The Broken Distraught Christmas Eve
It was Christmas Eve in the Austrian Alps. At the newly constructed Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, a Tyroll village near Salzburg, Father Joseph Mohr prepared for the midnight service.
He was distraught because the church organ was broken, ruining prospects for that evening’s carefully planned music.
But Father Joseph was about to learn that our problems are God’s opportunities, that the Lordcausese all things to work together for good to those who love Him. It came into Father Joseph’s mind to write a new song, one that could be sung organ less. Hastily, he wrote the words, “Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright….” Taking the text to his organist, Franz Gruber, he explained the situation and asked Franz to compose a simple tune.
That night, December 24, 1818, “Silent Night” was sung for the first time as a duet accompanied by a guitar at the aptly named Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf.
Shortly afterward, as Karl Mauracher came to repair the organ, he heard about the near-disaster on Christmas Eve. Acquiring a copy of the text and tune, he spread it throughout the Alpine region of Austria, referring to it as “Tiroler Volkslied.” skin gloves. To drum up business at various fairs and festivals, the four Strasser children would sing in front of their parent’s booth. Like the Von Trapp children a century later, they became popular folk singers throughout the Alps.
When the children – Caroline, Joseph, Andreas, and Amalie – began singing “Trioler Folkslied” at their performances, audiences were charmed. It seemed perfect for the snow-clad region, and perfect for the Christian heart.
“Silent Night” even came to the attention of the king and queen, and the Strasser children were asked to give a royal performance, assuring the carol’s fame.
“Silent Night” was first published for congregational singing in 1838 in the German hymnbook. It was used in America by German-speaking congregations, then appeared in its current English form in a book of Sunday school songs in 1863.
Were it not for a broken organ, there would never have been a “Silent Night.”
Silent night, holy night
All is calm, all is bright
‘Round yon virgin Mother and Child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace