Radio made this song a Christmas star

Songs of Advent Week 5 - O Holy Night

Merry Christmas! I hope you are surrounded by loved ones and filled with hope as you read this. There’s no better song to capture all that this day means than O Holy Night. It doesn’t feel like Christmas to me, in fact, until I hear it.

As a tribute to the history of the song, I’m publishing the final post in this series at 9 pm EST, when it was first played on the radio in 1906 in North America.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the series. If you’ve been lighting an Advent wreath, I hope this song blesses you as you light the Christ candle.

~AK

Do you remember the first song you ever heard on the radio?

Oh, sorry. A radio is a way to send electromagnetic signals over a long distance, to deliver sound from one place to another. A machine that sends these radio waves is called a transmitter, and the machine that "picks up" the signals is called a receiver or antenna. It’s how your grandparents used to listen to music.

Before Spotify or iTunes.

Believe it or not, there was a time when people didn’t hear songs over the airwaves or on any device. 

But then, on a cold winter night in 1906 the sweet sound of one of our most beloved Christmas carols interrupted the quietness of the night and filled the airwaves, the first song ever to be played on the radio:

In the town of Brant Rock, Massachusetts, Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, set up a microphone in a little studio and played the song on the violin. It was 9 pm on Christmas Eve and families were gathered in their homes ready to celebrate Christmas.

After he played the beautiful song he read the famous words from Luke’s gospel: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will." 

What a wonderful thought that a new technology would be used in such a way, to declare the gospel and share the good news about Jesus.

In our world of radio and podcasts and social media where every minute of every day people share, make noise, fill the airwaves, it is refreshing to look at this exciting moment in time. 

How wonderful that Reginald used this new platform to spread the good news. 

The lyrics of O Holy Night have touched lives for more than 150 years in languages around the world. In churches and performance halls, on YouTube and over the radio.

And that is because it spreads the message that Christ is the light that shone into our darkness.

That God loves us with an everlasting love and gave everything to rescue us from sin and despair.

That Jesus is truly the hope of the world who gives meaning to our lives.

As you celebrate the hope, peace, joy and love that is ours this Christmas–through fellowship and generosity and worship–may your hearts overflow. And may those who have yet to hear the good news hear it for the first time.

Response:

Take a moment to listen to the song below or to read the lyrics out loud and meditate on the words.

O Holy night!  The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of Faith serenely beaming
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming
Here come the Wise Men from Orient land
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger
In all our trials born to be our friend
He knows our need, to our weakness is no stranger
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is Peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name, all oppression shall cease
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we
Let all within us Praise His Holy name
Christ is the Lord; O praise His name forever!
His power and glory evermore proclaim
His power and glory evermore proclaim

About Songs of Advent

The music we sing at Christmas helps us to remember the story of Jesus and fills our hearts with hope, peace, love and joy. This series of readings–one for each week of the four Sundays of Advent, as well as a fifth reading for Christmas Day–looks at the inspiring stories behind some of our most beloved songs, including O Holy Night, Joy to the World, and Silent Night.

Enjoyed the series?

• Use the Christmas series in church next season. You can purchase at Skit Guys.

• Find it and more of Andrew’s Christmas content on YouVersion.

• Bring Songs and other resources to your classroom.

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