O Holy Night

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.

Every once in a while, I find a song to be so deeply powerful in its words, or music, or performance, and this is one of them. Many people have recorded this song, but no one does it as well as John Berry. The video of him singing it is lovely. He's in a church, alone, and there is a single beam of light on him as he sings. The backdrop is a stained glass window of Madonna and Child. It's simple and its beautiful.

You can tell, listening to him sing it, that he has found something deep within himself, something so alive and powerful, and he brings that out in this song. It gives me goosebumps every single time I hear him sing it and occasionally it can move me to tears. No other person performing this song has the same effect.

And to me, that is what Music is all about... The power to move people. The power to make a difference. The power to inspire. The power to change lives. It can and does change people, and generations, and at times, even the world. The songwriters of today are our poets. And when music can change moods, when words can change lives, what a gift that is!

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!

My mother never knew the gift of music. And yet it is a daily influence on my life. It lifts my moods, helps me think through situations, inspires me in difficult times, and often gives me new perspective on things. I listen to it every single time I'm in the car, constantly searching for the right song to fit my mood. I sang to my children all the time and was always teaching my students songs. The melodies affect me, the words inspire me. Every single day of my life. And that is why I use songs for my blog.

O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!
O night, O Holy Night, O night divine!

When John Berry gets to the end of this song, you can feel the divine inspiration in his voice. My daughters know I believe in magic. Music is part of the magic of our world. How can it not be?

Merry Christmas!