We Three Kings

Template:Short description Template:Distinguish {{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Infobox musical composition "We Three Kings", original title "Three Kings of Orient", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol that was written by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. At the time of composing the carol, Hopkins served as the rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and he wrote the carol for a Christmas pageant in New York City. It was the first widely popular Christmas carol written in America.<ref name=huron>Template:Cite news</ref>

Lyrics

Three Kings of Orient

<poem>All</poem>	<poem>We Three Kings of Orient are, Bearing gifts we traverse afar, Field and fountain, Moor and mountain, Following yonder Star.</poem>
<poem>Refrain</poem>	<poem>Template:0O Star of Wonder, Star of Night, Template:0Star with Royal Beauty bright, Template:0Westward leading, Template:0Still proceeding, Template:0Guide us to Thy perfect Light.</poem>
<poem>Gaspard</poem>	<poem>Born a King on Bethlehem plain, Gold I bring to crown Him again, King for ever, Ceasing never Over us all to reign. Template:0Refrain</poem>
<poem>Melchior</poem>	<poem>Frankincense to offer have I, Incense owns a Deity nigh: Prayer and praising All men raising, Worship Him God on High. Template:0Refrain</poem>
<poem>Balthazar</poem>	<poem>Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume Breathes a life of gathering gloom;— Sorrowing, sighing, Bleeding, dying, Sealed in the stone-cold tomb. Template:0Refrain</poem>
<poem>All</poem>	<poem>Glorious now behold Him arise, King, and God, and Sacrifice; Heav’n sings Hallelujah: Hallelujah the earth replies. Template:0Refrain<ref name=HopkinsIMSLP>Template:IMSLP</ref></poem>

Composition

<score raw="1" sound="1"> \header { tagline = ##f } \layout { indent = 0 \set Score.tempoHideNote = ##t

 \context { \Score \remove "Bar_number_engraver" }
 \context { \Voice \consists "Melody_engraver" }

}

global = { \key e \minor \time 3/8 }

chordNames = \chordmode {

 \global \set midiInstrument = #"acoustic guitar (steel)"
 \repeat volta 2 { e4.:m\p | e:m | b:7 | e:m }
 \once \set chordChanges = ##f e:m | d | g | g | a:m | e4:m b8:7 | e4.:m \bar "||"
 d:7 | \repeat volta 2 { g | g | c | g | }
 e:m | d4 g8 | c4 g8 | d4 g8 | g4 c8 | g4. | c | g \bar "|."

}

soprano = \relative c {

 \global \set midiInstrument = #"trumpet" \tempo 4=100
 \repeat volta 2 { b4 a8 | g4 e8 | fis g fis | e4 r8 | }
 g4 g8 | a4 a8 | b4 b8 | d (c) b | a b a | g4 fis8 | e4 r8 \bar "||"
 \tempo 4=45 fis4\fermata (\tempo 4=24 a8) | \tempo 4=100 \repeat volta 2 { g4 g8 | g4 d8 | g4 e8 | g4 r8 | }
 g4 g8 | a4 b8 | c4 b8 | a4 b8 |
 g4 g8 | g4 d8 | g4 e8 | g4. \bar "|."

}

alto = \relative c' {

 \global \set midiInstrument = #"trumpet"
 \repeat volta 2 { e4 fis8 | e4 b8 | dis dis dis | b4 r8 | }
 e4 e8 | fis4 fis8 | g4 g8 | g (a) g | e e e |e4 dis8 | b4 r8 \bar "||"
 d4. | \repeat volta 2 { d4 d8 | d4 b8 |e4 c8 | d4 r8 | }
 e4 e8 |fis4 g8 | g4 g8 | fis4 g8 | g4 e8 | d4 d8 | e4 c8 | d4. \bar "|."

}

tenor = \relative c' {

 \global \set midiInstrument = #"french horn"
 \repeat volta 2 { g4 b8 | b4 g8 | a b a | g4 r8 | }
 b4 b8 |d4 d8 | d4 d8 | d4 d8 | c c c | b4 a8 g4 r8 \bar "||"
 c4.\fermata | \repeat volta 2 { b4 b8 | b4 g8 | g4 g8 | b4 r8 | }
 b4 b8 |d4 d8 | e4 d8 |d4 d8 | b4 c8 | b4 g8 | g4 a8 | b4. \bar "|."

}

bass = \relative c {

 \global \set midiInstrument = #"french horn"
 \repeat volta 2 { e4 e8 | e4 e8 | b b b | e4 r8 | }
 e4 e8 |d4 d8 | g4 g8 | b (fis) g | a a a | b4 b,8 | e4 r8 \bar "||"
 d4. | \repeat volta 2 { g4 g8 | g4 g8 | c,4 c8 | g4 r8 | }
 e'4 e8 | d4 g8 | c,4 g'8 | d4 g8 | g4 g8 | g4 b,8 | c4 c8 | <g g'>4. \bar "|."

}

verse = \lyricmode {

 We three kings of O -- ri -- ent are,
 Field and foun -- tain, Moor and moun -- tain,
 Fol -- low -- ing yon -- der star.
   
 O star of won -- der, star of night,
   
 West -- ward lead -- ing,
 Still pro -- ceed -- ing,
 Guide us to Thy per -- fect light.

} verseR = \lyricmode { % This is a terrible hack to get the lyrics aligned.

 Bear -- ing gifts we tra -- verse a -- far,
 "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" "" Star with roy -- al beau -- ty bright,

}

chordsPart = \new ChordNames { \set chordChanges = ##t \chordNames }

choirPart = \new ChoirStaff <<

 \new Staff \with { \consists "Merge_rests_engraver" }
 <<
   \new Voice = "soprano" { \voiceOne \soprano }
   \new Voice = "alto" { \voiceTwo \alto }
 >>
 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "soprano" \verse
 \new Lyrics \lyricsto "soprano" \verseR
 \new Staff \with { \consists "Merge_rests_engraver" }
 <<
   \clef bass
   \new Voice = "tenor" { \voiceOne \tenor }
   \new Voice = "bass" { \voiceTwo \bass }
 >>

>>

\score {

 <<
   \chordsPart
   \choirPart
 >>
 \layout { }

} \score { \unfoldRepeats { << \chordsPart \\ \soprano \alto \\ \tenor \bass >> }

 \midi {
   \context { \Score midiChannelMapping = #'instrument }
   \context { \Staff \remove "Staff_performer" }
   \context { \Voice \consists "Staff_performer" }
 }

} </score>

Source<ref name=HopkinsIMSLP />

John Henry Hopkins Jr. organized the carol in such a way that three male voices would each sing a solo verse in order to correspond with the three kings.<ref name=encyclopedia>Template:Cite book</ref> The first and last verses of the carol are sung together by all three as "verses of praise", while the intermediate verses are sung individually with each king describing the gift he was bringing.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> The refrain proceeds to praise the beauty of the Star of Bethlehem.<ref name=tradition>Template:Cite news</ref> The Magi's solos are typically not observed during contemporary performances of the carol.<ref name=encyclopedia/>

The carol's melody has been described as "sad" and "shifting" in nature.<ref name=hand>Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref> Because of this, it highly resembles a song from the Middle Ages and Middle Eastern music, both of which it has been frequently compared to.<ref name=hand/>

Context

The carol centres around the Biblical Magi, who visited Jesus as a child in a manger (Template:Sourcetext) sometime after his Nativity and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh while paying homage to him. Though the event is recounted in the Gospel of Matthew, there are no further details given in the New Testament with regards to their names, the number of Magi that were present or whether they were even royal.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=carolers>Template:Cite book</ref> There are, however, verses in the Old Testament that foretell of the visitors: Isaiah 60:6: "The wealth of the nations will come to you. A multitude of camels will cover you. The young camels of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba will come; They will bring gold and frankincense, and will bear good news of the praises of the Lord." (New American Standard Bible), and two selections from the Psalms – Psalm 72:10: "The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts" and Psalm 72:15: "...and may there be given to him gold from Arabia" (New American Standard Bible). Hence, the names of the Magi—Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar—and their status as kings from the Orient are legendary and based on tradition.<ref name=tradition/><ref name=carolers/> The number three stems from the fact that there were three separate gifts that were given.<ref name=joy>Template:Cite book</ref> The solo verses and final verse make explicit a tradition according to which the three gifts symbolize three aspects of Jesus, as "King" (gold, representing wealth and power) and "God" (incense, representing worship) and "sacrifice" (myrrh, used to embalm the dead).<ref name=carolers />

Background and influence

At the time he was writing "We Three Kings" in 1857, John Henry Hopkins Jr. was serving as the rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.<ref name=tradition/><ref name=Bethlehem>Template:Cite news</ref> Although he originally worked as a journalist for a New York newspaper and studied to become a lawyer,<ref name=hand/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> he chose to join the clergy upon graduating from the University of Vermont.<ref name=behind>Template:Cite news</ref> Hopkins studied at the General Theological Seminary in New York City and after graduating and being ordained a deacon in 1850, he became its first music teacher five years later, holding the post until 1857 alongside his ministry in the Episcopal Church.<ref name=joy/><ref name=behind/>

During his final year of teaching at the seminary,<ref name=behind/> Hopkins wrote "We Three Kings" for a Christmas pageant held at the college.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was noteworthy that Hopkins composed both the lyrics and music; contemporary carol composers usually wrote either the lyrics or music but not both.<ref name=Bethlehem/><ref name=origins>Template:Cite news</ref> Originally titled "Three Kings of Orient", it was sung within his circle of family and friends. Because of the popularity it achieved among them, Hopkins decided to publish the carol in 1863 in his book Carols, Hymns, and Songs.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It was the first Christmas carol originating from the United States to achieve widespread popularity,<ref name=huron/> as well as the first to be featured in Christmas Carols Old and New,Template:Clarify a collection of carols that was published in the United Kingdom.<ref name=origins /> In 1916, the carol was printed in the hymnal for the Episcopal Church; that year's edition was the first to have a separate section for Christmas songs.<ref name=hand/> "We Three Kings" was also included in The Oxford Book of Carols published in 1928, which praised the song as "one of the most successful of modern composed carols".<ref name=carolers/>

In popular music

Jazz, rock, and reggae musicians recorded "We Three Kings".

• Percy Faith (1958)<ref>Percy Faith discography</ref>
• Ramsey Lewis (1964)<ref>Ramsey Lewis discography</ref>
• The Beach Boys (1964)<ref>{{#ifeq: | yes

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• Jethro Tull (2003) "We Five Kings"<ref>{{#ifeq: | yes

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• Blondie (2009)<ref>Template:YouTube</ref>

In the televised cartoon A Claymation Christmas Celebration (1987), the Three Kings sing the verses in traditional choral style, while their camels perform the chorus as a doo-wop song. Credits for the singers are not available.

Parodies

Since the 1950s, the carol has been frequently parodied by children. The subject of the lyrics vary widely depending upon the region, with references to smoking explosive rubber cigars, selling counterfeit lingerie, or travelling to an Irish bar by taxi, car, and scooter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• List of Christmas carols

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Template:ChoralWiki
• "We Three Kings of Orient Are", images of early editions of the carol and historical information, hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com
• Sheet music, Cantorion.org