Thursday, December 24, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2015!!!

A Merry Christmas to all readers of good will!

For this year's nativity scene I chose a 2002 painting by Simon Dewey, "For God So Loved the World".


 photo ForGodsolovedtheworld-Simon_Dewey_zpstwen3bmh.jpg


I thought a performance of "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" by the Wiener Saengerknaben might be in order. I actually wonder why I never thought of that before.




Silent night, holy night,
all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
shepherds quake at the sight;
glories stream from heaven afar,
heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light;
radiant beams from thy holy face
with the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.

Silent night, holy night,
wondrous star, lend thy light;
with the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!



In all likelihood the most popular Christmas carol, it was composed in 1818 by a Franz Xaver Gruber, a schoolmaster and organist in Arnsdorf in what was then the Austrian Empire. The lyrics however had been written already two years before by Father Joseph Mohr, a young priest in the village of Oberndorf, and it was in his parish church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas, that the first performance took place, on Christmas Eve 1818.



Good night,


MFBB.

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