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We Three Kings

We Three Kings, written by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins Jr in New York City in 1857, began life as part of a Christmas pageant, and still has that combination of theatricality and forward movement that gives it its clear narrative and characteristic vigor.

It creates the characters of the three kings, foreshadows those aspects of Christ’s life which are symbolized by the gifts: gold – a king’s gift – myrrh – for the easing of suffering and pain – and frankincense –used for the adoration of a God, and tells the story of their epic journey.

This beautifully imagined instrumental version perfectly captures the atmosphere of that spirited and magical quest.

The driving rhythms of cello and guitar impel the cavalcade onwards; the piano’s delicate melody embodies the reflective mysticism that guides the travellers, as the stately royal procession winds its way over the dunes a distant trumpet shakes a vivid banner against the sky, and the deep humming chorus of determined humanity stubbornly follows a distant and elusive star.