Monday, December 22, 2008

Great Music Monday-O Holy Night

This week's Great Music Monday is one of the greatest Christmas Carols of all time. Originally composed in 1847 by Adolphe Adams to a French poem, it has become a timeless classic that is beautiful whether sung by amateur or professional.

"O Holy Night" is a recounting of the birth of Jesus and celebrates the Holy night.

An interesting piece of history, "O Holy Night" was performed on violin in by Reginald Fessenden on December 24, 1906. Reginald Fessenden was a Canadian Inventor who broadcast the first AM radio program on that Christmas Eve, thus making "O Holy Night" the first song to ever be played on the radio.

Tonight, I am posting some of my favorite versions. The ones I feel are the most powerful renditions of this amazing song.

First, is one of the earliest versions I remember and the one that really made me fall in love with the song. It is performed by Country Music Star John Berry



Next, is one of the most amazing voices in modern music. No matter whether he is singing an Italian Opera, a Broadway Classic, or a Christmas Song, Josh Groban has a seemingly effortless power in his voice that transcends genre's.


Finally, going back to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and their great Christmas Opera on DVD, "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve" we find TSO teamed up with West End London and Broadway Tony Award Winning Legend Michael Crawford. Crawford is most noted for his portrayls in "Phantom of the Opera" but has done many other productions.


All of these rendetions are spectacular and can move the soul.




As a side note. I will probably be posting Great Music for Christmas every day this week, as we come to the end of the Advent season and celebrate the arrival of the Savior.

Merry Christmas.

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