The Origin of “Silent Night”

Christmas Eve 1818, marked the debut of the beloved Christmas carol, Silent Night. Father Josef Mohr composed the words in 1816 but waited until 1818 to present them to headmaster, Franz Gruber, and asked him to compose a melody for guitar and voice. Some historians believe it was a desperate measure to have music in church despite the damaged organ due to recent flooding. Other historians believe the organ was functional, but the clergy simply…