Silent Night Variations - D Major

Silent Night, Holy Night - Theme and two variations

The beautiful Christmas carol Silent Night is one of the best-loved carols in the world.

The author of the original lyrics (in German) was Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), a Catholic priest.

The English translation was realized by Bishop John Freeman Young (1820-1885).

The music was composed by Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863), an Austrian primary school teacher, church organist and composer of the 19th century.

Mohr and Gruber first performed Silent Night on December 24, 1818, at Christmas Mass in St. Nicholas Church in Austria, with guitar accompaniment, and with the St. Nicholas choir repeating the last two lines of each verse.

This score is an arrangement of Silent Night for voice and piano.

It is set in the key of D Major.

The vocal range is D4 to G5 (C4 = middle C).

This score includes the complete lyrics in English (3 verses).

This score consists in a theme followed by two variations in the piano accompaniment.

Please note that Silent Night is also available in its standard version (all three verses sung with the same piano accompaniment).

Duration : 03:12

Source : Franz Xaver Gruber, Miscellaneous Songs & Carols.