Day 10 - Christmas - Reflections, Reminiscing, Rememberance

[Helen427]

Twas the night before Christmas in 1818, Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber created the Christmas Carol  "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" Silent Night, Holy Night now the common property of the entire Christian world , was performed for the first time  in Austria .

2018 marks the 200th anniversary of this song and may it be played, sung and shared all around the world to unite us in harmony on 24 December 2018.

May we all take a step back in time to reflect on what life was like 200 years ago for those who lived and made such incredible contributions to our society.

All the best to those who are in Austria for this incredible anniversary, I'm sure that there will be many who visit your lovely country singing this hymn in years to come.

Official Website for Commemerations of Stillenacht

https://www.stillenacht.com/en/

The Quiet Hour

"Silent Night, Holy Night"

High up in the Austrian Alps, in the region known as Tyrol - 'the land in the mountians' - we find the brithplace of the "Silent Night, Holy Night." Here the Tyrloean peaks, world famed for their snow-capped grandeur, rise in the lofty simplicity into the cool clear air, guarding little, smiling, peaceful valleys.

"Far up in these Alpine mountian, where a love of music is nature's gift to every child, nestles the remote town of Oberndorf, Austria. Here in 1818 lived a devout young Austrian priest, Joesph Mohr, & his friend, the village school master & church organist, Franz Gruber, who were together destined to give the world this beautiful Christmas hymn. The two men, both great lovers of music, had often talked of the fact that 'the perfect Christmas song had not yet been.

"Mediatating on this thought, Mohr sat in his church study on Christmas Eve 1818.

Outside, the hushed stillness of the night heightened the snowclad beauty of the mountian scene. the pure spririt of those high peaks filled his heart with vision of the radiant peace and joy ofthe first Christmas tidings 'Jesus the Saviour is born'. The thoughts which had long been forming in his mind suddenly found clear, musical expression that night in the song which we have come to know as 'Silent Night, Holy Night'.

"The next morning, Christmas day, Mohr hurried to his friend's home with the manuscript of his precious song. Gruber read it intently, and exclained with uncontrolled enthusiasm, 'Friend Mohr, you have found it - the right song - God be praised'!

"Gruber, thrilled with the spirit of his friend's verses, at once set to work to compose a perfect melody for the 'perfect song'. Fianlly the  soft, flowing air we now use came to him. 'It sings itself, you song,' he criued to the delighted priest. Gruber's real contribution to music lies in the beauty and simplicity of the tune, in is perfect blending in spirit with Mohr's verses. the two men then sang the hymn over together, to have it ready for the church service that night.

'Later in the same evening, when the villagers gathered in the gray little mountian church, Mohr and Gruber sang their new Christmas song before its first audience. it touched these listeners deeply, and after the service, they thanked the two friends with tears of joy in their eyes."

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.

Silent Night, Holy Night!

Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories streamfrom heavens afar,

Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia;

Christ, the saviour is born.

Silent Night, Holy Night!

Son of god, Love's pure light,

Radiant beams from Thy Holy face,

With the dawn pf redeeming grace,

Jesus, Lord at Thy birth

Silent Night, Holy Night!

Guiding star, lend thy light,

see the eatern wise men bring,

Gifts and homage to our King,

Jesus, the Saviour is born.

Text courtesy of the National Library New Zealand  -Papers Past NZ https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MTBM19391220.2.6

The words of this sacred song were written by Vicar Josef Mohr and the music by school teacher Franz Xaver Gruber, who at it's fiirst performance, on December 24, 1818, accompanied himself on a guitar.

The identical musucial instrument was to be used by Professor Felix Gruber, the grandson of the composer, in singing the carol after the consecration & opening of the chapel at Oberndorf, near Salzburg - text courtesy of Evening Star, Issue 22769, 2 October 1937 Papers Past NZ

Mozart's Grand Piano

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19371002.2.30.1

When @Lizzie placed online about the Month of Celebration topic, in my wisdom I thought, what can I write about that may be different so I looked up the year "1818", 200 years ago, in Papers Past and have come up with an array of Past, Present and future items I hope we all can take inspiration from, share, reflect, reminisce and reflect on for the betterment of the whole world.

In advance, for those of you reading this topic, I will be posting images that may use up Data on your internet plan so if you are on Limited data save it to read when you are on another device

[Helen427]

THE WINTER AT HOME.

For the poor of tho Old Country a winter following upon a year of dull trade is always bitter, but this season has been exceptionally severe. Christmas is traditionally heralded by a snowstorm, but on the present occasion the holiday week has been marked by a terrible blizzard. It is many a year since so heavy a snowstorm has been known. There have been severer storms in past years, especially in Scotland, where shepherds have been buried in. the drifts, and so far as actual cold is concerned there have been many more trying seasons in England. In 1818 Dr E. D. Clarke, a well-known traveller, was nearly frozen to death near Cambridge, and there were deaths in many part 3 of the country. In 1860 an observer at Nottingham reported that on the night of December 24 there were 45 degrees of frost, and the cold spell in that year lasted over Boxing Day. Even at midday the thermometer on the grass showed 30 degrees of frost. The 24 degrees of frost recorded this year in Essex are enough to keep people indoors, of, course, and it is no consolation to the poor to be told that there have been colder years. In the year 1205, according to the chronicler Stowe, there was a spell of frost lasting from January 14 to March 22, and the ground was frozen so hard that it could not be ploughed. Ever since that fatal year it has been the custom in England to speak of January 14 as the coldest day, and curiously enough the records show that this particular date has often been marked by an exceedingly low temperature. But the heaviest frosts at Home usually begin in Christmas week. This was the case with the famous frost of 1813 and 1814. On December 27 the temperature fell suddenly, and there was no thaw until January 26. Then the ice broke on the Thames and crushed downstream until it was arrested by another frost, and in February it was possible to cross the river at any point on foot. Sheep were roasted at fires built on the ice and booths were erected by enterprising tradesmen. There was a “ frost fair ” on the Thames in January, 1684, again in 1716, in 1740 and in 1788. The frost of 1684 lasted for seven weeks, and tho ice on tho Thames wan a foot and a half thiolc. “The Thames before London,” says Evelyn, the diarist, “ was planted with booths in formal streets, all sorts of trades and shops, furnished and full of commodities, even to a printing press, where the people and Indies took a fancy to have their names printed, and the day and the year set ..down when produced on the Thames. Coaches plied from Westminster to the Temple and from other stairs, to and fro, as in the streets; slods, sliding with skates, or bulk baiting, horse and coach races, puppet shows and interludes, cooks, tippling and other lewd places; so that it seemed to be a bacchanalian triumph or carnival on the water.” The King was among the visitors to the fair. Evelyn records that trees were split by the frost, animals were frozen, and public subscriptions had to be raised to keep the poor alive. It used to be the custom for the loafers and-unem-ployable to join the unemployed in trooping through the streets in a severe winter, chanting “ We’ve got no work to do!” These demonstrations usually drew money from charit-

able people. The blizzard this year has incidentally provided work for the poor, because the streets of London have been rendered practically impassable by the snow, but the work of shovelling snow is at best cold comfort. The curious will not fail to observe that while the Old Country has been in the grip of the winter fiend Victoria has been sweltering in excessive heat.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/LT19090101.2.29

[Helen427]

Some young New Zealanders in for a Merry Christmas - 19 December 1907

This image is from 101 years ago..

Some young New Zealander's in for a Merry Christmas - 19 December 1907

[Helen427]

Christmas Party for British Children in New Zealand given by the United Kingdom High Commisioner - 29 December 1943

Christmas Party for British Children in New Zealand given by the United Kingdom High Commissioner - 29 December 1943

Are you related to, or do you know any of these children in the photograph?

[Robin4]

@Helen427

Gee Helen you have some wonderful material there and thanks for history behind Silent Night. Many great things and marvelous talents came out of Austria....with one notable exception!

Not wishing to take anything away from that great post Helen, but can I introduce a bit of humour and take the other tack and go to the other extreme where the song is concerned.! By the look of it this goes back way further than 1818....perhaps baby Jesus was wishing for Silent Night, Holy Night!!!

Ah rum-pa-pa-pum!

Ah Christmas brings out the best in us all...and a few home truths!!

Thanks Helen, you put a serious amount of effort and work into that!

Cheers......Rob

[Lizzie]

Hello @Helen427,

There is a wealth of information, you have shared here. I do think you would make a great detective! 🙂 Do you enjoy researching things?

It is very interesting that 'Silent Night' came from the Austrian Alps. I will always think of you when I hear this carol now. 🙂

Thank you so much for creating this topic and taking part in the Month of Celebration. 

Lizzie

[Helen427]

@Lizzie@J-Renato0@Huma0@Βασίλης-and-Ann0@Robin4@Rachel349@Rachel606and @everyone- else

I've always loved the thrill of a little detective work and are known to do a little of that on my travels but we won't venture there publicly!

I'll take some of those stories with me to my grave and leave you all awaiting til then and you'll all look back in wonder.

Meanwhile I'm happy to share thses one's on here.

Enjoy the journey

Thanks

[Helen427]

@LizzieCoincidently I just hosted a delightful man from Nouvelle Caledonia who works as a Forensic Scientist with the Police!

We were both in our element sharing stories I might ad

[Huma0]

@Helen427

Also, I once stayed at the former home of the guy who created the first commercial Christmas card. If you're interested, see my article here: https://schonmagazine.com/orestone-manor/

[Helen427]

Horsley Place, Surrey 1825

@Huma0@J-Renato0@Lizzie@Βασίλης-and-Ann0@Robin4@Quincy and @everyone-else

This image is in our Digital NZ database of where @Huma0 has mentioned John Callcott Horsley.

Neale, John Preston (British, b.1780, d.1847)

Horsley Place, Surrey.

1825

231-1967

Pears/Dunedin Public Art Gallery

Collection of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Purchased 1967 with funds from the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Society.

What an incredible story these people all have created for our betterment.

Fabulous script you wrote there @Huma0 and very pleased you included about The Botanicals 😉

I wonder what journals and family records the Horsley and other Families have who worked alongside him.

This article about the first Christmas card, from 16 December 1919 , 99 years ago almost to the date, pops up in the New Zealand National Library using his name as a keyword.

Perhaps we should try find some of his original creations tucked away.

Here and There.

THE FIRST CHRISTMAS CARD. The Christmas card cannot claim to have been established so long as other of our Christmas customs. The first Christmas card came into the world in 1846, when Sir Henry Cole gave Yuletide greetings to his friends with a card designed for him by John Callcott Horsley, R.A. Sir Henry and Cuthbert Bede ,Eeem to share between them the honour of intro- ■ during the Christmas card custom. The author of "Verdant Green" designed a card of his own in the 'forties, and suggested the idea of printing cards and putting them on the market for the public to some Newcastle printers. Christmas cards were first sold "in stationers' shops in the year 1847.

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW19191216.2.193

[Huma0]

Thank you @Helen427. As you can probably tell from the article, I ate quite a lot! The Botanical cocktail really was quite delicious too 🙂

[Helen427]

@Huma0I think you and I and Elizabeth (Her Majesty) would be in great company over a few Botanicals!

Could you imagine what fun we could all have together?

[Huma0]

@Helen427

Lol. I have actually met HM The Queen (and Prince Phillip, Princess Anne, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown). Sorry for the name dropping!

To cut a long story short, I used to work in Governmental Affairs. I remember going to meetings at Buckingham Palace and the offices there were very dowdy indeed. However, the staff canteen was AMAZING!

[Helen427]

Oh I do hope you are not breaking protocol mentioning those things on here @Huma0 😉

I wish I had have had more courage to go and at least say Hello to Elizabeth and Philip when they were in New Zealand but was a little to shy and young and perhaps not as bold as I am today!

Wait til I put the photo I've found in here of a Royal who visited New Zealand...It's priceless

[Huma0]

@Helen427

Now that you mention it, I do vaguely remember signing some sort of confidentiality agreement. Oops!

[Lizzie]

This is pretty cool, @Huma0 and who doesn't love a bit of name dropping once in a while! 🙂