Silent Night is undoubtedly one of the most known and loved
Christmas carols ever written. Translated in numerous languages and arranged
for different vocal and instrumental combinations, the hymn has been sung and
played around the world for many decades.
The composer was Franz Gruber of Austria, and he wrote the
hymn a few days before Christmas, in the year 1818. Tradition reports that the
pipe organ at the church was broken, and a day or two before Christmas Eve, the
composer quickly re-wrote the arrangement for guitar and voices.
The hymn later received a lot of attention due to an episode involving soldiers from opposing armies, during World War I. The year was 1914, on the battlefield of Flanders.
It is said that American soldiers and German soldiers were
engaged in battle on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, in the middle of the fierce
battle, a German soldier stood up, white flag on his rifle, and started
singing: “Stille nacht, heilige nacht…” After a short while, others join in
from both sides, and soon the entire battle scene was transformed into a place
of worship where soldiers on both sides continued to sing this carol, each in
their own language.
The story continues by saying that all soldiers laid down
their arms and had a Christmas celebration that evening, and the following day
on Christmas, where songs were sung, food was shared, and soccer games were
played. The third day, they returned to battle…
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