"O Holy Night" (French: Cantique de Noël) is a well-known Christmas carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" (Midnight, Christians) by a wine merchant and poet, Placide Cappeau (1808–1877).
In Roquemaure at the end of the year 1843, the church organ was recently renovated. To celebrate the event, the parish priest asked Cappeau, native from this town, to write a Christmas poem, even though the latter never showed an interest in religion, and Cappeau obliged.
Soon after, Adam wrote the music. The song was premiered in Roquemaure in 1847 by the opera singer Emily Laurey.
Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music, created a singing edition based on Cappeau's French text in 1855. In both the French original and in the two familiar English versions of the carol, as well as many other languages, the text reflects on the birth of Jesus and of humanity's redemption.
The song has also been recorded by many notable singers including Anita Bryant, Mariah Carey, Cher, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, The Lettermen, Jessica Simpson, Donna Summer, Andy Williams and David Phelps.
On December 24, 1906, Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor, broadcast the first AM radio program, which started with a phonograph record of Handel's aria "Ombra mai fu" followed by Fessenden playing "O Holy Night" on the violin and singing the final verse. As such, the carol was the second piece of music to be broadcast on radio.
Tenor Enrico Caruso recorded a version in 1916 which is still in print today.
Mireille Mathieu sang the song with her father Roger Mathieu on her Chante Noël 1968 album. It was re-released as a CD in 2004 with three additional songs.
David Foster arranged and produced the song successfully for several different artists including: Michael Crawford, whose rendering in the 1993 TV special The David Foster Christmas Album was also featured on Foster's best-selling corresponding album (No. 48 Billboard Top 200 in 1993) as well as Crawford's own A Christmas Album (No. 98 Billboard Top 200 in 1999); the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's platinum-selling DVD The Ghosts of Christmas Eve (1999); Michelle Williams on Destiny's Child's 2001 album 8 Days of Christmas; Celine Dion's rendering was voted most popular in a 2004 poll and featured on her 5× platinum album These Are Special Times; Josh Groban (No. 1 Billboard Adult Contemporary in 2002); Andrea Bocelli for his 2009 double platinum My Christmas album; and, most recently, Jackie Evancho for her 2010 EP O Holy Night. Italian operatic pop trio Il Volo have also recorded a version of "O Holy Night."
Four country music artists have charted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts with renderings of "O Holy Night": John Berry charted at No. 55 in 1996 and No. 63 in 1998; Martina McBride's rendering charted on five separate occasions, peaking at No. 74 in 1997, No. 67 in 1998, No. 49 in 1999, No. 57 in 2000, and No. 41 in 2001; Josh Gracin's at No. 59 in 2006; and Edens Edge's at No. 59 in 2012.
