After the premiere performance of Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht on Christmas Eve 1818 at St Nicholas parish church in Oberndorf, Austria, the song’s fame quickly spread. In fact as early as 1839 it is recorded as having been played on Wall Street in New York.
Proper acknowledgment of the lyricist, a parish priest named Joseph Mohr, did not spread quite as fast however, and in fact became something of a mystery. It wasn’t until 1995 that a document was found proving Mohr’s authorship.
