You might wonder why a school choir would even choose to sing “Silent Night” if they intended on cutting key lyrics from the song. But, that’s exactly what happened at Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School in Long Island, N.Y., reports The Blaze.
The Kings Park Central School District has since apologized after parents complained about the missing words during the fifth grade concert. “Christ the Savior is born,” “Holy infant so, tender and mild,” “round yon virgin, mother and child” and “Jesus, Lord at thy birth” were all removed from the student rendition.
“The Board of Education sincerely apologizes to our community members who were offended by the change of lyrics to the song Silent Night and we share in your sentiment,” read a statement published on the district’s website. “This action was not approved by the Board of Education or district administration, nor is it their role to approve the songs chosen for our concerts.”
One parent, Kevin McDonald, spoke to Newsday about the incident. “’Silent Night’ at its core is a religious song. It’s a sacred Christian hymn that tells the story about the birth of Jesus,” he said. “What was performed was inappropriate and disrespectful to the Christian faith.”
Publication Date: December 20, 2013.
