Just as silver tarnishes if left to its own devices, so too words lose their luster over time, causing their true power and meaning to fade. Too often—especially at Christmas-time—we find ourselves mindlessly repeating age-old verses, ignoring their history, forgetting that someone somewhere birthed these thoughts now memorialized on paper. This completely original setting of “O Holy Night” invites a renewed acquaintance with a beautiful text, returning us to Bethlehem, to an ordinary night turned extraordinary by the birth of a boy in a lowly manger.
“O Holy Night” functions as a companion piece to “At This Dark Hour.” Their texts bookend the life of Christ, exploring the first and last of his mortal days. The use of the same musical material in both pieces emphasizes this connection, unifying the events of Christmas and Good Friday.
Text
O holy night! the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appeared 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.
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 came the wise men from the 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!
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 pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
Placide Cappeau (1808–1877), trans. John Sullivan Dwight (1813–1893)
About the Writer and Translator
After losing his right hand in a tragic accident at the age of eight, French poet Placide Cappeau (1808–1877) turned to a primarily academic life, studying literature and law, and becoming a wine merchant with a passion for words. Though an irreligious man, he wrote the Christmas poem “Minuit, chrétiens” (“Midnight, Christians”) in 1843 at the request of the parish priest of Roquemaure. Adolphe Adam set the text to music in 1847 as “Cantique de Noël” (“Christmas Carol”).
John Sullivan Dwight (1813–1893) was a Transcendentalist best known for his periodical, Dwight’s Journal of Music. Trained at Harvard as a Unitarian minister, he became America’s earliest influential classical music critic, with a distinct love for European—especially German—composers and a singular distaste for anyone else. In 1855, he published a singable English translation of Placide Cappeau’s poem under the title “O Holy Night.”
Recording
Lenoir-Rhyne College Singers, Ryan Luhrs, conductor Peace and Joy: A Lenoir-Rhyne Christmas, December 7, 2019
