Tune of the Day: Es wird scho glei dumpa
The words and music of this carol appeared in print for the first time in 1884, with lyrics credited to Anton Reidinger (1839–1912), a Catholic priest who lived in Upper Austria (Oberösterreich). Because this carol is in Austrian dialect, the spelling varies slightly from source to source; in standard German (the official language of Austria), the title is “Es wird schon gleich dunkel”, which means “It will soon be dark”. The melody is based on an old Austrian hymn honoring Mary which dates back to the 17th century, but Reidinger's contribution to the new melody was substantial, to the point that some consider him the composer of the music.
This carol is still popular today, and is often performed by choirs during the Christmas season. In the early 80s, it was brought to international popularity by the disco group Boney M., who included an English-language version titled “Darnkess Is Falling” in their 1981 Christmas Album.