We Three Kings
Encyclopedia
"We Three Kings", also known as "We Three Kings of Orient Are" or "The Quest of the Magi", is a Christmas carol
written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr.
, who wrote both the lyrics and the music. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns and Song in 1863. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., then an ordained deacon
in the Episcopal Church, was instrumental in organizing an elaborate holiday pageant (which featured this hymn) for the students of the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1857 while serving as the seminary's music director. In 1872 Hopkins was ordained an Episcopal priest and later served as rector at Christ Episcopal Church (Williamsport, PA)
.
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins, Jr.
John Henry Hopkins, Jr.
John Henry Hopkins, Jr. was an American clergyman and hymnist, most famous for composing the song "We Three Kings of Orient Are" in 1857.-Life:...
, who wrote both the lyrics and the music. It is suggested to have been written in 1857 but did not appear in print until his Carols, Hymns and Song in 1863. John Henry Hopkins, Jr., then an ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in the Episcopal Church, was instrumental in organizing an elaborate holiday pageant (which featured this hymn) for the students of the General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1857 while serving as the seminary's music director. In 1872 Hopkins was ordained an Episcopal priest and later served as rector at Christ Episcopal Church (Williamsport, PA)
Christ Episcopal Church (Williamsport, PA)
Christ Episcopal Church is an historical church in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1841, it is the first Episcopal Church of Williamsport and as such, is the mother of all of the other Episcopal Churches in and around the city. It has a distinctive character as the high-church or...
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Recordings
- Aly & AJ did a cover of this song on their 2006 Christmas album Acoustic Hearts of WinterAcoustic Hearts of WinterAcoustic Hearts of Winter is the second studio album by American pop duo Aly & AJ. The album was released on September 26, 2006 in the United States, via Hollywood Records. The album was conceived as a project after completing the deluxe edition of their debut album, Into the Rush . All production...
. - AmpedAmpedAmped may refer to:*Amped video games series:**Amped: Freestyle Snowboarding**Amped 2**Amped 3*Amped *Amped , 2005* Amped...
recorded a punk version. - Tori AmosTori AmosTori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
recorded a version of the carol for her solstice album, Midwinter GracesMidwinter GracesMidwinter Graces is the 11th solo studio album by singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Released on November 10, 2009 , through Universal Republic Records, it is the first seasonal album by Amos, and is also notable for marking her return to a more classical, stripped-down, baroque sound with various... - The Beach BoysThe Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
recorded a version with an orchestral arrangement by Dick Reynolds on their 1964 album The Beach Boys' Christmas AlbumThe Beach Boys' Christmas Album- The Musicians :* Al Jardine - guitar, vocals* Mike Love - vocals* Brian Wilson - bass guitar, vocals* Carl Wilson - guitar, vocals* Dennis Wilson - drums, vocals- Orchestra :...
. - The Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLachlanSarah McLachlanSarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
did a version of this song which they combined with another carol, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," for their 2004 Christmas album Barenaked for the HolidaysBarenaked for the HolidaysBarenaked for the Holidays is a full-length holiday-themed album released by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies on October 5, 2004. The album includes Christmas and Hanukkah songs as well as "Auld Lang Syne", which is traditionally sung on New Year's Eve. There are also several songs that are simply...
. - BlackhawkBlackhawk (band)Blackhawk is an American country music group founded in 1992 by Henry Paul , Van Stephenson , and Dave Robbins...
covered the song in 1998 on the "Country Cares for Kids" album. - BlondieBlondie (band)Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
plays the song in their Christmas time concerts. In 2009 they recorded it as a preview of their upcomin album "Panic Of Girls" and released it for free on their website. Their video of this song has had more than a million visits on YouTube. - Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr.Joseph Harry Fowler Connick, Jr. is an American singer, big-band leader/conductor, pianist, actor, and composer. He has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, with...
on his 2008 album What a Night! A Christmas AlbumWhat a Night! A Christmas AlbumWhat a Night! A Christmas Album, by American singer, pianist and bandleader Harry Connick, Jr., was released on November 4, 2008., being his third Christmas album, since 1993's When My Heart Finds Christmas and 2003's Harry for the Holidays...
. - Percy FaithPercy FaithPercy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
included the song in his 1954 "Music Of Christmas" LP. - Ella FitzgeraldElla FitzgeraldElla Jane Fitzgerald , also known as the "First Lady of Song" and "Lady Ella," was an American jazz and song vocalist...
in the 1967 religious standards LP "Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas". - Rob HalfordRob HalfordRobert John Arthur "Rob" Halford is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead vocalist for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band Judas Priest. He is nicknamed the "Metal God" as a tribute to his influence on metal, and after the Judas Priest song of the same name from 1980's...
covers this song for his solo album Halford III - Winter Songs - Burl IvesBurl IvesBurl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
sings this song on his album Christmas at the White HouseChristmas at the White HouseChristmas at the White House is a 1972 album with a lengthy subtitle: Burl Ives Sings the Favorite Carols and Hymns of America's Presidents. It purports to be a collection of thirteen presidents' favorite Christmas songs. It has not yet been released on CD.Some of the selections were apparently...
(1972). - Jonas BrothersJonas BrothersThe Jonas Brothers are an American boy band. The band gained its popularity from the Disney Channel children's television network. From the shore region of New Jersey, the band consists of three brothers: Paul Kevin Jonas II , Joseph Adam Jonas , and Nicholas Jerry Jonas...
recorded "Joyful Kings," a combination of this song and "Joy to the WorldJoy to the World"Joy to the World" is a Christian Christmas carol.The words are by English hymn writer Isaac Watts, based on Psalm 98 in the Bible. The song was first published in 1719 in Watts' collection; The Psalms of David: Imitated in the language of the New Testament, and applied to the Christian state and...
" for the TargetTarget CorporationTarget Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
exclusive Christmas album All Wrapped UpAll Wrapped UpAll Wrapped Up is a Christmas themed CD released by musical artists signed to Hollywood Records singing their own versions of holiday songs. It was released on November 4, 2008, available exclusively at Target stores nationwide.-Track listing:...
. - Bradley JosephBradley JosephBradley Joseph is an American composer, arranger, and producer of contemporary instrumental music. His compositions include works for orchestra, quartet, and solo piano, while his musical style ranges from "quietly pensive mood music to a rich orchestration of classical depth and breadth".Active...
- solo piano arrangement on his 2008 album, Classic ChristmasClassic Christmas (Bradley Joseph album)Classic Christmas is the 15th studio album by Bradley Joseph released in 2008 on the Robbins Island Music label."Christmas classics performed on the piano."...
. - KamelotKamelotKamelot is an American symphonic power metal band from Tampa, Florida. The band was formed by Thomas Youngblood and Richard Warner in 1991. Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album Siége Perilous, and shared song-writing duties with Youngblood until his departure in April 2011.As of 2010,...
played an instrumental of "We Three Kings" on their first live album. - Toby KeithToby KeithToby Keith Covel , best known as Toby Keith, is an American country music singer-songwriter, record producer and actor. Keith released his first four studio albums — 1993's Toby Keith, 1994's Boomtown, 1996's Blue Moon and 1997's Dream Walkin, plus a Greatest Hits package for various divisions of...
covered the song on his 2007 album A Classic ChristmasA Classic Christmas (Toby Keith album)-Disc Two:-Chart performance:-External links:*...
. - KokiaKokia (singer)is a Japanese singer-songwriter, who performs under the stage name Kokia . She is best known for her songs and "The Power of Smile." She is also recognised for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " for the film...
covered the song on her 2008 Christmas album Christmas GiftChristmas Gift (album)Christmas Gift is Kokia's eighth studio album, released in October/November 2008. It is her first full-length Christmas album, though she had released a special Christmas EP for fans, A Piece of Christmas, in November 2006...
. - Blackmore's NightBlackmore's NightBlackmore's Night is an English-American traditional folk rock duo led by Ritchie Blackmore and Candice Night .-Early:...
recorded the song for their Christmas album "Winter CarolsWinter CarolsWinter Carols is a studio album by the American & UK folk rock band Blackmore's Night. This Christmas-inspired album was released in the United Kingdom in October, 2006 and in the United States on November 7, 2006...
" (2006) - LyciaLycia (band)Lycia is a darkwave/gothic rock band that was formed in 1988, Tempe, Arizona, United States. The main personnel of the band are Mike VanPortfleet, Tara Vanflower, David Galas and . Although only achieving minor cult success, the band is notable for being one of the ground breaking groups in...
on their 2001 Compilation Appearances Volume 2 - Martin NearyMartin NearyMartin Neary LVO is an English organist and choral conductor. He was Organist and Director of Music at Winchester Cathedral from 1972 to 1988, and Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey from 1988 to 1998...
and the Choir of Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on their 1997 album Christmas Carols from Westminster Abbey - OddsOdds (band)Odds are a Canadian alternative rock band. The band's power pop style has been frequently compared to that of contemporaries such as Squeeze, Elvis Costello, Weezer, Tom Petty, Sloan, The Clash, XTC, Franz Ferdinand, and The Tubes.-Odds :...
originally recorded a version of the song on the 1991 A Lump of CoalA Lump of CoalA Lump of Coal is an Australian compilation album of Christmas music produced in 1991 by Dead Line Records and First Warning Records for RCA Records...
compilation. It reappeared most recently on their 2000 greatest hits album Singles: Individually WrappedSingles: Individually WrappedSingles: Individually Wrapped is a greatest hits album by The Odds, released in 2000. The album contains singles from all four of the band's studio albums, as well as a rendition of the Christmas song "Kings of Orient" which the band recorded for the 1991 Christmas compilation A Lump of Coal.-Track...
. - Steve OuimetteSteve OuimetteSteve Ouimette is a rock guitarist. He is known for performing a cover version of the hit song "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" for the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, in which the parts played on the fiddle are instead played on an electric guitar...
recorded an instrumental version of "We Three Kings" as a playable track in the video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of RockGuitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, the third main installment in the Guitar Hero series, and the fourth title overall...
. - OverboardOverboard (a cappella)Overboard is a male a cappella group based in Boston, MA. The group's repertoire consists of a cappella covers of popular contemporary pop/rock artists, such as Train, The Script, and Rascal Flatts, and of a cappella standards, such as "Blue Moon", "In the Still of the Night" and "Stand by Me".-...
recorded a dance remix version for their 2008 holiday album, "Tidings". - Andrew ParrottAndrew ParrottAndrew Parrott is a British conductor, perhaps best known for his pioneering historically informed performances of pre-classical music. He conducts a wide range of repertoire, including contemporary music. He conducted the premiere of Judith Weir's A Night at the Chinese Opera...
and the Taverner Consort on their 1993 EMI album The Carols Album 2, using the original arrangement. - Antony PittsAntony PittsAntony Pitts is a British composer, producer and conductor.His compositions have been published by Faber Music, with 2 CDs of choral music on Hyperion Records and other recordings on Harmonia Mundi, Naxos, and Unknown Public. He was a Senior Producer at BBC Radio 3 until 2005...
and Tonus PeregrinusTonus PeregrinusTonus Peregrinus is a vocal ensemble specialising in early music and contemporary sacred music, especially that of founder and director, Antony Pitts...
on the 2003 album The NaxosNaxos RecordsNaxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest...
Book of Carols - John RutterJohn RutterJohn Milford Rutter CBE is a British composer, conductor, editor, arranger and record producer, mainly of choral music.-Biography:Born in London, Rutter was educated at Highgate School, where a fellow pupil was John Tavener. He read music at Clare College, Cambridge, where he was a member of the...
and the Cambridge SingersCambridge SingersCambridge Singers is an English mixed voice chamber/choral group formed in 1981 by their director John Rutter with the primary purpose of making recordings under their own label "Collegium"....
on their 1997 album Christmas Star. - Patti SmithPatti SmithPatricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
- A Very Special Christmas 3A Very Special Christmas 3A Very Special Christmas 3 is the third in a series of Christmas-themed compilation albums produced to benefit Special Olympics. The album was released on 23 September 1997, and production was overseen by Bobby Shriver, Al Cafaro, and Linda Feder for A&M Records.-Track listing:# "I Saw Three...
album, (1997) - Sufjan StevensSufjan StevensSufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician born in Detroit, Michigan. Stevens first began releasing his music on Asthmatic Kitty, a label co-founded with his stepfather, beginning with the 1999 release, A Sun Came...
covered the song on his album Songs for ChristmasSongs for ChristmasSongs for Christmas is a box set of five separate EPs of Christmas-related songs and carols recorded by independent musician Sufjan Stevens between 2001 and 2006. The EPs had been given as gifts to friends and family of Stevens over the past six years, except for 2004 where he was too busy...
. - The ToastersThe ToastersThe Toasters was one of the first American bands in the third wave of ska, and is one of the longest active third wave ska bands.They have released nine studio albums, most of them on Moon Ska Records. The Toasters experienced a small degree of commercial success in the late 1990s due to the...
recorded a ska version of the song on the 1996 Moon Ska Records compilation "Christma-Ska" - Pink MartiniPink MartiniPink Martini is a 13-member "little orchestra" from Portland, Oregon, formed in 1994 by pianist Thomas M. Lauderdale. They draw inspiration from music from all over the world – crossing genres of classical, jazz and old-fashioned pop.-History:...
covered the song on their holiday album Joy To The WorldJoy to the World (Pink Martini album)-Charts:-Certifications:...
, released November 2010. - TheocracyTheocracy (band)Theocracy is a Christian progressive power metal band founded in 2002 by Matt Smith of Athens, Georgia. The group originally started out as a one man project and all the instruments and vocals done on the debut album Theocracy were performed by Smith. The current lineup includes Smith along with...
included two verses and the chorus of "We Three Kings" among other renditions of different Christmas carols in their song Christmas Medley 2006. - José FelicianoJosé FelicianoJosé Feliciano is a Puerto Rican singer, virtuoso guitarist and composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single "Feliz Navidad".-Childhood:...
sings this song on his album Feliz NavidadFeliz Navidad (José Feliciano album)Originally called "José Feliciano", this album includes the hit song Feliz Navidad. This album by José Feliciano was originally released in 1970 by RCA Victor...
(1973). - Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
-based rock band Sin City SinnersSin City SinnersSin City Sinners is a group of prominent musicians who perform self-penned originals and rock and roll covers at key venues throughout Las Vegas, Nevada...
covers the song on their 2010 CD, A Sinners Christmas. This version features George LynchGeorge LynchGeorge Lynch may refer to:*George Lynch *George Lynch *George Lynch...
of DokkenDokkenDokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
fame on guitar.
External links
- Images of early editions of the carol and historical informationhttp://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/we_three_kings_of_orient_are.htm
- Free typeset sheet music from Cantorion.org
- Lyrics to We Three Kings