Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976), was born in Toronto, Ontari… Read Full Bio ↴Percy Faith (April 7, 1908 – February 9, 1976), was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. After 1940, he moved to Chicago, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1945. He died in Encino, California, and is interred in Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Culver City, California.

Faith was a band-leader, orchestrator, and composer best known for his arrangements of standard tunes using lush string sections and female choruses. The latter sometimes sang, most often they just vocalized without words.

Faith's live orchestra was a staple of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's live-music broadcasts from 1938 to 1940. After moving to the U.S., Faith made many recordings for Voice of America. After working briefly for Decca Records, he went to work for Mitch Miller at Columbia Records. There, he turned out dozens of albums and provided arrangements for many of the pop singers of the 1950s. The use of the female chorus really became a Percy Faith signature with his mid-late 1960's "Young Lovers" projects; it was also used in his final Holiday album, "Christmas Is," released in 1967.

Faith's most famous and best-remembered recordings are "Delicado" (1952), "Moulin Rouge" (1953) and "Theme from A Summer Place" (1960).

Silent Night Holy Night
Percy Faith Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Silent night, holy night
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
Holy Infant so Tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night, holy night

Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia
Christ the Saviour is born
Christ the Saviour is born

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King
Christ the Saviour is here
Jesus the Saviour is here

Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace

Jesus Lord at thy birth
Jesus Lord at thy birth

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Percy Faith and His Orchestra's song "Silent Night, Holy Night" depict the birth of Jesus Christ in a manger in Bethlehem. The first verse describes the scene as "calm" and "bright," with the mother and child surrounded by a peaceful atmosphere. The second verse talks about the shepherds who witnessed the birth, with "glories stream[ing] from heaven afar" and "heavenly hosts" singing "Alleluia." The third verse speaks of the presence of a wondrous star and the joining of humanity with the angels singing praise to the King. The last verse acknowledges Jesus as the Son of God, the embodiment of pure love and light, and the one who brings redemption to the world.

The song was originally written in German by Franz Xaver Gruber and was later translated into English. It has become one of the most beloved Christmas carols of all time and is often performed in churches and public spaces during the holiday season. It has been covered by many artists over the years, including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, and Mariah Carey.

Line by Line Meaning

Silent night, holy night
Peaceful and sacred night

All is calm, All is bright
Everything is tranquil and illuminated

Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child
The Virgin Mary and her baby son

Holy Infant so Tender and mild
The child is innocent and gentle

Sleep in heavenly peace
Rest in divine tranquility

Shepherds quake at the sight
The shepherds tremble at the vision

Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly splendor fills the sky

Heavenly hosts sing Al-le-lu-ia
Angels sing praises to God

Christ the Saviour is born
The Messiah has come into the world

Wondrous star, lend thy light
The shining star is magnificent

With the angels let us sing
Let us join in song with the heavenly messengers