O Holy Night

Cantique de Noël O Holy Night
by Adolphe Adam
Front cover of the 6th edition of "Cantique de Noël", 1852
Native name	Minuit, chrétiens
Genre	Classical, Christmas
Text	Placide Cappeau
Language	French, English
Composed	1847 (1847)
Recording
Performed by the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band file help

"O Holy Night" (original title: Cantique de Noël) is a sacred song about the night of the birth of Jesus Christ, described in the first verse as "the dear Saviour", and frequently performed as a Christmas carol. Based on the French-language poem Minuit, chrétiens, written in 1843 by poet Placide Cappeau, it was set to music by composer Adolphe Adam. The English version, with small changes to the initial melody, is by John Sullivan Dwight.

In modern times, the song has been covered multiple times, including by Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Lauren Daigle.

Placide Cappeau (left), the lyricist, and Adolphe Adam (right), the composer, of "O Holy Night"

The carol "O Holy Night" is derived from the poem Minuit, chrétiens, written by poet Placide Cappeau in 1847, a wine commissionaire and a part-time poet.^[1] Cappeau wrote Minuit, chrétiens in celebration of recent stained glass renovations at a local church in Roquemaure, France. It was a church he frequently attended, and it was written per the request of the church's parish priest Maurice Gilles, to be premiered at their Midnight Mass.^[2][3] Cappeau was friends with Emily Laurey a singer, and Laurey had connections to the famous opera composer Adolphe Adam (he had written his most famous work, Giselle, just a few years prior). The plan was to refer the writing to Adam upon Cappeau's arrival to Paris while on a business trip, where Adam was located.^[4] As such, Cappeau wrote Minuit, chrétiens on December 3, 1847, during a stagecoach ride from Mâcon to Dijon, about a six-hour difference.^[4][5]

Cappeau's understanding of Christian theology was derived from Jesuit educators at the Collège de France in Paris.^[2] The words are based on the Nativity of Jesus, specifically from the Gospel of Luke, and was inspired by hypotheticals of being a present witness of the moment.^[3] His poem was generally anthemic, reflective of Cappeau's socialist and abolitionist views. Minuit, chrétiens spoke commands to kneel and demonstrate humility before God. Its opening line, which spawned early controversy for the song adaptation, reads: "Midnight, Christian! It is the solemn hour when the Man-God descended unto us, to erase original sin, and to stop the wrath of his Father."^[2] The original French text more directly refers to the Christian gospel message.^[6]

Cappeau was proud of his work on Minuit, chrétiens, and requested Adolphe Adam set the poem to music within the same trip. His exact beliefs regarding Christianity are unknown, although it is known that he was raised in a non-Christian environment,^[5] and he would frequently play organ in churches within Paris and had a Catholic funeral.^[4][5] The composition was completed within a few days of the original request,^[7] and Cappeau referred to the new carol as "Cantique de Noël".^[5]

The most popular English rendition of "Cantique de Noël" was translated by American music critic and minister John Sullivan Dwight in 1855. An ordained Unitarian, he soon departed from the vocation of ministry to instead pursue a career in music and teaching.^[1] Dwight was influenced by the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson.^[5] Although there is some margin of translation error, it is accepted that Dwight took some creative liberties with some major line alterations.^[5][8] "O hear the angel voices [...] O night divine" is derived from "Await your deliverance [...] Behold the Redeemer" and "With all our hearts we praise his holy name" is derived from "It is for us that he was born, that he suffered and died."^[8] An additional English translation of the song, "O Night Divine" was done by American musician Hart Pease Danks, who was influenced by Dwight's version as early as 1885, and both competed in popularity.^[2]

Sheet music for "Cantique de Noël" as it appears in the Social Evenings collection by G. Schirmer Inc., 1871. The lyrics display both the original French by Placide Cappeau and its English translation by John Sullivan Dwight.

"Cantique de Noël" first premiered at the Midnight Mass of 1847 in Roquemaure. "Within a generation or so", according to Christmas carol historian William Studwell, "Cantique de Noël" has been translated into many languages and received many renditions. One of the earliest publications was an organ arrangement published around 1855.^[4] The song saw large popularity throughout France as early as 1864, where the Catholic music journal Revue de Musique Sacrée stated that the song "has been performed at many churches during Midnight Masses" and "is sung in the streets, at social gatherings, and at bars with live entertainment." In 1848 France underwent a revolution;^[2] "Cantique de Noël" was praised by the French poet Alphonse de Lamartine as "a religious Marseillaise",^[9] in reference to the 1792 revolutionary song that became the national anthem of France, which worried some amidst the revolution.^[5] Additionally, many leaders within the Christian church criticized the song's "militant tone and dubious theology", according to America magazine. They particularly opposed the line "Et de son Père arrêter le courroux” ("to cease the wrath of his Father"), which they felt depicted an angry and vengeful God in contrast to Jesus. This resulted in the song's exclusion from Catholic hymnals. Most of the song's criticism was however directed at its lyricist and composer. Catholic music critics derided Cappeau as a socialist and a drunk, and his apostasy from Christianity in his later years also garnered criticism;^[4] And Adam received criticism when false rumors spread about him supposedly being Jewish. A notable example of this was in 1930, when the composer Vincent d’Indy wrote an article that erroneously included Adam's name in a list of Jewish composers and declared they were motivated purely by financial gain, as opposed to the article's subject, Richard Wagner.^[2]

Ernest Gagnon (left), and John Sullivan Dwight (right) popularized "O Holy Night" in North America.

Revue de Musique Sacrée declared "Cantique de Noël" "debased and degenerated" in 1864, recommending that the song "go its own way, far from houses of religion, which can do very well without it."^[2] This did not however prevent the song's popularity increasing internationally. The Canadian composer and folklorist Ernest Gagnon first heard the song performed at a Midnight Mass at the Church of Saint-Roch, and imported it to Canada in 1858, starting in Quebec at a Midnight Mass performance by the eldest daughter of René-Édouard Caron.^[10] Although some concern about the song began in ecclesiastic circles there as well, the song became very popular in the country, and it became a tradition for soloists to perform the song at Midnight Masses.^[2] On September 22, 1936, the Catholic Church in Canada banned "O Holy Night" from being performed in churches, along with other songs and wedding marches, the Canadian national anthem, and many versions of Ave Maria, including those by composers such as Franz Schubert, Charles Gounod, Pietro Mascagni, and Jules Massenet.^[11] According to the secretary of the archbishop, the reason for the ban of these songs was the desire for the promotion and exclusive use of Gregorian chant and Gregorian music.^[11]

John Sullivan Dwight first discovered "O Holy Night" while researching songs to critique for his publication Dwight's Journal of Music. Dwight praised the song, but as an abolitionist, also resonated with its themes of equality: "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 perfectly captured views of abolishing slavery, which was the primary source of opposition amidst the ongoing American Civil War. His publishing of "O Holy Night" saw high levels of popularity in the United States, especially within the North.^[3] Although disputed due to a lack of formal documentation, the first song played over a radio broadcast is usually attributed to inventor Reginald Fessenden's performance of "O Holy Night" on violin in 1906.^[12]

Meanwhile, it was still common to be discriminatory of the song in France after World War II; French composer Auguste Sérieyx notably would rebuke those who performed the song on organ and in choirs, and the priests who "tolerate or encourage them." By 1956 the song was "expunged from many dioceses due to the emphatic aspect of its lyrics as much as the music itself, and the contrast they provide with the holiday liturgy", according to Paris publication Le Dictionnaire du Foyer Catholique.^[2]

Since the song's creation, there have been demonstrations of spiritual usage of the song within Christian circles. One legend states that in 1870, French troops sung the song on Christmas Eve during the Franco-Prussian War during trench warfare, and combat temporarily ceased. In 2004, the song was sung by a Catholic priest to a dying American Marine soldier while deployed in Fallujah, Iraq.^[2]

William Studwell stated in his book The Christmas Carol Reader that "O Holy Night" is "the most popular carol in France and belongs in the upper echelon of carols on an international basis."^[4] It is common tradition in French and Canadian culture to have a solo performance at Midnight Mass. Its difficult higher registers result in anticipation that its wide range of notes be sung on pitch.^[2][13][10]

In recent history the song has been covered in a variety of Christmas album collections, across a range of genres and song styles. Popular covers of the song include renditions by Michael Crawford, Mariah Carey, NSYNC, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Josh Groban, Celine Dion, Ella Fitzgerald, Carrie Underwood, Andrea Bocelli, Jennifer Hudson, and Kelly Clarkson.^{[citation needed]} In a 2010 survey conducted by Zogby International, "O Holy Night" was ranked as the most popular Christmas song, ahead of "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Song".^[14]

The song has been recorded by numerous pop, classical, and religious singers. Several renditions by popular artists have appeared on record charts:

• 1994: Mariah Carey, from her first studio holiday album, Merry Christmas, reached No. 70 on the U.S. Billboard Holiday 100 chart.^[15] It was re-released as a single in 1996 and 2000; a re-recorded live rendition is included on her 2010 follow-up album Merry Christmas II You. In 2023, her single was certified Platinum in the United States by RIAA for selling over 1 million units.^[16] It reached No. 28 in Italy and it was certified Gold.^[17] It reached the top-twenty in Iceland, peaking at number 19.^[18]
• 1996: John Berry No. 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart^[19]
• 1996: Trans-Siberian Orchestra recorded a medley of the song along with "O Come, All Ye Faithful" for Christmas Eve and Other Stories; in 2021 it peaked at No. 3 on the Hard Rock Digital Song Sales,^[20] and in 2023 it peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Christian Digital Song Sales chart,^[21] No. 11 on the Rock Digital Song Sales,^[22] and No. 23 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart^[23]
• 1997: Martina McBride No. 74 on Hot Country Song chart (also No. 67 in 1998, No. 49 in 1999, No. 57 in 2000, and No. 41 in 2001)^[24]
• 1998: Celine Dion No. 44 on Billboard's Holiday chart;^[25] in 2014, Nielsen SoundScan reported that her version had sold 240,000 copies in the U.S.^[26]
• 2002: Josh Groban No. 1 Billboard Adult Contemporary chart^[27]
• 2006: Josh Gracin No. 59 on Hot Country Songs chart^[28]
• 2010–2011: Glee cast No. 1 U.S. Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart^[29]
• 2012: Ladywell Primary School in Motherwell, Scotland, released "O Holy Night" as a digital download on November 21, 2012. The school donated 90 percent of proceeds from the song to the Meningitis Research Foundation in memory of a student who had died of meningococcal septicaemia. The remaining 10 percent went to school funds.^[30] It reached No. 39 on the UK Singles Chart.^[31]
• 2017–2018: Lauren Daigle No. 14 U.S. Billboard Christian adult contemporary,^[32] No. 33 U.S. Hot Christian Songs,^[33] and No. 33 U.S. Christian Airplay^[34] charts

• List of Christmas carols

Wikisource has original text related to this article:

O Holy Night

•  French Wikisource has original text related to this article: Minuit chrétiens
• "Cantique de Noël": Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Free sheet music for voice and piano, Cantorion.org
• Sheet music and musical details, artsongcentral.com
• "Minuit Chrétien" on YouTube, Charles Jauquier [fr] (original French version)