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To this day, "O Holy Night" is sung at Chris- tian churches of all denominations around the world and it remains a much-anticipated high point of the Christmas celebration. Its power lies not only within its elegant lyricism but also within the music of the piece itself. Nolen describes the main melody as one that contin- ually rises and falls, imitating Christ's descen- sion to earth in the form of an innocent child; a simple act of divine power. These ideas are reflected in Adam's composition. "The apex of the piece is when we hear 'O night,' and it's not just some other night, it's the Night Divine and through the repetition as it's moving down, [Adam] is painting that idea of the Night Divine when Christ was born," Nolen explained. "And again, that idea, the melody starts high on 'night' and then as we get to the birth of Christ, the melody comes down. It's this this continual motion of reminding ourselves, if you will, of God's condescension to us in human form." Christmas presents an opportunity each year to truly reflect upon what is most important in people's lives. Family, friends, food and gifts are all joyful and important parts of the season, but it bespeaks something deeper that an explic- itly Christian holiday is such a stronghold of Looking at the text, I think about how much we want as human beings what's in this text. We want his love. We want his gospel of peace. We want all oppression to cease." CHARLES NOLEN THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE MELODY When he wrote the timeless melody that would become synonymous with "O Holy Night" in 1847, French composer Adolphe Adam was best known for his ballets. With a deep understanding of popular music and what moved people at the time, Adam wrote the music with the intent to have it performed by a capable opera singer. And indeed, it was premiered by a soprano vocalist, thus cementing its place in the upper echelon of Christmas music. 22 DECEMBER 2020 | DENVER CATHOLIC