All Christmas Songs » O Holy Night

Neil Diamond – O Holy Night

Christine — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:35:39 +0000

Neil Diamond The Christmas Album

Neil Diamond was a favorite musician of my mother and father. They always liked to tell the story of the first concert they went together was a Neil Diamond concert, where cannon balls were shot into the air. I think my mother also liked him so much because her name was Caroline. She was our very own “Sweet Caroline”. Here is a beautiful version of “O Holy Night” performed by Neil Diamond that gives me goosebumps.

Christmas Music Continues to Inspire, Soothe, Reflect a Season

Jennifer — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 22:43:58 +0000

Whether its in a majestic cathedral, a school auditorium or a shopping mall, there’s nothing like a familiar Christmas melody to put a person in the holiday spirit. Its amazing how the familiar strains of Silent Night or Joy to the World create feelings of joy, hope and peace.

Why does Christmas music evoke such strong emotions? Music educators and Bible scholars at Northwestern College in Saint Paul, Minn., cite childhood memories, the character of the music, and the histories of the songs themselves as reasons for Christmas music’s emotional appeal.

During the Christmas season we look for familiar, comforting sounds of traditional, timeless music and theology. We are willing to suspend our need for what is novel, exciting or cutting-edge, explains Timothy Sawyer, director of choral activities. Christmas carols provide a familiar, comforting presence to which we can return year after year. This is perhaps one reason why, since its composition in 1742, Handels The Messiah has remained so popular during the holiday season.

People have powerful childhood and family memories built around the Christmas season, which to a large extent is defined by its music, says Dr. Philip Norris, professor of music. We simply cant think of Christmas without music. Even in secular settings the Christmas story and its music are part of the aura.

Dr. Ardel Caneday, professor of Bible understands the impact of childhood memories. When I was in high school, the men’s octet would join the women’s sextet to sing Silent Night a cappella. I fondly remember singing second tenor in the men’s octet. The crisp harmony was deeply stirring. It was a joy to contribute to the beautiful sounds of a favorite and cherished Christmas carol.

From their humble beginnings in the 4th century, Christmas songs focused on the supernatural aspects of Christmas. One of the earliest songs was Jesus refulsit omnium (Jesus, light of all the nations) composed by St. Hilary of Poitiers, a prolific writer of hymns.

St. Francis of Assisi formally introduced Christmas carols to church services during the 12th century. A patron of the arts, he inspired composers and poets to deliver Christmas music. The lighter, joyous Christmas songs were introduced during the 1400s in Renaissance Italy. From Italy they passed to France and Germany, and eventually England where they retained simplicity, fervor and mirthfulness.

The musical character of Christmas songs reflects the seasons themes: mother and child (Mary & Jesus), joy, hope, peace, Dr. Norris explains. The melodies, harmonies and rhythms created for the songs reflect those themes.

For example, he explains, Joy to the World has a lively rhythm that begins on and repeats its highest note seven times. Every phrase of the music follows the biological, physical shape of joy — a sudden rising to a high pitch with a subsiding direction immediately following.

Dr. Mark Muska, chair of Northwesterns Bible department, says Christmas music brings the focus back on the spiritual meaning. The music helps people get back to the real meaning of Christmas, he says. Sometimes we get caught up in the commercialism, but the music helps us focus on the Lords birth.

The distinctive and joyful sound of Christmas music inspires reflection upon the incarnation of Gods Son and the hope of peace and salvation that He brings, adds Dr. Caneday.

The stories of Christmas hymns and carols also contribute to the seasons musical aura. One of my favorite Christmas carols is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” Dr. Caneday says. Its particularly stirring for me because of its historical setting against the backdrop of the American Civil War.

Longfellow’s words reflect grief over the death of his wife, his bitter opposition to the war, and the sorrow of his son gravely injured in the war.

The history of Silent Night continues to inspire people. It was written in Bavaria on Christmas Eve 1818 when the church organ was broken and the town was snowbound. Church vicar Joseph Mohr wrote the lyrics on the spot then handed them to organist Franz Gruber, who composed the original melody with guitar accompaniment just in time for midnight mass.

The origins of Christmas songs reflect history, religions attitudes and world cultures.

* Handel’s The Messiah, originally had nothing to do with Christmas. Its premiere in Dublin was a benefit for prisoners jailed for debt. Enough money was raised to free 142 debtors.

* O Holy Night was written by Adolphe Charles Adam, the French composer best known for his ballet, Giselle. Church authorities that denounced its lack of musical taste and total absence of the spirit of religion frowned upon the song.

* It Came Upon a Midnight Clear was written in 1849 by Edmund Hamilton Sears who expressed a longing for peace. It was penned after the Mexican-American War when skirmishes between settlers and Indians and slavery supporters and abolitionists were igniting across the frontier.

* O Little Town of Bethlehem came out of the Civil War and was written by Phillips Brooks, a Philadelphia pastor who ministered to Union soldiers. Theories of the poems meaning vary. One theory explains the stillness in Bethlehem mirrors the stillness in Philadelphia where a generation of young men had been wiped out. The other theory is he wrote the text during a Christmas trip to the Holy Land and was describing Bethlehem.

Northwestern College, Saint Paul, MN, is a nondenominational Christian college that offers 45 majors in the Bible, arts, sciences and professional education to over 2,500 traditional and alternative education students. For more information, log onto www.nwc.edu or call (651) 631-5100 or (800)692-4020.

Courtesy of ARA Content

O Holy Night Chords & Tabs

Jennifer — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:51:37 +0000

Chords:

Intro: C

C                 F                   C
O holy night, the stars are brightly shining
                       G              C
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth
C                     F              C
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
         Em             B7            Em
Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
G                  C
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
   G                C
For yonder breaks, a new and glorious morn
Am            Em       Dm             Am
Fall on your knees, oh hear the angel voices
C G    C F
O night divine
C   G                C
O night when Christ was born
G       C Dm   C    G           C
O night, O holy night, O night divine

Verse 2:
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 Orient land
The King of Kings, lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger
Behold, your king
Before Him lowly bend
Behold, your king before Him lowly bend

Verse 3:
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 power and glory ever more proclaim

Guitar Tab:

Intro:
1 2 3 4 5 6 etc.
(C)
e————————————–
B——–1—————————–
G——0—0—————————
D—-2——-2————————-
A–3———————————–
E————————————–

Verse:
1 2 3 4 5 6 etc.
(C) (F) (C)
e——————————————-1————————————————
B———-1————–1—————1—1—————-1—————1————-
G——–0—0———-0—0———–2——-2————0—0———–0—0———–
D——2——-2——2——-2——-3——————–2——-2——-2——-2———
A—-3————–3————————————3—————3——————-
E——————————————————————————————–

O______Holy Night______ The Stars are brightly Shi - ning. This is the

(C) (G) (C)
e——————————————————————————————–
B———-1———————————1————–1——————————–
G——–0—0————0—————-0—0———-0—0——————————
D——2——-2——–0—0————2——-2——2——-2—————————-
A—-3—————-2——-2——–3————–3————————————–
E——————-3————————————————————————

Night of our dear Saviour’s Birth______

(C) (F) (C)
e——————————————-1————————————————
B———-1————–1—————1—1—————-1—————1————-
G——–0—0———-0—0———–2——-2————0—0———–0—0———–
D——2——-2——2——-2——-3——————–2——-2——-2——-2———
A—-3————–3————————————3—————3——————-
E——————————————————————————————–

Long lay the world________ in sin and sorrow pi - ning. Till He a -

(Em) (B7) (Em)
e———————————————————————————————
B—————————0—————————————————————–
G———–0————-2—2————0————–0———————————–
D———2—2———1——-1——–2—2———-2—2———————————
A——-2——-2—–2—————-2——-2——2——-2——————————-
E—–0——————————0————–0—————————————–

- ppeared and the soul felt its worth______. A

(G) (C)
e—————————————————————————————
B——————————————-1—————-1————————– (X2)
G———-0—————0————–0—0————0—0————————
D——–0—0———–0—0———-2——-2——–2——-2———————-
A——2——-2——-2——-2——3—————-3——————————–
E—-3—————3——————————————————————

Thrill of hope_____ The weary world re – jo – ices. For
yonder breaks___ a new and glorious morn_______

CHORUS:
     1 2 3 4 5 6 etc.
(Am) (Em)
e———————————————————————————————-
B———-1————–1——————————————————————–
G——–2—2———-2—2————–0—————0———————————–
D——2——-2——2——-2———-2—2———–2—2———————————
A—-0————–0——————2——-2——-2——-2——————————-
E————————————0—————0—————————————–

     Fall________________ on your    knees_______________________ Oh

(Dm) (Am)
e———-1————–1——————————————————————–
B——–3—3———-3—3————–1—————1———————————–
G——2——-2——2——-2———-2—2———–2—2———————————
D—-0————–0——————2——-2——-2——-2——————————-
A————————————0—————0—————————————–
E———————————————————————————————-

Hear______________ the angels voi - ces. O

(C) (G) (C) (F)
e———————————————————-1———————————–
B———-1——————————-1————-1—1———————————
G——–0—0————0————–0—0———2——-2——————————-
D——2——-2——–0—0———-2——-2—–3—————————————–
A—-3—————-2——-2——3———————————————————
E——————-3————————————————————————–

Night________________ di - vine__________________. Oh___Oh

(C) (G) (C)
e———————————————————————————————-
B———-1——————————-1—————1———————————–
G——–0—0————0————–0—0———–0—0———————————
D——2——-2——–0—0———-2——-2——-2——-2——————————-
A—-3—————-2——-2——3—————3—————————————–
E——————-3————————————————————————–

Night___________ when Christ was born_________________. O

(G) (C) (F)
e———————————————————-1———————————–
B——————————————1————-1—1———————————
G———–0————-0————–0—0———2——-2——————————-
D———0—0———0—0———-2——-2—–3—————————————–
A——-2——-2—–2——-2——3———————————————————
E—–3————-3————————————————————————–

Night_______________ di - vine__________________. Oh___hoh__

(C) (G) (C) GO TO A LAST TIME GO TO B
———————————————————————————————-
B———-1——————————-1————————————————–
G——–0—0————0————–0—0————————————————
D——2——-2——–0—0———-2——-2———————————————-
A—-3—————-2——-2——3——————————————————–
E——————-3————————————————————————-

Night___________ when Christ was born_______.

A B
(C)       (C)
e————— e—–(0)——–
B———1—–   (X3) TO NEXT VERSE          B——1———   END.
G——-0—0— G——0———
D—–2——-2- D——2———
A—3———– A——3———
E————— E—————-
       n

O Holy Night Lyrics

Jennifer — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:49:02 +0000

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 Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O’er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
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 he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!