It was interesting finding out the story behind “Mary Did You Know” one of the newer Christmas song favorites. Then a reader suggested I look up the story behind the song “O Holy Night.” And what a story that is.
It seems that back in 1847 in a small French town, a man named Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure was known more for his talent at writing poetry than for his faithfulness in church attendance. He might not be the first person one would suspect a priest would seek out to write a poem for Christmas mass, but the priest did ask him and the man took his request seriously. Just as in our story about “Mary, Did You Know” Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure began thinking about the birth of Jesus. With that inspiration, he wrote “Cantique de Noel.” Placide was so pleased with how the poem came out that he decided it needed to be a song. Since he was a poet but not a musician, he turned to a friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, to see if he would set his poem to music.
Adolphe was a famous classical musician who had composed many works all around the world, but he agreed to come up with music for his friend’s poem. The interesting thing was that Adophe was a Jewish man who didn’t celebrate the birth of Jesus. Even so, he did compose music to go with the beautiful words and the song was performed only a few weeks later at a Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
“Cantique de Noel” became popular in France and was sung in many Christmas services. But when Placide Cappeau completely left the church to join a socialist movement and it was discovered that Adolphe Adams was a Jew, the French Catholic church leaders decided “Cantique de Noel” was unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and “total absence of the spirit of religion.” But even though the church no longer allowed the song in their services, the French people continued to sing it.
A decade later, an American writer, John Sullivan Dwight, saw something in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ. An abolitionist, Dwight strongly identified with the lines of the third verse: “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.” This verse mirrored Dwight’s view of slavery in the South. He published his English translation of “O Holy Night” in his magazine, and the song quickly found favor in America, especially in the North during the Civil War.
Back in France, the song continued to be banned by the church for almost two decades, while the people still sang “Cantique de Noel” at home. Legend has it that on Christmas Eve 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, during the Franco-Prussian War, a French soldier suddenly jumped out of his muddy trench. Both sides stared at the seemingly crazed man who lifted his eyes to the heavens and began singing “Cantique de Noel.” Then a German soldier stepped into the open and answered the Frenchman’s song with Martin Luther’s “From Heaven Above to Earth I Come.”
The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next twenty-four hours while the men on both sides observed a temporary peace in honor of Christmas day. Perhaps this story had a part in the French church once again embracing “Cantique de Noel” in holiday services.
But the story of the song continued. Years later on Christmas Eve 1906, Reginald Fessenden–a 33-year-old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison–did something long thought impossible. Using a new type of generator, Fessenden spoke into a microphone and, for the first time in history, a man’s voice was broadcast over the airwaves: “And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed,” he began in a clear, strong voice, hoping he was reaching across the distances he supposed he would.
Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners at newspapers were amazed as their normal, coded impulses, heard over tiny speakers, were interrupted by a professor reading the Christmas story. To those who caught this broadcast, it must have seemed like a miracle to hear a voice somehow transmitted to those far away. Perhaps they may have thought they were hearing the voice of an angel. Fessenden was probably unaware of the sensation he was causing on ships and in offices; he couldn’t have known that men and women were rushing to their wireless units to catch this Christmas Eve miracle. After finishing his recitation of the birth of Christ, Fessenden picked up his violin and played “O Holy Night,” the first song ever sent through the air via radio waves.
Since “O Holy Night” was first sung at a small Christmas mass in 1847, the song has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world. And since the moment a handful of people first heard it played over the radio, the carol has gone on to become one of the most recorded and played spiritual songs. This incredible work, requested by a forgotten parish priest, written by a poet who would later split from the church, given soaring music by a Jewish composer, and brought to Americans to serve as much as a tool to spotlight the sinful nature of slavery as tell the story of the birth of a Savior has become one of the most beautiful, inspired pieces of music ever created. The Lord can work in amazing ways to his Word to proclaim.
(Information gleaned from Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas” Zondervan)
Have you ever sung “O Holy Night?” Or heard its story before?
Thanks for reading.
Comments 72
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Love that song and it was truly O Holy Night !
Thank you I never heard the story behind this inspiring song!
Author
Russ, glad you enjoyed the story behind this beautiful song we love to hear, especially at Christmastime.
O Holy Night when properly done, is one of the most beautiful carols ever. We just finished playing it for our Christmas service. I have been wondering about the history behind it, especially the reference to slavery. Thank you for a detailed history. Very helpful and informative.
Author
Glad you enjoyed reading about the history behind the song, John. I always find out surprising information when I do a little research about the songs that are so familiar to us in our churches.
I could be wrong but I believe the slavery referred to in the song is humankind being enslaved by sin. It just so happened the U.S. was also embroiled at the time, in a conflict over men enslaving other men.
I just heard this song while we were eating our Christmas Lasagna.
I commented ” that is the most beautiful Christmas Carol I have ever heard”
I was curious who wrote this beautiful tribute to our Glorious Savior.
Your article was so informative and parallel to so many Biblical stories…God uses any open vessel to speak his Truth.
His Truth is Eternal.
I’m excited to share this article.
Holy Christmas to all
Author
How neat that you heard the song and then found my post about the history behind the words and melody, Michele. The Lord has many ways to get his Word into the world and sometimes He uses those we would never expect to accomplish His purposes.
My Favorite Christmas song has been the same since I was little, it’s “little Drummer Boy”. One of the reasons I like it is because, there’s a very old Christmas movie that was on when I was little. It still comes on TV at Christmas time, & tells the story of “Drummer Boy”. I like it because it shows you don’t have to have money to buy a gift. Some of the best gifts are gifts from the heart, doing things for one another. There’s too much materialism in Christmas. The real meaning is forgotten. : (
Author
I love that song too, Jolynn. In fact, I’m going to post about it tonight. And I like it because it tells a story and does show that one can use whatever they have to give a gift from the heart. Actually, time is perhaps the most precious gift we have to give others.
I never had heard the story behind O Holy Night, but I have listened to and sung it many times. It is my favorite Christmas song. They’re all beautiful, the traditional songs, but that one remains my favorite. Merry Christmas!!! 🎄🎄🎄
My favorite Christmas song. Remember when a small child I went to midnight Mass with my family. My Aunt Florence sang in the choir. This song was always song. It touches my heart when I hear it.
Author
Songs are always best when hearing them transports us back in time to a happy memory, Janet. I think that’s why we usually like whatever music was popular when we were teens and young adults and just discovering music for ourselves better than the music popular at other times. I guess that is one of the good things about carols and other Christmas songs like “O Holy Night.” They’ve been around a long time and they will be around a longer time.
This is my favorite Christmas song and you made it more special with the most interesting historical background. I love the miracle which brought even a moment of peace in the war. Now I want to read about other composers’ and
authors’ lives. Thank you for the chance to win.
Author
The inspiration behind songs and books, too, is always fascinating to me, Mary Lou. Maybe I’ll look up another song before the end of the Christmas season just to see what other stories I might find. I actually founda little book I’d forgotten I had with the history of Christmas songs in it, but those were mostly popular songs and not the carols and spiritual songs we’ve been saying are favorites. But those songs are fun at Christmastime too.
Thank you Ann for sharing the history for some of our favorite Christmas songs. It is so interesting to find out what is “behind” the songs. Have a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year!!
Thank you for the history behind one of my favorite songs, Ann. Merry Christmas!
Author
Thank you all for your many comments. I love hearing from you and knowing how you love this beautiful song “O Holy Night.” The history behind it is amazing, and as that famous saying from another song written long ago says, “God works in mysterious ways His wonders to perform.” Hmm, do I have an idea for another post on down the road?
I do so appreciate you all. Thank you for joining in the conversation here on One Writer’s Journal. I love it when you share your thoughts and stories too. And if you didn’t read all the comments and I understand if you didn’t, you should still scroll down to read Jean’s. A story to make you treasure each day we are given.
This is one of my favorite Christmas songs! Now, knowing the story behind it, I love it even more! Thank you for sharing it! I wish you and yours, Frankie and Marley included, a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
Author
Thank you, Judi, for the Christmas wishes. Frankie and Marley thank you too. They are on their beds behind my chair here in my office and Marley is snoring as always. But it’s a peaceful sound. We went for our walk in the damp morning (but no snow here) and now he’s all worn out.
Thanks for the interesting history of this beautiful song. We always sing it at church . It is such an emotional song.
I have heard Mark Lowry tell about writing “Mary, Did You Know” on several occasions. Frankly, those have been the times that I most enjoyed hearing the song. I have grown weary of hearing so many others sing it. I had never heard the story behind “O Holy Night,” but I have enjoyed hearing it many times. One of my favorite songs that is considered by most to be a Christmas song (but actually was not written as such) is “Joy to the World.” I think we should sing it all year long.
Author
I so agree with your, Edward, about “Joy to the World.” It’s a great song to sing at Christmas, but it’s a great song to sing anytime. Joy shouldn’t be only for Christmas.
My favorite Christmas hymn…I used to sing it at Christmas Eve service for many years at my church and the pastors wife played piano. Merry Christmas.🎁🎄
Thank you for sharing the story behind the song ‘Oh, Holy Night’….a song I’ve sung many times…in church with the congregation & in a choir concert but probably even more times singing along with the radio or a cd. Such a beautiful, one-of-a-kind song with wonderful words. It was a holy night that changed everything for eternity. PTL!
Thanks again & Merry Christmas to you & yours!
This is one of my favorite two Christmas songs. I really enjoyed learning it’s history.
This has always been my all time favorite Christmas song. It brings me to tears every single time. I sing it through the tears and think of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How truly blessed we are. ❤️ Merry Christmas!!
I really enjoyed reading this story. This is a beautiful Christmas song, and I have sung it many times. Merry Christmas to you and your family Ann.
I love the song and have sung it many times. It gives me good chills. Love your books…and your spirit. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for the story behind this beautiful song. This was new to me although the song definitely is not. I first heard this song when I was very young and my grandmother taught me to sing it in German.
Author
That’s impressive, Nancy. I admire those who can share songs in different languages. Now when you sing the song, I’m guessing you always think of your sweet times with your grandmother.
Amazing story! Thanks for sharing this piece of history of a beloved song! Merry Christmas!