O Holy Night
The first song ever broadcast on radio
♫ Lyrics
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
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, O holy night, O night divine!
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.
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!
❄ The Story
"O Holy Night" began as a French poem, "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians), written in 1843 by wine merchant and poet Placide Cappeau at the request of his parish priest. Cappeau asked composer Adolphe Adam — known for his ballet "Giselle" — to set it to music. The result premiered at midnight mass in Roquemaure, France, on Christmas Eve 1847.
The French church initially embraced the carol but later rejected it when they learned Cappeau had become a socialist and Adam was Jewish. Despite this, the song's popularity only grew. American Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight translated it into English in 1855, drawn particularly to the anti-slavery message in the verse "Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother." The carol became an anthem of the abolitionist movement in the years before the Civil War.
On Christmas Eve 1906, Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden broadcast "O Holy Night" on his violin — making it the first piece of music ever transmitted by radio. Ships at sea heard the broadcast, marking a revolutionary moment in communications history.
🎶 Notable Recordings
Perhaps the definitive operatic interpretation
A soaring pop-gospel rendition
A powerhouse vocal performance
A rich baritone version that became a modern classic
Fun Facts
"O Holy Night" was the first piece of music ever broadcast on radio — on Christmas Eve 1906 by inventor Reginald Fessenden.
The French church rejected the carol after learning the poet was a socialist and the composer was Jewish.
The abolitionist verse ("Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother") made it a protest song before the American Civil War.
Composer Adolphe Adam is better known for his ballet "Giselle" than for this beloved carol.