Drum Roll.....diggity, diggity, diggity, diggity, diggity, diggity, diggity crash! My number one FAVORITE Christmas song is not other than O Holy Night. Once again, if I have to choose an artist, I would go with Nat King Cole, just because he seems to do the song right.
The song started out as a poem by Pacide Cappeau de Roqueamure. He was asked by the local parish priest to write a poem to be shared on Christmas Eve mass. He did so, using the Gospel of Luke as his guide and, though not being a musician, he knew his poem was more than just that. So he enlisted a friend. A Jewish friend at that, Adolphe Adams. While being a challenge to set to music as he neither celebrated Christmas nor believed in Jesus' divine nature, he wrote a beautiful score to go with Pacide's poem. In all, three weeks after the request from the church, the song was complete.
The song was a success...until Placide Cappeau joined the Socialist movement and the church leaders found out the music was done by a Jewish man. Though it was one of the most popular Christmas songs in France, it was denounced by the church. The church tried to bury the song, but the French people kept it alive.
A decade later John Dwight, an American, thought he must include the song in his publications. Part of the lyrics to this song even supported Dwight's abolitionist beliefs.
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
Fast forward a bit to Christmas Eve in 1906. Reginald Fessenden, a professor and chief chemist for Thomas Edison, using a type of generator, spoke into a microphone and for the first time in history, broadcasted a man's voice over the airwaves. He read from the Gospel of Luke. After finishing his recitation of Luke, he picked up his violin and played "O Holy Night" the first song ever broadcasted via radio waves.
I can't for say what it is about this song that I love, but it definitely transports my imagination to the very night of the very first Christmas. It wasn't much of a joint celebration. In fact it was anything but a celebration here on earth, but the significance of that night was huge.
I also enjoy the song from a pure music standpoint. It's a challenge to sing or play due to it's range. The haunting of a cold, clear winter's night, knowing that nothing will be the same again moves me.
Pick a version, any version of this song, listen to it and think back to what Joseph and Mary must have been thinking. And think of the significance of such a majestic event.
I hope you have a wonderful and Merry Christmas!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment