The Loop

O Holy Night made its debut in 1847, written by a French poet named Placide Cappeau, with music written by his friend, Adolphe Adam. The song premiered at Midnight Mass in a little church he frequented in France. Due to rumors and political unrest, the song was eventually banned in Catholic church services, but it remained popular in French society and is now the most popular carol in France. One of the most popular English renditions was translated by John Sullivan Dwight in 1855. In the process, Mr. Dwight took some liberties with the translation, so our English song is a bit different than the French song. From World War II until at least 1956, this beautiful song was banned from many churches due to the lyrics referencing slavery and oppression. Even so, it continues to remain popular in society. There is a rumor that in 1879 a French soldier sang O Holy Night during trench warfare when combat temporarily ceased on Christmas eve and in 2004 a Catholic priest sang this song to a dying American Marine soldier in Iraq.  According to Wikipedia, O Holy Night was the first song to be played over a radio broadcast in 1906*.

Today O Holy Night is on the Christmas albums of multiple major music artists and is sung in most churches. In France and Canada, it is a common tradition to have a solo performance at Midnight Mass. It is a beautiful rendition of how God so loved the world he gave us his only son. The music is difficult to sing with high, sustained notes but is beautifully written and when sung well it raises goosebumps on my arms and makes me want to fall on my knees as I hear the angel voices!

“O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared, and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother,
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!”

We often omit a second verse that talks about Jesus being our friend and how we are to bow before him, but, in my opinion, the story of Jesus is well told with just the first and third verses and the choruses. This song is a testament to the power of the Gospel and the desire of our world to hear how God sent Jesus to teach us who he is and how he wants us to live. Just as in Christ’s life, the religious authorities have attempted to stop the telling of this particular story for political reasons or because the style didn’t fit, yet the song has continued through the centuries despite their efforts. One of the most exciting things about the Christmas season is that people may be more open to hearing the gospel story and may be willing to ask questions about who this Jesus is that we love so much. Because the gospel is alive and moving among us these people have another opportunity to have these beautiful words finally open up in their hearts leading them to Jesus. “Christ is the Lord! O praise his name forever! His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!”

*All historical information was found on Wikipedia

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