Silent Night, Holy Night

This DVD has been programmed for international play.

December 1914 was grim for the thousands of soldiers who had dug into the frozen trenches on either side of Flanders Field. What lay between them in the early months of the First Great War was a field of sorrow — No Man's Land — littered with barbed wire and decaying corpses.

But somehow, amidst the fear and anger, a miracle occurred. As Christmas Day approached, the weapons of war fell silent, men ventured out of the trenches, gifts were exchanged, and the sober duty of remembering the dead was commenced. For two days, the spirit of Christmas filled the air, and a remarkable "Christmas Truce" brightened spirits. When night fell, and that memorable Christmas slipped into the past, one last sound broke the silence: a chorus, from either side, singing, in native tongue, "Silent Night."

Distinguished newscaster Walter Cronkite was the special guest for the Choir's 2002 Christmas Concert. A highlight of the program was his narration of "Silent Night, Holy Night," the story of the Christmas Truce of 1914. This DVD presentation contains the entire concert of joyous Christmas music performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square.