My all time favorite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night”. I’ve heard it sung over the years as long as I can remember and there are those who’s voices inspire a sense of fresh adoration. I still get chills as soon as the first few notes of the song begins.
In the last 12 years or so, I began reading the biographies of the hymn writers. I love to hear the story of those individuals whom God has used to pen those tunes of sacred truth. I’ve been amazed, convicted and humbled by the lives of those songwriters who were inspired more often than not, through affliction or loss.
As Christmas is well under way, this favorite carol is at the forefront in my mind. I recently went on a “fact finding adventure” about this song and “who” wrote the lyrics. Here are my findings and I would like to pass this along to you. It never ceases to amaze me that God will use whomever and however He chooses to proclaim the message of His Son. What a testament to His unrelenting desire for the salvation of mankind.
“Placide Cappeau was known more for his poetry than his church attendance, so it probably shocked the commissionaire of wines when his parish priest asked him to pen a poem for Christmas mass in 1847 France,” Collins tells me. “Cappeau figured that since the poem was to be read at mass, it should be religious and, of course, focus on Christmas.”
According to Cappeau, he penned the poem, known in French as Cantique de Noel while riding a stagecoach en route to Paris and reflecting on Luke’s version of the nativity story.
“Once the poem was complete and moved by his own words,” Ace Collins continues, “Cappeau decided that his poem was more than just that, and that it should be set to music. But he wasn’t musically inclined, so he called upon his friend, Adolphe Charles Adam, a well-known composer, for help.”
The words to Cantique de Noel moved Adam in a most mysterious way; they were penned about an event with which he was basically unfamiliar and about an event he did not personally celebrate. “You see,” Collins says, “Adam was Jewish.”
And a Nation was Moved. Twice.
Cantique de Noel was performed at the Christmas Eve midnight mass three weeks after Adam finished his work on the score. It quickly made its way across France and was performed at other Christmas services and to great reviews.
“That is,” says Collins, “until Cappeau became a socialist and the church found out that a Jewish man had written the music. The church suddenly and uniformly denounced the song, deeming it ‘unfit’ because it lacked musical taste.”
Enter the third party in this amazing story. John Sullivan Dwight, a Harvard divinity graduate and Unitarian minister had problems of his own over in Northampton, Massachusetts. Whenever he tried to preach, he grew sick. Panic attacks and agoraphobia soon overtook the young pastor, forcing him to use his talents in a whole new way, by founding, writing, and publishing Dwight’s Journal of Music.
For one of its publications, Dwight went in search of some new material and found the words of Cantique de Noel. “The former minister quickly fell in love with the haunting lyrics,” explains Mr. Collins.
As an ardent abolitionist, the words “for the slave is our brother” struck a powerful chord within him. Dwight translated the lyrics to English and then published them in his publication. America was thus introduced to what would become a favorite Christmastime and often sung and recorded hymn, O Holy Night.
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.
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 come 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!
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 evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.