Franz Xaver Gruber

On 24 December 1818 Franz Xaver Gruber was handed a six-stanza poem by the priest Joseph Mohr and asked for music in time for that evening's service at St Nicholas in Oberndorf. He wrote a setting for two voices and guitar, and Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht was sung that night. Tyrolean singing families carried it on their tours, and print and translation spread it further. Its authorship became uncertain outside Salzburg until Gruber set down his own account of the evening. Born at Hochburg-Ach in Upper Austria in 1787, he trained as teacher and musician against his family's resistance and spent his working life in school and church posts at Arnsdorf, Oberndorf and Hallein, writing masses, hymns and organ music for local use. He died in 1863. The son of linen weavers, he learned his music from Georg Hartdobler, organist at Burghausen, took the school post at Arnsdorf in 1807 and added the organ and the choir at St Nicholas in 1816. He moved to Berndorf in 1829 and was later choir director, singer and organist at Hallein. He made further arrangements of the carol himself, for organ and for organ with orchestra.