Monday, March 18, AD 2024 10:24pm

O Holy Night

Something for the weekend.  A powerful rendition of O Holy Night by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Gordon MacRae. The poem on which the hymn is based was written in 1847 by Placide Chappeau de Roquemaure at the request of his parish priest.  Chappeau asked his friend Adolphe Adam, a French composer, to set it to music.  In 1855 Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight created an English version of the carol which has been immensely popular in America ever since.  In 1906 the carol was the second piece of music to be broadcast on radio.

0 0 votes
Article Rating
8 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Robert A. Rowland
Robert A. Rowland
Saturday, December 22, AD 2012 12:48pm

Tennessee Ernie Ford was always one of my favorites. I once wrote a poem celebrating his career, and received a very gracious response from him that I treasure. Singing along with him and Gordon brought tears to my 85-year old eyes. Thank you so much Donald. What a Christmas blessing!

trackback
Sunday, December 23, AD 2012 12:02am

[…] O Holy Night – Donald R. McClarey, The American Catholic […]

Don the Kiwi
Sunday, December 23, AD 2012 4:48pm

Very good.
I have always liked Gordon MacRae, from his years in the 1950’s and 60’s musicals – from memory, “Oklahoma” in particular I enjoyed.
I also like Celine Dion’s version of this hymn -( although some don’t like Celine whatever she sings )

John Nolan
John Nolan
Sunday, December 23, AD 2012 6:56pm

I like this in both French and English. It really needs the full operatic treatment. Adolphe Adam, best known for the ballet Giselle, was more Andrew Lloyd Webber than Hector Berlioz, but he sure had a hit here!

Vicky Hernandez
Vicky Hernandez
Monday, December 24, AD 2012 8:02pm

Actaually, Adolphe Adam, who was Jewish, composed the music to O Holy Night.

Adam was a friend of Placide Chappeau de Roquemaure. It was Chappeau who was asked by a parrish priest to write a poem for Midnight Mass Service. Chappeau called his poem, Minuit, Chrétiens. and liked it so much that he asked Adam to compose music for it.

Sullivan’s English translation from the French, although quite beautiful, leaves much to be desired. It’s probably due to his Unitarian beliefs.

Vicky Hernandez
Vicky Hernandez
Monday, December 24, AD 2012 8:27pm

Sorry. That first sentence in the last paragraph should read Sullivan Dwight’s English translation…

Discover more from The American Catholic

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Scroll to Top