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After all that raucous rock yesterday, I will tone it down today, and focus on the silencio of the season, and in song around Xmas. Two very different versions of Silent Night shall do the trick.

The first version, by Fred Lowery, is a peculiar sounding Silent Night. Peculiar because it is almost instrumental, and almost because it is whistled. Does that count as vocal sound or instrumental?.   Fred Lowery the performer of this song was a blind professional whistler! (2 November 1909 - 11 December 1984) During his career, he performed at Carnegie Hall and at the White House. Whistle blower at the White House ? Interesting choice for a profession. I am sure a Fred Lowery also visits number 10 occasionally.




Though this song is on Fred Lowery's Family Christmas album (on which he also sings), I got this track from a compilation of Christmas songs about ten years ago. The compiler Mohaha has kept posting these themed "mixtapes" since 2012. I am not sure whether there was (or will be one) this year. One would need to look him up. Search: Mohaha Dream Weapons, if you like this sort of thing. Other similarly odd xmas songs are part of his mix, check this page for a download of Xmas Delights One:  https://www.ghostcapital.org/xmas-delights-the-only-listenable-christmas-compilation-ever-a-moahaha-re-gift/

 

Some information about the origin of the Silent Night song:

"Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht") is a very popular Christmas carol. The original lyrics of the song Stille Nacht were written in German by the Austrian priest Father Josef Mohr and the melody was composed by the Austrian headmaster Franz Xaver Gruber in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria, and performed first on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in the village on the Salzach river. The version of the melody that is generally used today is a slow, meditative lullaby, differing slightly particularly in the final strain from Gruber's original, which was a sprightly, dance-like tune in 6/8 time.  

It would have sounded a bit like this here (if you'd play it a little faster) or like this mandolin version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7oJRJD4ebk

The English version of the song that spread more widely came only later. In 1863, John Freeman Young translated the song into the English version as it is sung today.

Though Fred Lowery's interpretation of Silent Night can do without these words, the most beautifully sung version by Sinead O'Connor cannot. Her version, which I believe was recorded for, and definitely used in, the movie Fred Claus in 2007. (Though I have to admit I have never seen it.) 

Sinead O'Connor here:

Have a great week.


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