The tenderness of Nat King Cole’s silky smooth performance on Oh Holy Night is one of the most beautiful renditions you will be fortunate enough to hear this time of year. I say fortunate, because the 1847 French original, Cantique de Noel, was uniformly denounced by the church leaders after discovering the composer Adolphe Adams was Jewish and the lyricist Placide Cappeau had walked away from the church to join the socialist movement.

The English version we sing today came from an American writer named John Sullivan Dwight. He had heard it in France, still being sung by the French people. Sullivan, a staunch abolitionist, strongly identified with the third verse (not included on the Nat King Cole version): “Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease.”

Each Christmas, I’m thankful to Mr. Sullivan; for bringing Nat King Cole such an opportunity.