The March of the Kings facts for kids

"The March of the Kings" is a famous Christmas carol from Provence, a region in France. It's also known as "The March of the Wise Men." In French, it's called La Marche des rois or La marche des Rois mages. This song celebrates Epiphany, a Christian holiday, and the Wise Men who visited baby Jesus. The song became well-known outside Provence when the famous composer Georges Bizet used its tune in his music for Arlésienne.

The Story of the March of the Kings

Where Did the Song Come From?

The exact beginnings of both the song's tune and its words are a bit of a mystery. People have different ideas about where they came from.

The words are often said to be written by Joseph-François Domergue. He was a priest who lived from 1691 to 1728. His name is on the first handwritten copy of the lyrics, which dates back to 1742. This copy is kept in the library in Avignon, France.

The song's words were first printed in Paris in 1759. Later, the song was added to collections of Provençal Christmas songs by Nicolas Saboly. Because of this, people often mistakenly thought Saboly wrote it, but he lived much earlier.

The 1742 document says the song can be sung to the tune of a "Marche de Turenne." This was a common practice: new song lyrics were often set to popular, well-known tunes. Some people think this "Marche de Turenne" was a military march from the 1600s. It might have honored the victories of Marshal Turenne. However, no one has found this exact "Marche de Turenne" tune. Some have even suggested the composer Lully wrote it, but there's no proof.

An old tradition in Avignon says the "Marche de Turenne" tune is much older, from the 1400s. It might even go back to the time of King René. In recent years, some American experts believe "The March of the Kings" could be from the 1200s. If true, it would be one of the oldest Christmas carols ever, and one of the first written entirely in a local language, not Latin.

A researcher named Stéphen d'Arve found a known musical score for the song. It was created by Étienne-Paul Charbonnier, an organist from the 1800s. He might have remembered it from earlier musicians and changed it for new instruments. Another inspector, Henri Maréchal, thought that Abbé Domergue, who wrote the lyrics, might have composed the music himself.

How Epiphany is Celebrated

Every year, the Epiphany holiday is celebrated in some towns and villages in Provence. They have special parades called "Marches des Rois" (Marches of the Kings). People dress up in fancy costumes as the Wise Men. They walk towards the local church, listening to the "March of the Kings" and other traditional music. Other people in the parade wear traditional local clothes.

In Aix-en-Provence, these celebrations have been happening since the early 1800s. It's a grand event! A traditional parade includes people dressed as shepherds, horsemen, drummers, and other local characters. They walk with the Wise Men and their camels to the Saint-Sauveur Cathedral. Inside, the organist plays the "March of the Kings" as the parade arrives. The music starts very softly (pianissimo) and gets louder (fortissimo) to show the parade getting closer. A large star is then lit on the main altar. This star represents the one that guided the Wise Men to Bethlehem. The ceremony ends with the music getting softer again (descrescendo) as the Kings leave.

In 1837, a writer named Joseph d'Ortigue described it:

When Epiphany came, you would hear this beautiful march of the Kings, so well known in southern France. It began like a soft, unclear sound, a faint rhythm. Starting very quietly, it slowly became clearer. This showed the journey of the Wise Men, coming from far away to bow before the Child-God. Soon, the grand march played loudly and wonderfully. Then it would get softer again, fading away until the sounds and rhythm were lost in the distance.

Popular Versions and Adaptations

The "March of the Kings" is a main tune in the music for l'Arlésienne. This was incidental music written in 1872 by Georges Bizet for a play about Provence. Bizet might have found the melody in a book published in 1864. The play itself wasn't very successful. But Bizet took some of the music and made it into an orchestra suite (Suite n° 1), which was an instant hit! Four years after Bizet passed away, his friend Ernest Guiraud created a second suite (Suite n° 2). In this suite, the "March of the Kings" tune is played in a special way called a canon.

Parts of the song also appear in the operetta Gillette de Narbonne by Edmond Audran, which came out in 1882. The words to a song called "M'sieu d'Turenne" can be sung to the tune of the "March of the Kings." These words were written by Léon Durocher.

Today, "The March of the Kings" has become a traditional French song. It's one of the most common Christmas carols sung by French-speaking choirs. Many famous singers have performed it, including Tino Rossi and Robert Merrill (in English). The song has been changed and adapted many times. For example, the organist Pierre Cochereau improvised a special version called a toccata in 1973.

Lyrics

The original poem by Abbé Domergue describes a traveler watching a grand procession. This convoy accompanies three Kings, who are protected by guards and carry gold. The poem doesn't mention the traditional gifts of incense and myrrh. As they follow a star, the Kings praise God with beautiful voices. The traveler joins them on their journey, which ends when they arrive before the Christ-child.

See also

In Spanish: La Marcha de los Reyes Magos para niños