The most popular Christmas song

In 1831 in Germany "Silent night, holy night ..." appeared simultaneously in two song collections in Berlin and Dresden. Both place the name of the author writes: "The authors of the text and music are unknown." Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV you first heard in the winter of 1853. He so liked the Christmas song that called courtiers concertmaster and commanded him: "I find the author of the song!" The order of the king, however, still remained pending for a year and only one fluke enigma found its solution in December 1854.
Director of the Austrian people Salzburg, former concertmaster of the best known of the Prussian court, scolded one of the boys Felix Gruber, who he constantly sang wrong already popular Christmas song. On his remark made by the head of youth people responded very confidently and with pride: "At home we always sing" Silent Night "just this way. My father better than you know how to sing properly. Right at the end of all, he wrote that song. "
Surprised by the news director of people throw away all the commitments went to Halyayn where Gruber lived family and assured that the local organist and choir director of 67-year-old Franz Gruber is really unknown author of the mysterious music of "Silent night, holy night ...", sought by order of the Prussian king. For the author of the text Gruber named his friend, the priest Joseph Mohr.
Of course, creating this much loved Christmas song telling all sorts of stories, funny and unusual.
On December 23, 1818 Assistant Vicar of the church "Saint Nicholas" in Oberndorf, a village 20 km from Salzburg, Josef Mohr with horror discovered that mice pregrizli mechanisms of the body. What to do? Do you have a Nativity meat without music! And then a church employee came up saving thought: "You have our solemn song!"
On paper, almost on foot, he threw a few verses and endured to the neighboring town of Arnsdorf, where he lived the teacher and organist Gruber. After a long musician arrangements agreed to help his friend and wrote verses to a tune that should be performed by two soloists and chorus to the accompaniment of guitar.