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Music

Silent Night - A Song for the World

November 17, 2020

Silent Night is one of the world’s most loved Christmas carols. This film tells its story - from the composition, to the meaning of the lyrics, to how Silent Night was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011.

https://p.dw.com/p/3lRtr
Deutschland Stille Nacht Kapelle in Oberndorf
Image: F. Pritz/picturedesk.com/picture-alliance
Dokumentation Stille Nacht
Image: c major

It was 1818 when Franz Xaver Gruber set Joseph Mohr’s poem Silent Night to music, and the song Silent Night was born. The carol was first performed that Christmas Eve in Austria, sending its message of peace into a time marked by war, hunger, disease and natural disasters. After that first performance, the song made its way to Tyrol, Berlin, Hamburg and to America. Gradually, the carol became known around the world. It even inspired peace - if only fleetingly.

On Christmas Eve 1914, at the beginning of World War One, soldiers in the trenches on the Flanders front laid down their rifles and helmets and sang Silent Night, among other carols. 

Deutschland Bdt Weihnachtslied
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Kappe

Today, Silent Night is a cultural phenomenon and has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects. Versions have been recorded by famous singers, including Bing Crosby, whose recording of Silent Night has sold 30 million copies to date, making it the third best-selling music single of all time.

Hotel Sacher in Salzburg
Salzburg, AustriaImage: picture alliance/dpa/P. Mayall

In this documentary, director Hannes Michael Schalle tracks the journey of the beloved carol. It takes the viewer to the birthplace of the song in Austria, as well as to New York, London and Berlin. The documentary also features interviews with numerous musicians who speak about their own Christmas traditions, their favorite Christmas songs, and what Silent Night means to them.


Broadcasting Hours: 

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THU 24.12.2020 – 01:15 UTC
THU 24.12.2020 – 05:15 UTC
FRI 25.12.2020 – 09:15 UTC
SAT 26.12.2020 – 19:15 UTC
SUN 27.12.2020 – 02:15 UTC

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FRI 25.12.2020 – 09:15 UTC

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