Silent Night was composed and first performed in 1818 by the teacher Franz Xaver Gruber in the small Austrian community of Oberndorf, not far from Salzburg. The lyrics were written in 1816 by the priest Joseph Mohr.
Since the organ of Oberdorf were broken, the two were looking for a musical alternative - and "invented" Silent Night. The song was later transmitted by Tyronlian singers and is now considered to be the World's most popular Christmas carol.
Silent Night has been translated into more then 300 different languages and dialects and exists in variations all over the world.
