Day 3 - We Three Kings of Orient Are
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. Although he originally worked as a journalist for a New York newspaper and studied to become a lawyer, he chose to join the clergy upon graduating from the University of Vermont. Hopkins studied at the General Theological Seminary in New York City and after graduating was ordained a deacon in 1850.
During his final year of teaching at the seminary, Hopkins wrote We Three Kings for a Christmas pageant held at the college. It was noteworthy that Hopkins composed both the lyrics and music; contemporary carol composers usually wrote either the lyrics or music, but not both. 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. It was the first Christmas carol originating from the United States to achieve widespread popularity, as well as the first to be featured in Christmas Carols Old and New (1867-78), a prestigious and influential collection of carols that was published in the United Kingdom. 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. We Three Kings was also included in the Oxford Book of Carols (1928), which praised the song as "one of the most successful of modern composed carols." (Thank you, Wikipedia, for this detailed information on John Henry Hopkins and We Three Kings).
We Three Kings of Orient Are
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.
Gaspar
Born a King on Bethlehem plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign . . . Chorus
Melchior
Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh:
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him God on high . . . Chorus
Balthazar
Myrrh is mine; it’s bitter perfume;
Breathes a life of gathering gloom:
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb . . . Chorus
Glorious now behold him arise;
King and God and sacrifice:
Heav’n sings Hallelujah,
Hallelujah the earth replies . . . Chorus
We Three Kings of Orient Are - Robert Shaw Chorale
We Three Kings of Orient Are - William Chunestudy Men's Chorus
We Three Kings of Orient Are - (arr. by Rutter) The Cambridge Singers
We Three Kings of Orient Are - Eclipse 6
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