Silent Night

Silent Night originated in Austria in 1818. It was written as a poem, “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!”, by Joseph Mohr, a young priest in the town of Oberndorf.

The melody was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber, a schoolteacher and organist in the nearby village of Arnsdorf. The song was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818 at St. Nicholas Parish Church in Oberndorf, with Mohr playing guitar and Gruber singing.

It is believed that the organ at the church was unusable at the time, possibly due to damage from flooding, which is why…