Joseph Mohr in 1816 but not performed until 1818, when Father Mohr took the words to the headmaster of the school he resided at in Oberndorf, Austria. The headmaster, Franz Gruber, composed a simple guitar melody on Christmas Eve 1818. Gruber used his surroundings when composing the melody, drawing from various folk music a yodelling. The original manuscript has been lost, but this manuscript, in Father Mohr's handwriting, has survived for almost 200 years. Here's an interesting link with more details about the song's history and several myths associated with it. (Click here)
This song holds a special place in my heart. My great-grandmother immigrated from Germany, and my grandmother has always remembered her singing Silent Night in German on Christmas Eve. A few years ago, I sang it to her in all its German glory for her Christmas present. I'm hoping to revive that again this year with the help of my two cousins. Anyway, here's Josh Groban's version from his amazing new album Noel (to bad I'm not getting paid for this!).
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