O Holy Night



"O Holy Night" ("Minuit, chretiens", "Minuit, chretien" in original edition, or "Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) written by wine merchant and poet Placide Cappeau (1808–1877). In both the French original and the English version of the carol, as well as in many other languages, the text reflects on the birth of Jesus as humanity's redemption.

History


In Roquemaure at the end of 1843, the church organ had recently been renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest persuaded wine merchant and poet Placide Cappeau, a native of the town, to write a Christmas poem. Soon afterwards that same year, Adolphe Adam composed the music. The song was premiered in Roquemaure in 1847 by the opera singer Emily Laurey. Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, translated the song into English lyrics in 1855.

Recordings
The song has been recorded by numerous well-known popular-music, classical-music, and religious-music singers. Some notable versions include:


 * 1959: Jussi Bjorling recorded a Swedish version 'O Helga Natt'
 * 1960: Nat King Cole, on his album The Magic of Christmas
 * 1968: Mahalia Jackson, on her album Christmas With Mahalia
 * 1968: Mireille Mathieu, with her father Roger Mathieu, on her Chante Noël album (re-released as a CD in 2004 with three additional songs)
 * 1990: Patti LaBelle, on her album This Christmas.
 * 1992: Bill Pinkney, accompanied by The Original Drifters, for the Wisepack White Christmas Compilation CD
 * David Foster arranged and produced the song successfully for several different artists, including:
 * 1993/1999: Michael Crawford, on Foster's best-selling The Christmas Album (No. 48 Billboard Top 200), and on the corresponding TV special The David Foster Christmas Album; as well as Crawford's own later A Christmas Album (No. 98 Billboard Top 200)
 * 1999: Trans-Siberian Orchestra's platinum-selling DVD The Ghosts of Christmas Eve
 * 2002: Josh Groban (No. 1 Billboard Adult Contemporary)
 * 2004: Celine Dion, featured on her 5× platinum album These Are Special Times
 * 2009: Andrea Bocelli, for his double platinum My Christmas album
 * 1994: Mariah Carey's rendition, featured on her first studio holiday album, Merry Christmas, which sold 15 million copies worldwide, charted at No. 8 on the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart. It was rereleased as a single in 1996 and 2000. She released a re-recorded live rendition on her 2010 follow-up album Merry Christmas II You.
 * 1996: John Berry's version charted at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart.
 * 1997: Martina McBride's rendering charted at No. 74 on Hot Country Songs chart (also No. 67 in 1998, No. 49 in 1999, No. 57 in 2000, and No. 41 in 2001)
 * 2006: Josh Gracin's version charted at No. 59 on Hot Country Songs chart
 * 2013: Bastille's version Tuning Out has part of the original song, however it has altered lyrics and cuts out to another part of their song, Skulls.
 * 2019: Lea Michele covered the song as the final track of her album Christmas in the City.
 * 2019: Idina Menzel covered the song as a mash-up with "Ave Maria" for her second Christmas album Christmas: A Season of Love.