A Long Island school board is apologizing after a fifth-grade chorus left out some of the lyrics of "Silent Night" during a concert performance, including the line about "Christ the Savior."
The children at Ralph J. Osgood Intermediate School did not sing the line "'round yon virgin, mother and child," or the line "Christ the Savior is born."
The two-minute version of the 19th-century German carol performed by the school chorus on Dec. 12 was a mix of the first and second stanzas of the song.
The children's version did include references to "heavenly peace" and "holy night."
The Kings Park Central School District Board of Education said it "sincerely apologizes to our community members who were offended" by the change.
"This action was not approved by the Board of Education or district administration, nor is it their role to approve the songs chosen for our concerts," the statement said.
The Board of Education said it, too, was offended by the children's song.
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The school superintendent did not immediately return a call.
