‘Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht’

‘Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht’, first line of what is perhaps, outside Germany, the best-known German Christmas carol. It was written on Christmas Eve 1818 by Joseph Mohr (1792-1848), a young priest, at Oberndorf near Salzburg. The melody was composed by Franz Gruber (1787-1863), organist at the neighbouring village of Arnsdorf. The carol was not published until 1834.