200 years ago this evening, Jacob Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber premiered their brand-new carol, Silent Night. According to the accepted tradition, Gruber had written the tune on short notice to Mohr’s words because Mohr needed a new piece to sing at the Christmas Eve service because the organ had been damaged. The first version was sung by Mohr and congregation, accompanied by guitar.
What I love most about the story is the creative readiness. Faced with an obstacle (the organ) and a deadline (Christmas Eve), these two were creatively ready to react and create. Mohr’s words had been written two years earlier and were ready-made for carol; Gruber’s background enabled him to compose on short notice.
Silent Night has certainly stood the test of time, as countless churches will undoubtedly raise votive candles to its strains as midnight nears tonight. But I never forget that it came about not with sufficient time, resources, and open-ended commission…it was written despite not having those things.
The piece, I think, reflects its composition for orchestra and short-notice choral singing. But here’s my favorite version.