O Holy Night is one of the greatest and most popular songs ever written. It has been sung by countless singing artists over the years. But it was a song with an unlikely birth and a perilous journey toward maturity.
An Unlikely Beginning
At the request of a French parish priest, the words were penned by a wine merchant, poet, and socialist who left the church — Placide Cappeau. The music was written by his friend, a Jewish composer, Adolphe Adam. For those reasons, it was eventually banned by the church in France but became popular in the United States when an American clergyman-abolitionist, John Sullivan Dwight, translated it into English. It became an anthem for the abolitionist movement in America. 1 It was also the first song played over the airwaves with the new technology that would become known as the “radio.”
[Click below to hear the fascinating story behind the Christmas classic]
My Top Ten Favorite Performances of “O Holy Night”
Here is a list (in no particular order) of my TEN favorite performances of this Christmas classic. Enjoy!
1. Carrie Underwood
Not the strongest voice on my list, but one of the purest. I love the simple way she approaches the song, with just a hint of Country!
2. David Phelps
Few can put a performance together like The Gaithers. This is a live performance that is a bit dated, but still powerful. David Phelps gets top marks for the most emotionally charged performance.
3. King’s College, Cambridge: Boy’s Choir
There is something pure and beautiful about the sound of a boys’ choir. And there are few better than King’s College at Cambridge. A beautiful and straightforward rendition.
4. Mario Lanza
This may be more nostalgia than anything else — Mario Lanza is my Mom’s favorite. He did have a beautiful tenor voice that serves the Christmas classic well and stands the test of time.
5. Luciano Pavarotti
I had a hard time deciding between Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. I have a personal bias for Domingo (he’s a Spaniard). But, after listening to both numerous times I have to admit it — Pavarotti was the best.
6. Martina McBride
I’m not a big Country and Western Fan, so I kind of stumbled onto Martina’s performance, and WOW! She has an amazing voice. A beautiful and unpretentious performance has made me a new Martina fan!
7. Jennifer Hudson
I rooted for her on American Idol and cheered for her at the Academy Awards (which she won for Dream Girls). If I had to choose the top 3 — her performance would be there — it’s beautiful, powerful, effortless.
8. Amira Willinghagen
When she won 2013 Holland’s Got Talent at the age of nine, she blew me away. Here she is in 2015. I include it in my Top Ten because her performance is pure, stunning, simple, and angelic. And she’s only eleven years old!
9. Jordan Smith
I loved watching Jordan win The Voice in 2015. He has a beautiful tenor and I thoroughly enjoyed his beautiful and sensitive rendition of the Christmas classic.
10. Mahalia Jackson
Sometimes a voice comes from a place down-deep in the soul. Mahalia Jackson was “the Queen of Gospel Music,” a vocal civil rights activists, and the most powerful black woman of her era. And she could sing!
HONORABLE MENTION — Josh Groban
Josh is one of my favorite singers, so I just couldn’t leave him out. His voice is flawless in this simple and powerful approach.
There they are … my top ten best. Who did I leave out? What are some of your favorites?