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As Christmas approaches, musical scores come to life, filling the air with their festive spirit. In the second article of this series, This Is Beirut invites you to (re)discover three popular Christmas tunes that have soothed generations, perpetuating the magic of Christmas to this day.
As soon as the wind sweeps away the last russet leaves, nature hastens to adorn itself in an elegant white coat. Then, enchanting melodies begin to awaken, filling the atmosphere with sweet nostalgia. These tunes foreshadow the imminent arrival of this season’s magic and the warm festivities of Christmas. Despite the tragedies that stain the world and the vicissitudes of everyday life, the celebration of Christ’s birth endures, illuminating the darkness of these days with its unchanging brilliance. It offers a precious respite, inviting believers to reflect on the meaning of this divine incarnation and the manifestation of God’s immeasurable love for mankind. Beyond religious celebrations, Christmas remains a time conducive to unity, solidarity, neighborly love and festivity.
Throughout this festive season, a musical frenzy takes hold of the bustling streets of cities, the sacred naves of churches and the prestigious halls of opera houses. Whether religious or secular, artistic or popular, Western, Levantine, Orientalist or other, music manages to unite voices and hearts beyond cultural differences, thus instilling the joy of this holiday. On this occasion, This Is Beirut invites you on a musical journey to (re)discover the great Christmas classics. From timeless masterpieces by Western art music masters to captivating melodies of popular songs, ranging from traditional airs to contemporary compositions, these harmonies continue to light up Advent and Nativity celebrations with their vibrant colors.
In the second article of this series, This Is Beirut highlights three popular Christmas carols that have, over decades or even centuries, gained international fame. It would be appropriate to seize this opportunity to celebrate the indigenous religious music of the Levant, whether the Maronite Syriac chants that align with the popular musical traditions of the Levant or the Rum Orthodox chants, which, in turn, are akin to the artistic musical traditions of the Levant.
Adeste Fideles
Adeste Fideles is a traditional Christmas hymn dating back to the 18th century, whose origins are shrouded in uncertainty, casting a shadow of doubt over its authorship. Despite extensive research by Dom John Stephan, a Benedictine monk from Buckfast Abbey in England, the fundamental question of the song’s paternity remains unanswered. However, it is widely accepted that this chant is closely linked to John Francis Wade (1711-1786), a Roman Catholic plainsong copyist and publisher of the 18th century, in whose manuscripts Adeste Fideles first appears. According to the Irish musicologist William Henry Grattan Flood (1857-1928), the lyrics and music of this hymn are clearly attributable to a Catholic source and intended for Catholic worship. Indeed, John Francis Wade resided within an English Catholic community that had been exiled to France following the failure of the Jacobite rebellion of 1745. This revolt aimed to restore a Catholic monarch, James Stuart (1633-1701), the last Catholic king of the British monarchy, to the throne of England. According to British musicologist Bennett Zon’s hypothesis, the hymn could be interpreted as a call to arms, encouraging faithful Jacobites to return to England (Bethlehem) with triumphant joy and to worship the king of angels, that is, the English king.
Regardless, Adeste Fideles, meaning “Come, faithful” in Latin and widely known in English as O Come, All Ye Faithful, remains one of the most frequently performed songs during the Christmas season. In the video below, Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) delivers an admirable performance alongside the London Voices Choir and the National Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Kurt Herbert Adler (1905-1988).
Silent Night, Holy Night
Silent Night, Holy Night is one of the most iconic Christmas carols worldwide. Originally composed in German as Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht, this hymn has since been translated into over 330 languages and dialects. Its history traces back to the early 19th century in Austria. A manuscript found in 1995 attributes the lyrics to a young priest named Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), who is believed to have written them in 1816 in Mariapfarr, before being assigned to Oberndorf a year later. In 1818, Mohr entrusted these verses to Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863), an organist and teacher, asking him to compose music for two solo voices with a choir and guitar accompaniment. On the evening of December 24, 1818, Stille Nacht was performed for the first time at the Saint Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, captivating the audience with its simplicity and beauty. Legend has it that a broken organ inspired the creation of a simple melody for a guitar-accompanied performance. The fame of this hymn spread beyond the village borders thanks to Tyrolean folk singer families, the Strassers and the Rainers, who included it in their Christmas song repertoire in Tyrol, then in Leipzig and New York. By the turn of the century, Catholic and Protestant missionaries had helped disseminate it across all continents.
In the following video, the famed Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht is performed by the Vienna Boys’ Choir, also known as the Wiener Sängerknaben. This performance is from a CD released in 2015 by the prestigious Deutsche Grammophon record label. It is noteworthy that the Vienna Boys’ Choir is one of the oldest and most famous boys’ choirs in the world, dating back to 1498. Their musical excellence has contributed to maintaining their renown over the centuries.
Minuit, chrétiens
Minuit, chrétiens is a Christmas carol celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. It is often sung as the opening hymn during the midnight mass in the Catholic Church. The French poet Placide Cappeau (1808-1877) wrote its lyrics, and the French composer Adolphe Adam (1803-1856) composed its music. Its history dates back to 1847 in Roquemaure, a small village in the south of France. The parish priest, Father Maurice Gilles, requested Cappeau to write a poem to splendidly celebrate the restoration of the stained glass windows (or the organ) of the Collegiate Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, coinciding with the Christmas celebration. Cappeau, known for his anticlerical views, nonetheless accepted the priest’s request and wrote the lyrics for the song, which Adolphe Adam immediately set to music, considering it a “religious Marseillaise.” Minuit, chrétiens quickly gained great notoriety in France before being translated into several languages, including the famous O Holy Night in English. However, this carol has also not been without controversy. Indeed, certain specific phrases have been considered problematic by the Church, especially since the author is an atheist and uncertainties remain about the religious denomination of the composer, who is believed to be Jewish.
In the original version of Minuit, chrétiens, the God-Man, hence Christ, descends to mankind to “stop the wrath” of his Father, a depiction categorically rejected by Christian theology. This wrathful Father would evoke more the image of God in the Old Testament than the redemptive, love-filled God. The Revue de musique sacrée (Review of Sacred Music), dedicated to Catholic liturgical music, published several years later, “The Christmas piece by Adolphe Adam has been sung in many churches at midnight mass … perhaps it would be wise to abandon this piece whose popularity has become questionable. It is sung in the streets, in living rooms, in café concerts. It degenerates and debases. It is better to let it make its way far from the temple, where it can very well be done without.”
Yet nearly two centuries later, the work has, fortunately or unfortunately, withstood all these controversies. In the video below, the Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flórez sings Minuit, chrétiens with the Orchestra of the Municipal Theatre of Bologna under the direction of Michele Mariotti, as part of a CD released in 2010 by renowned record label Decca.
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