| Show FI it I 1 taws tW WS asp ALL the christmas carols the vy christian world will sing the best known and undoubtedly the best loved Is that one which we know in english as silent night holy night it Is hy by no means the oldest of the christmas carols for it was written only years ii ago go by F franz ranz gruber organist in the austrian village of 0 oberndorf ern dorf with josef mohr pastor of tho the parish church contributing the words begin in their original german stille hellige 11 for many bears the song was known throughout europe simply as a folk song from the Ziler tal a district in austria this was partly because an or organ an builder from the zillertal Ziller tal 11 biad ad come to repair the oberndorf church organ on that christmas eve in 1818 1813 when nhen grubor gruber lind and flohr were ing their new song rack among mi big native mountains the organ builder I 1 sang sana the enrol card which the strasser slaters sisters also natives of the zillertal Ziller tal and widely doted singers of ef folk songs promptly added to their concert programs not until 1854 was nas any inquiry madi made into the origin of the christmas song gong which was popularly attributed to michael Ilc bael haydn in that bear ear court musicians at berlin sent to st peters in salzburg to ask asic if a manuscript of tile the song might be there by chance the youngest son of franz gruber wil WM a choir boy in st peters lie 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 drain up hy by the composer the teutonic race rac has given to the observance of the great christian festival as we know it the tree also celebrated in a german christmas song son 0 tannenbaum the legend of kris karfs kringle and many other charming sentiments ti but none embodies tile the christmas story so utterly and with such sweet tenderness lender nesa as the simple words and melody of silent night holy night i detroit free press |
