Silent Night song: lyrics

lyrics, text & notation of Silent Night, the most famous Christmas Carol Stille Nacht of Oberndorf near Salzburg.

Music & webcam. Christmas Carol of Mohr & Gruber from Oberndorf bei Salzburg. Stille Nacht in english. Origin, Museum and translation & Links.

Here you can find everything about Silent Night / Stille Nacht. In many
pages you learn more about the Christmas song Silent Night, the lyrics / text and the music. This Xmas Carol of Oberndorf near Salzburg - Austria - had been performed in 1818 for the first time. The Webcam transfers pictures from the Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf near Salzburg / Austria. In opposite of the Chapel you can visit the museum an the special Silent Night Post Office, where you get a special stamp during Christmas. You can also download a mp3 audio & video stream of the servie on the 24th of december. Listen to the story of the origin, to the original guitar, to the composer Franz Xaver Gruber an the song-writer Joseph Mohr (Josef) or visit Arnsdorf, Hallein, Hochburg, Mariapfarr, Hintersee, Hof or the Steingasse in Salzburg. Also find a map of Oberndorf and the way, how yout get to the Tourist Information Center Oberndorf. Visit also the imprint about the author and the cooperation. Read also the press about this famous song.

The extend, to which the Christmas carol "Silent Night! Holy Night" has been explored scientifically and the numerous museums and memorial sites connected with this carol are unique in music history. Scientists believe, that the lyrics of the song (6 verses) had already been written by Joseph Mohr in 1816 as a poem. Joseph Mohr lived in Mariapfarr then. The language has been characterized as "highly artistic" rather then "folkloristic" and the music by Franz Xaver Gruber follows roots of sizilian music (Pastorals) rather then the alpine folklore.

Today we know about eight handwritten originals from the creators of Silent Night, eventhough not all of them still exist. The very first original of December 24th 1818 in D-major (8/8) for two solo voices, a choir and guitar has not been found yet. The existing autographs are kept in the "Stille Nacht Archiv in Hallein and in Salzburg's Museum Carolinum Augusteum.

"It was December 24th 1818, when Joseph Mohr of the newly established parish of St. Nicola in Oberndorf (he was the assisting priest then) came up to the organist Franz Xaver Gruber (who was also the teacher of Arnsdorf, a village close by) with a poem. Joseph Mohr asked, if Gruber could compose a song for two solo voices and choir accompanied by a guitar". With these words Gruber (composer) described the beginning of today's worldfamous Christmas song Silent Night.

Christian missionaries spread the carol at the turn of the century to all continents. Today, over 300 translations into different languages and dialects are known.