With Christmas right around the corner, it’s time to whip out our favorite Christmas tunes. While there are tons of selections (some more annoying than great), few people can forget the magic that happened when these three superstars teamed up for a special, holiday treat.
After having won American Idol in 2002, Kelly Clarkson has spent the past sixteen years growing up in front of the camera.
As a result, it was no surprise when in 2013, she was offered her very own NBC holiday special. Kelly Clarkson’s Cautionary Christmas Music Tale was described as a comedic, musical approach to the true meaning of Christmas. The storyline featured Kelly as a failing entertainer looking to revive her career with a holiday special. To accomplish her goal, she needed to recruit the help of other celebrity superstars.
Being joined by big names such as Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, Jay Leno, and Heidi Klum to help her on her mission, Kelly interspersed musical performances throughout the story’s scenes. But of all the performances featured, one has lived on in everyone’s mind.
At one point, Kelly teams up with country icons Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire to give a spellbinding performance of “Silent Night”.
With nearly 70 years of experience between the three of them, people immediately knew the performance would be great. At the time, the televised event pulled millions of viewers into NBC, later being released as a DVD set.
In the video, you see Kelly, clad in a red, Christmas gown, standing under a wreath-encircled stage.
The beginning notes of “Silent Night” play as the camera zooms forward. Then, Kelly begins to sing the first verse.
The song “Silent Night” was written by Father Joseph Mohr in 1818, with music being composed by schoolmaster Franz Xavier Gruber. It was first performed on Christmas Eve in a church in Austria.
When “Silent Night” was performed, an organ builder fell in love with the composition, later taking it back to his hometown. From there, two traveling families of folk singers incorporated the song into their routines, helping to spread it around the world.
The song’s already beautiful with only Kelly’s voice— but when the three women come together, it becomes something else.
The crowd goes wild when Trisha surprises them by popping out on stage for the second verse. Little do they know, however, that Reba’s still on the way!
Joining Kelly and Trisha on stage, Reba sings the final verse before the women join voices, creating a vocal symphony not soon to be forgotten.
Since being uploaded to YouTube, the women’s performance has been viewed 22 million times. It’s gone on to become a beloved Christmas classic, warming the hearts of families during the cold, winter time. Comments on the video read:
“Reba, Trisha, and Kelly, what more can I say except they sound beautiful together!”
“One of the best versions of ‘Silent Night’ I’ve ever heard! Love it over and over again!”
“Gorgeous women singing like angels.”
Watch the star-studded performance below!
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