O Holy Night

Placide Cappeau (left), lyricist, and Adolphe Adam (right), composer of "Minuit, chrétiens"

"O Holy Night" originates from Placide Cappeau's 1847 poem Minuit, chrétiens.^[1] After stained glass in the parish church of Roquemaure was restored, the local priest Maurice Gilles asked Cappeau to write a new text for the upcoming Christmas Midnight Mass.^[2][3] Cappeau, who had connections to singer Emily Laurey, was introduced to composer Adolphe Adam, then known for works such as Giselle.^[4]

Cappeau wrote the poem on 3 December 1847 during a stagecoach journey from Mâcon to Dijon.^[4][5] His understanding of Christian theology came from Jesuit teachers at the Collège de France.^[2] The poem draws on themes from the Nativity of Jesus and reflects Cappeau's social and abolitionist views. Its opening line, later the subject of debate, reads: "Midnight, Christians! It is the solemn hour when the Man-God descended unto us, to erase original sin, and to stop the wrath of his Father."^[2]

Adam completed the musical setting within days.^[6] Cappeau referred to the finished work as "Cantique de Noël".^[5]

The most familiar English adaptation was written in 1855 by American critic and minister John Sullivan Dwight.^[1] Influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Dwight altered the French text more extensively than required for a direct translation.^[5][7] For example, "O hear the angel voices [...] O night divine" replaced "Await your deliverance [...] Behold the Redeemer".^[7] Another English version, "O Night Divine", was produced in the late 19th century by American musician Hart Pease Danks, and both adaptations circulated widely.^[2]

Lyrics

Sheet music for "Cantique de Noël" as it appears in the Social Evenings collection by G. Schirmer Inc., 1871. The lyrics display both the original French by Placide Cappeau and the English text by John Sullivan Dwight.

More information "Cantique de Noël" (Placide Cappeau, 1847), John Sullivan Dwight, 1855) ...

"Cantique de Noël" (Placide Cappeau, 1847)

"O Holy Night" (English version – not a translation – by John Sullivan Dwight, 1855)

Minuit ! Chrétiens, c'est l'heure solennelle Où l'homme Dieu descendit jusqu'à nous, Pour effacer la tache originelle Et de son père arrêter le courroux: Le monde entier tressaille d'espérance A cette nuit qui lui donne un sauveur Peuple à genoux, attends ta délivrance Noël ! Noël ! Voici le Rédempteur ! Noël ! Noël ! Voici le Rédempteur ! De notre foi que la lumière ardente Nous guide tous au berceau de l'enfant Comme autrefois, une étoile brillante Y conduisit les chefs de l'Orient Le Roi des Rois naît dans une humble crèche, Puissants du jour fiers de votre grandeur, A votre orgueil c'est de là qu'un Dieu prêche, Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur ! Courbez vos fronts devant le Rédempteur ! Le Rédempteur a brisé toute entrave, La terre est libre et le ciel est ouvert Il voit un frère où n'était qu'un esclave L'amour unit ceux qu'enchaînait le fer, Qui lui dira notre reconnaissance? C'est pour nous tous qu'il naît, qu'il souffre et meurt: Peuple, debout ! chante ta délivrance, Noël ! Noël! chantons le Rédempteur ! Noël ! Noël! chantons le Rédempteur !

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Saviour'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! 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 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 no stranger. Behold your King, before Him lowly bend! Behold your King, 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! Then ever, ever praise we! His power and glory evermore proclaim! His power and glory evermore proclaim!

Close

"Cantique de Noël" was first performed at Midnight Mass in 1847 in Roquemaure. According to Christmas carol historian William Studwell, the piece was translated into numerous languages and widely adapted "within a generation or so". One of the earliest known publications was an organ arrangement issued around 1855.^[4] By 1864 the song had become popular throughout France; the Catholic music journal Revue de Musique Sacrée noted that it "has been performed at many churches during Midnight Masses" and "is sung in the streets, at social gatherings, and at bars with live entertainment."

Following the revolution of 1848,^[2] the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine praised "Cantique de Noël" as "a religious Marseillaise",^[8] a comparison that caused unease among some observers. According to America magazine, several church leaders criticised the song for what they viewed as its militant tone and questionable theology. They objected in particular to the line "Et de son Père arrêter le courroux" ("to cease the wrath of his Father"), believing it portrayed God as angry and vengeful in contrast to Jesus. As a result, the song was excluded from Catholic hymnals.

Much of the criticism, however, focused on the song's creators. Catholic music critics attacked Cappeau for his political views and personal reputation, and his later break with Christianity drew further disapproval.^[4] Adam was also targeted when false rumours circulated that he was Jewish. A notable example occurred in 1930, when composer Vincent d'Indy published an article incorrectly listing Adam among Jewish composers and claiming they were motivated solely by financial gain, in contrast to the article's subject, Richard Wagner.^[2]

Ernest Gagnon (left) and John Sullivan Dwight (right) helped popularize "O Holy Night" in North America.

In 1864 Revue de Musique Sacrée described "Cantique de Noël" as "debased and degenerated", recommending that it "go its own way, far from houses of religion, which can do very well without it".^[2] Despite this, the song's international popularity continued to grow. The Canadian composer and folklorist Ernest Gagnon first heard it at a Midnight Mass at the Church of Saint-Roch and introduced it to Canada in 1858, beginning with a performance in Quebec by the eldest daughter of René-Édouard Caron.^[9] Although some ecclesiastical concerns arose there as well, the song became widely embraced, and performances by soloists at Midnight Mass became a tradition.^[2]

On 22 September 1936, archbishop Joseph-Guillaume-Laurent Forbes banned "O Holy Night" from churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Ottawa, along with various other songs, wedding marches, the Canadian national anthem, and many settings of Ave Maria by composers including Franz Schubert, Charles Gounod, Pietro Mascagni, and Jules Massenet.^[10] Forbes' secretary stated that the ban aimed to promote the exclusive use of Gregorian chant and Gregorian music.^[10]

In the United States, John Sullivan Dwight encountered "O Holy Night" while reviewing music for his publication Dwight's Journal of Music. As an abolitionist, he admired the song's emphasis on human equality, quoting lines such as: "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!" These themes resonated during the American Civil War, and Dwight's publication helped the song gain significant popularity in the North.^[3]

Although not formally documented, the first song broadcast over radio is often attributed to inventor Reginald Fessenden's 1906 violin performance of "O Holy Night".^[11]

In France, criticism of the song persisted after World War II. Composer Auguste Sérieyx condemned those who performed it on organ or in choirs, as well as the priests who "tolerate or encourage them". By 1956 the song had been "expunged from many dioceses due to the emphatic aspect of its lyrics as much as the music itself, and the contrast they provide with the holiday liturgy", according to the Paris publication Le Dictionnaire du Foyer Catholique.^[2]

Since its creation, the song has been associated with various accounts of symbolic or spiritual use. One legend claims that French troops sang it on Christmas Eve in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War, prompting a temporary ceasefire during trench warfare. In 2004 a Catholic priest reportedly sang the song to a dying American Marine in Fallujah, Iraq.^[2]

William Studwell wrote in The Christmas Carol Reader that "O Holy Night" is "the most popular carol in France and belongs in the upper echelon of carols on an international basis".^[4] In both French and Canadian traditions, the carol is typically performed as a solo at Midnight Mass. Its demanding high register has become part of its identity, with audiences anticipating whether the singer will reach the climactic notes accurately.^[2][12][9]

In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the carol became a staple of Christmas recordings across a wide range of genres. It appears on numerous holiday albums, with notable renditions by Michael Crawford, Mariah Carey, NSYNC, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Weezer, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Ella Fitzgerald, Carrie Underwood, and Andrea Bocelli.^{[citation needed]} A 2010 survey by Zogby International ranked "O Holy Night" as the most popular Christmas song in the United States, ahead of "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song".^[13]

• List of Christmas carols