O Holy Night
"O Holy Night" (original title: Cantique de Noël) is a sacred song about the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, described as 'the dear Saviour' in the original, and frequently performed as a Christmas carol. Originally based on a French-language poem written in 1843 by poet Placide Cappeau, it was set to music by composer Adolphe Adam in 1847. The English version, with small changes to the initial melody, is by John Sullivan Dwight.
For other uses, see O Holy Night (disambiguation).
Cantique de Noël
O Holy Night
In modern times, the song has been covered multiple times, most notably by Mariah Carey and Lauren Daigle.
History[edit]
In Roquemaure, France, at the end of 1843, the town's church organ had recently been renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest persuaded poet Placide Cappeau, a native of the town, to write a Christmas poem.[1] Cappeau's original poem began with the line, "Minuit, Chrétien, c'est l'heure solennelle" (Midnight, Christian, is the solemn hour).
Soon afterwards, in that same year, Adolphe Adam composed the music. The song was premiered in Roquemaure in 1847 by the opera singer Emily Laurey.[2]
Unitarian minister, music critic, and editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, John Sullivan Dwight, adapted the song into English in 1855.[3] This version became popular in the United States, especially in the North, where the third verse (including "Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease") resonated with abolitionists.[1]
The wide vocal range of the song makes it one of the more difficult Christmas songs for a singer to execute properly.[4] In French-language churches, it is commonly used at the beginning of the Midnight Mass.[5]
The song has been recorded by numerous pop, classical, and religious singers. Several renditions by popular artists have appeared on record charts:
