Show ff F ALL the christmas christinas carols the 0 P christian world will sing the best known and undoubtedly the best loved la Is that one which we know in english as silent night holy night it Is by no do means the oldest of tho the christmas carols for it was written only years ago by franz gruber organist in the austrian village of ob with josef mohr pastor of the tha parish church contributing the words which begin in their original german stille hellige for many years the song was known throughout europe simply as a folic song from the Ziler tal a district in austria this was partly because an organ builder from the ZIller zillertal tal had come to repair the oberndorf Obern dort church organ on that christmas eve in 1818 when gruber and mohr were rehearsing their new song bock back among hla his native mountains the organ builder sang the carol which the strasser sisters also natives of the Ziller zillertal tal and widely noted singers of folk songs promptly added to their concert programs not until 1854 was any inquiry made into the origin of the christmas song which was popularly attributed to michael haydn in that year court musicians at berlin sent to st reters peters in salzburg to ask if a manuscript of 0 the song might be there by chance the youngest son of franz gruber was a choir boy in st peters he told the story of the songs composition the request from berlin was forwarded to the senior gruber and a statement authentic occasion for the writing of the christmas song silent night holy night was drawn up by the composer the teutonic race has given to the observance of the great christian festival as we know it the tree also celebrated in a german christmas song 0 tannenbaum Tannon baum the legend of kris kringle and many other charming sentiments ti but none done embodies I 1 tho it a christmas christinas story so BO utterly and with such sweet tenderness its as the simple words and melody of silent night holy night i detroit free press |