Phrasing Text with Tune

Let us consider both text and tune of the hymn, “Silent Night” (tune “Stille Nacht”).

The Text

The points at which a pause or breath in the text might render it clearer are indicated to the right with a “V.” Note the following:

• Not every punctuation mark is observed (green highlights). To break at these points might result in a busy, fragmented rendition.
• At two points (yellow highlights) no break is given in the text, although there is a break in the musical phrase. This is a conflict between the textual phrasing and the musical phrasing. If we break at such points, we may confuse the message. See the following screen for more detail.