Sunday, September 12, 2021

We Three Kings


We just learned about the Silent Night.

Another famous Christmas song is We Three Kings, also called Three Kings of Orient, or The Quest of the Magi.
It was written in 1857 in New York by John Henry Hopkins Jr.

Hopkins was working as a church leader in Pennsylvania, and wrote the song for a Christmas pageant, based on the story in the book of Matthew chapter 2.
In the pageant he had each wise man sing one verse, and then all three would sing the final verse.
The Bible doesn't actually say there were three kings, it just says there were three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.
It also doesn't say who the kings were, but later on in church history people think the wise men were named Gaspard, Melchior and Balthazar.

After the pageant it was just a song that his family and friends would sing together at Christmas time, but they all liked it so much he later decided to have it printed in a book of carols in 1916.
It then became famous all over the world, and was one of the first famous Christmas songs that was created in America.

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


(from: wikipedia - we three kings)



We Three Kings - Claymation Christmas HQ - PigsAndSquigs
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