‘O Holy Night.’
It’s one of the most revered Christmas carols there is, and we have Adolphe Adam to thank for that.
The song was originally a French poem.
Written by Placide Cappeau, it was later translated to English by John Sullivan Dwight. Soon after that, Adolphe Adam composed the music for the poem.
Since then, many famous singers have sung the popular Christmas carol.
The most famous versions of this song were by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, and even a unique arrangement by Christina Aguilar that included the Lord’s Prayer.
What makes this song challenging to sing is nailing the high notes while keeping the serenity of the piece.
Who better to do that than Kelly Clarkson?
Kelly Clarkson had a recent cover of it during her When Christmas Comes Around Special.
When Christmas Comes Around is Kelly’s ninth album and her second Christmas album.
She also made a Christmas special on the Kelly Clarkson show where she performs Christmas songs, be it her original music or song covers.
But this is a special duet!
She performed “O, Holy Night” alongside award-winning performer Leslie Odom Jr.
We remember Leslie’s performance in various musicals such as “RENT”, “Tick, Tick… Boom!” and his most remarkable one, “Hamilton”.
All that plus his albums, television and movie appearances, and Grammy and Tony awards, he is more than perfect for this beautiful Christmas piece.
The piano rang out
Their number started with the piano keys resonating the room.
Leslie started singing the first verse with his powerful voice, which was expected of him.
His voice filled that room, drawing your ears in for the entire performance.
What was surprising was Kelly’s performance.
We’re used to Kelly singing the high notes, but she started this song with a mellow and softer tone. She nailed it (as expected), and it was the most peaceful thing to listen to.
Then, they started harmonizing.
The beauty of their voices coming together is enough to blow anyone’s mind away.
It’s not the usual harmony you’ll hear from this song, especially since most female vocalists sing this in a higher key.
Kelly, however, stayed “in the background,” which brought Leslie’s voice forefront, giving a unique take on this popular song.
Of course, Kelly Clarkson won’t be Kelly Clarkson without the high notes.
Her voice rang true.
Just when you thought she’d stay low the entire number, she hit the high notes when it’s best to sing it.
They reached the “Oh night, divine” nearing the end, and it’s where Kelly brought out the “Kelly” in that song.
Yes, we crave that pitch and tone from her throughout the song.
Nonetheless, the mellow and soft harmonies that she did throughout the song surprised people, and all of them loved it.
It’s what brought the “holiness” of “O, Holy Night.”
Every great song has an ending.
After Leslie and Kelly hit the high note, they ended it in the purest way possible.
They brought back their voices to the lower register, easing their way to the outro and leaving the listeners in awe of that performance.
Some even admitted that the way they delivered this song brought tears to their eyes.
See their beautiful duet in the video below!
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