Born in Chicago, Illinois he was taught piano as a child and was part of his high school chorus. Luboff studied at the University of Chicago after which he wrote programs and sang for a Chicago radio station. In the mid-1940s, Luboff moved to New York City to expand his musical horizons but it would be in Hollywood where he would achieve national fame, doing the choral and vocal arrangements for a number of motion pictures. In 1950, he established the Walton Music Corporation to publish his musical works. However, he is best remembered as the founder and conductor of the Norman Luboff Choir, recognized worldwide as one of the leading choral groups of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. The choral group toured extensively and recorded more than seventy-five albums. The holiday albums Songs of Christmas (1956) and Christmas with the Norman Luboff Choir (1964) were perennial bestsellers for years, and the former remains in print as a compact disc re-release. Luboff and his choir also won the 1961 Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Chorus.
The Choir's "Songs of the Cowboy" and "Songs of the Trail" albums were released on CD in 1999 as "Cowboy's Dream" with 25 tracks.
Norman Luboff died of cancer at his home in Bynum, North Carolina in 1987. The Norman Luboff Collection was donated to the Music Division of the United States Library of Congress in 1993 by Mrs. Gunilla Marcus-Luboff.
Silent Night Holy Night
The Norman Luboff Choir Lyrics
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SPOKEN Intro: "To you the man, woman, the child we have never met but think of as a friend, this is Nelson Eddy wishing you a Christmas complete with the excitement and pleasure of giving and receiving presents and warm and inspiring with its spiritual beauty. May the coming year bring this blessed land of ours a little closer to that day of eternal Christmas, that day of peace on earth."
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!
Silent night! holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight
glories stream from heaven afar
heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!
The Norman Luboff Choir's version of Silent Night begins with a spoken introduction by Nelson Eddy, in which he expresses his heartfelt wishes for a joyous and peaceful Christmas. The song itself is a classic Christmas carol that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, and its lyrics are simple yet profound. The first stanza brings a gentle peace, evocative of the quiet and holy night on which Jesus was born. The iconic words "Silent night! Holy night! All is calm all is bright" create a sense of reverence and awe, as if we are transported to the stable where the miraculous event occurred. The second stanza adds a layer of excitement to the proceedings, as the shepherds tremble at the sight of angels heralding the birth of the Christ child. The "glories stream from heaven afar" as the "heavenly hosts sing Alleluia", giving voice to the hope and joy that the babe in the manger brings to the world. These two stanzas capture the essence of the Christmas story and express the timeless themes of peace, love, and redemption that are central to the holiday.
Line by Line Meaning
Silent night! Holy night!
On this peaceful, sacred night
All is calm all is bright
Everything is tranquil and luminous
round yon virgin mother and child
Nearby the pure mother and her baby
Holy infant so tender and mild
The sacred newborn, gentle and mild
sleep in heavenly peace!
Rest peacefully in divine serenity!
Silent night! holy night!
On this peaceful, sacred night
Shepherds quake at the sight
The shepherds tremble at what they see
glories stream from heaven afar
Radiant heavenly beings come from distant places
heavenly hosts sing Alleluia
Angelic armies praise and sing 'Hallelujah'
Christ the Saviour is born!
The Savior, Jesus Christ, is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!
The Savior, Jesus Christ, is born!
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DP, CHRIS HAZELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind