By Tom Thomas.
“O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here come the wise men from Orient land.
The King of Kings lay thus in lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friend.
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King, Before Him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.”
Hearing the haunting lyrics of this song at the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass causes one to almost weep and fall on their knees. So evocative and moving are the words capturing the essence of the most Holiest of nights.
This hymn has an interesting history of its origins and unusual claim to fame.
His hymn was written in 1847 by Placide Cappeu, an atheist poet who was asked by a Catholic Priest to write a Christmas poem. Placide read the account of the Nativity in the Gospel of Luke and imagined him there in the scene, putting down the words that came to him. Cappeu then asked his friend, the well-known Jewish composer Adolphe Adams, to set these words to music. Thus, it came to pass that two men who did not believe in Jesus, collaborated to produce one of the greatest Christmas songs ever, ‘Cantique de Noel’, performed at Midnight Mass, Christmas 1847. It was translated into English by an American minister, John Sullivan Dwight, in 1855.
This song gained popularity over time as a symbol of hope and peace.
Part of the legends about this song are that on a bitterly cold Christmas Eve, 1870, at the height of intense battles between the French and Germans at the Franco-Prussian war, a French Soldier jumped out, and facing enemy fire, to everyone’s surprise started singing “O Holy Night.” A German soldier joined in and there was no fighting the next day. During the American Civil War, this song also brought hope and peace.
The impact of this song, which gained more and more popularity over the years, was such that it also became part of history. On December 24, 1906, Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian scientist, engineer and collaborator of Thomas Edison, and considered the father of modern radio, transmitted the first human voice over radio from Massachusetts to ships in the Atlantic at 9pm.
Before the broadcast, the ships received a message in Morse Code, “Be prepared for something of great interest to follow.”
The first ever broadcast of a human voice on radio was a reading from the Gospel of Luke, followed by the playing of ‘O Holy Night’ on the violin.
“Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good news of great joy, that will be for all people.” Luke 2:10
One can imagine the Captains and crew of these ships streaming through the cold Atlantic waters, far away from home, hearth and family being warmed by these timeless words and wonderful hymn. History was made. The communication revolution starts with this record transmission of human voice over radio, and we have the world as we know it today communicating to those thousands of kilometres away, instantaneously.
What a remarkable journey – the birth and genesis of this hymn. To think that two men who did not know Him created one of the greatest hymns glorifying the holiest of nights.
Truly nothing is impossible for Him.
I think of all these as the particular words from the hymn come to mind, as I prepare to attend the Christmas Eve Mass:
“Fall on your knees, O hear the Angel Voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!”
Wishing you all a Blessed Christmas on this Holy Night!