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Christmas
Songs
by Brittany Brinkman
The classic Christmas carols
that all Americans love come from all around the world. Each amazing
hymn was composed to honor God in different ways. Presented here are
some of the most popular Christmas songs in America and throughout
the world.
Silent Night:
This popular Christmas carol was formerly known as Stille Nacht, written
in German by Josef Mohr. The hymn was first performed in 1818 on Christmas
day. Mohr had an Austrian headmaster, Franz X. Gruber compose a guitar
accompaniment on Christmas Eve. The reason for the need of a guitar
is unknown, but legend has it that the organ at the church was not
working because mice had eaten out the bellows. Silent Night is known
as the most popular carol of all time and has been translated into
over 300 languages around the world.
Away In a Manger:
This hymn was originally issued in a Lutheran schoolbook in 1885.
A couple years later, James Murray published the song as “Luther’s
Cradle Hymn.”This name caused the misconception that the “Away in
a Manger” had been written by Martin Luther. The real author is unknown,
some believe Murray wrote the lyrics, but others say that he simply
harmonized an old German folk song.
O Come All Ye Faithful:
John Francis Wade, a music teacher, wrote this Christmas carol in
approximately 1743. During the Jacobite rebellion, Wade fled to an
English college, which was a refuge for Catholics. This is where Wade
wrote “O Come All Ye Faithful.”
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Charles Wesley, a leader in the Methodist movement, wrote the first
version of this carol. It first became popular when the carol was
published in the book, Hymns and Sacred Poems in 1739. In 1840 Felix
Mendelssohn composed the version known today, as a part of the cantata
“Festival Songs” commemorating printer Johann Gutenberg and celebrating
the invention of his printing press. This song has now been updated
into more modern melodies such as on Mariah Carey’s Christmas album.
These carols have a lot of meaning and history behind them. The next
time these songs are sung, just remember that they were written to
glorify Jesus Christ.
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