Silent Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) was performed for the 1st time
On December 24, 1818, Father Joseph Mohr’s Silent Night (Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht) was performed for the first time.
Mohr’s simple poem was put to music by organist Franz Xaver Gruber and has been sung in 300 + languages.
J. Mohr (1792-1848) poet & F.X. Gruber (1787-1863) composer
Released in 1948 by Austria’s post office
Designed by Wilhelm Dachauer
Engraved by Ferdinand Lorber
Christmas Tree with Lyrics of Carol Silent Night
Released in 2024 by Austria’s post office
Designed by Anita Kern
Early copy of Silent Night, signed by Joseph Mohr. Image courtesy the Salzburg Museum in Austria
The creation and first performance of the world-famous Christmas carol are surrounded by legends and often romanticized: mice – so it is said – had eaten the organ bellows of the parish church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, whereupon the organist Franz Xaver Gruber and the assistant priest Joseph Mohr spontaneously wrote a song for the upcoming Christmas night, which they also performed themselves at the midnight mass on December 24, 1818.There is only one piece of evidence for the date of this first performance, namely Gruber’s own handwritten report from 1854, in which he does not mention a defective organ.
Organ accompaniment would actually have been appropriate for this song, but the piece of music is written for two solo voices with guitar accompaniment. Mohr wrote the text for “Silent Night” in 1816 during his time as an assistant priest in Mariapfarr and in 1818 gave Gruber a poem that was already two years old, which he was to set to music. The combination of setting a German text to music and the accompaniment of a guitar with a catchy melody resulted in a work that was entirely in keeping with the pastoral letter of 1782 and was intended to edify and awaken religious feelings.
It is conceivable that the song was not performed as part of the liturgical ceremony, but rather after the mass directly in front of the Oberndorf nativity scene. This could explain the use of the guitar, a popular instrument that is more akin to pub music. A joint performance by the assistant priest and the organist during the mass would also have been difficult due to the distance between the altar and the organ.
Das Stille Nacht Museum Hallein_2015-077