Christmas Music

My favourite Christmas carol is Silent Night.  Often when I pull out a Christmas CD to listen to (especially if it's a new CD I haven't heard before), I'll scan the list of songs to see if Silent Night is included.  I love listening to all the different arrangements.
    The lyrics of the song were written by Joseph Mohr in 1816 Austria, and the music was composed two years later by Franz Xaver Gruber.  By the 1840s, the song had been heard and performed over quite a distance, its first performance in the United States being in 1839.
    I find this following story amazing.  It's said that on Christmas Eve 1914, five months after World War 1 began, a German soldier began singing Silent Night, first in German and then again in English.  Being also familiar with this song, the Allied soldiers sang back.
    And then both sides put down their guns and met in the middle of No Man's Land, singing carol after carol and exchanging stories and gifts with each other.  Although the war would continue to rage for another four years, for now the artillery was silent as a truce was called throughout the Christmas holidays.
    Silent Night is my favourite Christmas carol, but I also enjoy a number of other Christmas carols - listening to them, singing them, playing them on my cello and the piano.  Some of the other ones I like are: Joy to the World; Angels We Have Heard on High; O Come All Ye Faithful; O Holy Night; Hark the Herald Angels Sing; What Child is This; O Sing a Song of Bethlehem; and I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. 
    I think that part of the wonder of the season is all of beautiful songs written about the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  Music is an amazingly powerful thing.
    What's your favourite Christmas carol?

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin,mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia;
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Saviour is born.
Christ the Saviour is born.

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