December is always connected in our minds with the coming holidays: Christmas and New Year.
And no wonder. They are the brightest celebrations of the year and everyone (young and old) is waiting for them. And everyone (even though not saying it aloud) is waiting for some miracle.
And there are some things which add to the festive atmosphere, such as music. There are some Christmas melodies familiar to everyone like “Jingle Bells!” and “Silent Night”.
The latter arouses reminiscences of my first (and the only) Christmas abroad, in Austria where I was with my students who studied at the Institute of Microbiology and Genetics of the Vienna University. It was a most unusual Christmas night with roasted turkey (the students were eager to do everything properly) and many other delicious things. But what I remembered most of all was our walk along the streets of Vienna on the Christmas Eve. We visited the square in front of the Town Hall where at the fair one could buy wonderful toys, drink punch from special mugs and enjoy fried chestnuts from a small paper packet.
Надежда Никифоровна Рогожина, проректор по международным программам, зав. кафедрой лингвистики и межъязыковой коммуникации Самарского муниципального университета Наяновой, кандидат педагогических наук, доцент.
Директор негосударственного учреждения дополнительного образования “World Class-Samara”.
And the culmination of that night was a visit of the church which was close to our house.
We were attracted there by the quiet melody of “Silent Night”. It was like a fairy tale. The sounds of the organ and the choir…
This song is sung in different languages and is very famous. I would like you to feel the atmosphere of that night and sing “Silent night” with us.
Nadezhda
“Silent night”
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 Alleluia,
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born.
Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love’s pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth race
