Pressinfo: 10.10.2013
The most famous Christmas carol world-wide – in 300 different languages, within one single songcollection!
that is the aim, the two initiators of the „silent night songcontest“, Sabine Lehner and Karin Gruber from Oberndorf/Salzburg, by the way, the place of origin of the Christmas carol „Silent Night“, want to reach til 2018. The reason is the 200 year anniversary of the world premiere of that song in that year.
In 1818 the song was heard for the first time in the former St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf/Salzburg.
„Silent Night“ is – undisputed – the most famous Christmas carol world-wide. It is translated in almost 300 languages and dialcets und is sung every year at Christmas-time all over the world.
And yet, most oft he people don’t know, where it comes from originally.
To spread this information of the place of origin of „Silent Night“, the „silent night songcontest“ has been launched. This year held for the third time.
Videos of „Silent Night“ are collected in different languages and genres. To participate, the attendants pass in the youtube-link of their video via the songcontest-website.
Each year, their is a seperate songcontest with an onlinevoting and awards for the three best-voted videos. Every single video-contribution will be stored in the „all-time-songcollection“, which should be filled with all different versions of the 300 possible languages until 2018 – so the wish of the two initiators of the project.
The this years’ songcontest is now ready for participation. Videos may passed in until 10th of december. The voting is possible until 11th of december, noon. On thursday, 12.12., 4 p.m. the winners will be presented via videowall on the open-air stage, at Stille Nacht Platz in Oberndorf. To that event several participants of the songcontest are invited to perform live on stage their selected Christmas carol repertoire.
Origin of the song
The pastor Josef Mohr wrote the poem “Silent Night” back in 1816 during his period in Mariapfarr in the Salzburg region of Lungau.
Two years passed by the time he gave the text to the teacher and sacristan Franz Gruber – who was substituting for the organist of the St. Nicholas parish church at the time – on December 24, 1818. Since the church organ wasn’t working on that day, he decided to write a suitable melody for two solo voices, a choir and a guitar accompaniment set to the words by Josef Mohr.
That same night, during the Christmas mass on December 24, 1818, the song was heard for the first time in the St. Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf. Everyone there found it very appealing.
The organ builder “Mauracher” made sure that the song became well-known around the world. First he took it with him to Zillertal in Tyrol. From there it was distributed all across Europe by traveling choir associations and in 1839 it was finally performed overseas for the first time in New York.
The most famous Christmas song in the world is sung
on all continents. It has been translated into more than 300 different languages and dialects so far.
Original lyrics
1. Silent night! Holy night! All‘s asleep, one sole light;
just the faithful and holy pair; lovely boy-child with curly hair; Sleep in heavenly peace! Sleep in heavenly peace!
2. Silent night! Holy night! God‘s Son laughs, o how bright; love from your holy lips shines clear; as the dawn of salvation draws near; Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
Jesus, Lord, with your birth!
3. Silent night! Holy night! Brought the world peace tonight; from the heavens‘ golden height; shows the grace of His holy might; Jesus, as man on this earth! Jesus, as man on this earth!
4. Silent night! Holy night! Where today all the might;
of His fatherly love us graced; and then Jesus, as brother embraced; All the peoples on earth! All the peoples on earth!
5. Silent night! Holy night! Long we hoped that he might;
as our Lord, free us of wrath; since times of our fathers He hath; Promised to spare all mankind! Promised to spare all mankind!
6. Silent night! Holy night! Sheperds first see the sight;
told by angelic Alleluja; sounding everywhere, both near & far; Christ the Savior is here! Christ the Savior is here!
Participation and further information:
http://songcontest.stillenachtmanufaktur.at
Stille Nacht Manufaktur, Oberndorf, contact: Sabine Lehner,
+43 664 145 37 87,
Sabine Lehner/10.10.2013
Die Initiatorinnen:
rechts: Karin Gruber, 2. v. rechts: Sabine Lehner mit musizierenden Kindern und Begleithund