School Changes Silent Night Lyrics... my town

[Disney Doll]

I am not picking a side on this one because I don't care one way or the other. Not my school, not my kid - don't care.

But .... I really don't think the reason they changed the words is because they don't want anybody to be offended. I don't think I know anybody that's offended by Christmas music. They do it to be inclusive.

If you're going to cast aspersions on their motives - cast aspersions on their actual motives and not some made up motives.

But then they are not including the people who have those particular religious beliefs. So again, is inclusiveness for everyone except Christians???

You see, the problem with PC-ness is that you end up offending someone, regardless of how altruistic your motive may be.

Best to call it a winter concert and have all kinds of music...Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Christmas (secular and/or non-secular).

 

[marcyinPA]

Taking apart the lyrics they used

Silent Night Holy Night (line 1 on all 3 verses in original English version
All is Calm All is Bright (line 2 verse 1)
Glories stream from Heaven afar (line 3 verse 2)
Heavenly Hosts sing alleluia (line 4 verse 2)
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (line 5 verse 1)
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (line 6 verse 1)

If I didn't know this was done to avoid "offending" anyone I would presume that the director got the lyrics of the verses mixed up.

Tammy

Ok- I will admit that I did not read the original article. But now seeing the lyrics, this is one of the verses in Silent Night. Our church sings all of the verses on Christmas Eve (by candlelight- beautiful!!) and this is one of them- word for word. (Comes from the hymn book in our Presbyterian church too ).

I feel better about the situation now. They didn't change the words. They sang one of the verses.

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

Ok- I will admit that I did not read the original article. But now seeing the lyrics, this is one of the verses in Silent Night. Our church sings all of the verses on Christmas Eve (by candlelight- beautiful!!) and this is one of them- word for word. (Comes from the hymn book in our Presbyterian church too ).

I feel better about the situation now. They didn't change the words. They sang one of the verses.

If that's what they sang, they didn't change lyrics, but they omitted. "Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild were cut out as well as Christ the Savior is born and Shepherds quake at the sight. Those are all in the first two verses. Not one verse was sung as written.

If that much needs to be omitted for the song to be deemed acceptable to sing, pick a different song.

 

[marcyinPA]

If that's what they sang, they didn't change lyrics, but they omitted. "Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild were cut out as well as Christ the Savior is born and Shepherds quake at the sight. Those are all in the first two verses. Not one verse was sung as written.

If that much needs to be omitted for the song to be deemed acceptable to sing, pick a different song.

Now I can't wait until Christmas Eve because I swear this is one of the verses we sing. Now you have me doubting myself

 

[wdwcoltsfan]

Now I can't wait until Christmas Eve because I swear this is one of the verses we sing. Now you have me doubting myself

We went caroling on Saturday and Silent Night was one of the songs we sang. I had to check my lyrics sheet to make sure. I wasn't positive until I looked at them, too.

 

[marcyinPA]

If that's what they sang, they didn't change lyrics, but they omitted. "Round yon virgin, mother and child, Holy infant so tender and mild were cut out as well as Christ the Savior is born and Shepherds quake at the sight. Those are all in the first two verses. Not one verse was sung as written.

If that much needs to be omitted for the song to be deemed acceptable to sing, pick a different song.

Oh, never mind. I read that whole thing wrong. I see what they did. They selected different lines from different verses and smooshed them together. I get it now. Yeah, not liking that. Should have sung it right or left it out.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

I don't believe there's a "War on Christmas" and I don't think religion has a place in public schools, but I agree that the school should not have done this. It ruins a perfectly good piece of music.

There is nothing wrong with non-Christians singing a Christian holiday song, any more than there is anything wrong with Christians singing Hanukkah songs. It's a piece of music and children who are learning music should learn the purpose behind it. This song was developed to inspire Christian piety, the words are inherent to its origins and set the tone for the singers. The children certainly don't have to care about what they're singing anymore than they should be expected to care about the words of a bible studied in literature class. I mean, I never did.

If the school didn't think it could have the children sing the song without offending someone, then they should have chosen another song or replaced the entire thing with new words (like with Oh, Tannenbaum!, which has been re-done a million times). Alternatively, they could have sung it in the original German, as my school's chorus did every year.

Changing the words like they did was just dumb, and bound to make folks complain.