Birthed as it was on the eve of another revolution, Cappeau and Adam’s song was praised by French poet Alphonse de Lamartine ...

In the fall of 1847, a French wine merchant, Placide Cappeau, was asked by his local priest to write a Christmas poem. Not long after, Placide Cappeau showed this poem, “Minuit, chrétiens,” to the ...

Already controversial in in France, “Cantique de Noël” made some people uneasy; but in America, the English translation into ...

Editor’s Note: Over the four weeks of Advent, alongside the release of season three of “Hark!,” our podcast about the meaning and making of our favorite Christmas carols, America staff will also share ...

Twenty-six years ago, George W. Hunt, S.J., then editor in chief of America, wrote that “O Holy Night” was one of his favorites among Yuletide songs, modestly adding: “I’ve sung it countless times in ...

Watch Lea Salonga perform 'O Holy Night' with The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra. The Christmas poem “Minuit, chrétiens,” written by a French merchant Placide Cappeau, was set to music by famed French ...