One of the classic American Christmas carols is “Away in a Manger.”
“Away in a Manger” is a popular Christmas carol first heard in the late 19th century.
The hymn has two popularized versions – one by James Ramsey Murray, which he published in 1887, and the tune that most Americans know.
The other popular version of this song is known in the British Empire.
Countries like Britain, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada know the William J. Kirkpatrick version he popularized in 1895.
The song’s theological lyricism was quite controversial, especially since both versions have different lyrics.
However, despite all that, it is still a hymn sung with such fervor, especially during Christmas.
Britain’s Got Talent star Susan Boyle sang a rendition of the Kirkpatrick version at a holiday event.
Susan’s rise to fame occurred after she surprised people with her voice and captivated the audience.
The BGT judges admitted that they didn’t know what to expect when she stepped on that stage during her audition.
Hailing from a small Scottish town in Blackburn, West Lothian, Susan became a superstar overnight with her rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream.”
Since then, Susan Boyle has been living her dream.
She won 2nd place in the popular talent show and was unstoppable.
It was album after album for Susan, hitting the charts with every song and breaking records.
She even has three Guinness World Records for “being the only British female artist to top both the US and UK album charts with two, the oldest female at No.1 on the UK albums chart, and most successful Christmas album in the UK.”
No surprise that her rendition of “Away in a Manger” was also a hit.
She performed this during the Christmas in Rockefeller Center event. It was beautiful, moving, and divine.
It was a perfect performance that even the audience couldn’t help but stay still and quiet to appreciate her number.
The performance started with the choir singing first.
One member sang the lyrics, with the rest harmonized with him.
As the song progressed, the rest of the choir joined in singing the famous Christmas hymn.
You can feel the silence of the place despite being outdoors, a sign that people are intently listening.
Then, Susan came in with the verse, and her voice filled the air.
She sang an entire verse by herself with the hums of the choir. Then, the marvelous voices of both girls’ and boys’ choirs harmonized with her but still made her voice shine.
Listening to their voices felt like walking in the sea of clouds, and it felt that reverent!
As we all know, the song is short and sweet, but Susan Boyle made it worth our while.
The entire Rockefeller Center was kept silent until the song was finished.
They only made a sound after Susan hit the last note with a shower of applause because that rendition deserved that.
Let us take you back to that beautiful performance by watching the video below. It still gives us goosebumps!
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