The Three Kings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Three Kings |
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The Adoration of the Magi by Matthias Stom
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| Native name | Die Könige |
| Genre | Christmas |
| Melody | Peter Cornelius |
"The Three Kings", also known as "Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar", is a popular Christmas carol. A carol is a song often sung during the Christmas season. This carol was written by a German composer named Peter Cornelius.
The song "Die Könige" (which means "The Kings" in German) was first made for a single singer. It was accompanied by a hymn called "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" ("How Brightly Shines the Morning Star"). Cornelius thought this was a song for Epiphany, which is a Christian holiday celebrating the visit of the Magi to Jesus. However, it was actually an Advent hymn. Advent is the time leading up to Christmas. In this hymn, the "morning star" is a symbol for the arrival of Jesus, not the Star of Bethlehem that guided the Magi.
At first, the music for "The Three Kings" was played on a piano. Later, an English organist named Ivor Atkins changed the music so a choir could sing it. The choir would sing the words of the original hymn. The German words of the carol were translated into English by H.N. Bate. The song tells the story of the Biblical Magi (often called the Three Kings or Wise Men). They visited the baby Jesus after his birth. This carol is also sung as an Epiphany anthem.
How the Carol Was Created
Peter Cornelius wrote the first version of his German hymn "Die Könige" in 1856. It was part of a collection called Weihnachtslieder, which means "Christmas Songs." This first version was for a solo voice and piano. It was published after he passed away in 1905 and was not very well known.
In 1859, Cornelius wrote a brand new version of the song. It was still for a soloist and piano. For this version, he used the 16th-century hymn "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern" by Philipp Nicolai in the piano part. He got this idea from another famous composer, Franz Liszt. Cornelius made some changes to this version again in 1870 before it was published.
The hymn was first translated into English in 1916 by W. G. Rothery. The English translation that most people know today was made in 1928 by H.N. Bate. This is the version that talks about the Magi coming "from Persian lands afar."
The original piano music by Cornelius has been changed for choirs many times. One famous arrangement for a choir was made in 1957 by Ivor Atkins. He was an organist at Worcester Cathedral. Another arrangement for a choir singing without instruments (called a cappella) was written by Clytus Gottwald in 2011.
Where You Might Find the Carol
"The Three Kings" has been included in different books and collections. It was part of a special version of Charles Dickens' famous story A Christmas Carol, published by Nick Hern Books. In 2016, the carol was also put into a hymnal called Carols Ancient and Modern. This was done by Malcolm Archer, who was in charge of chapel music at Winchester College.
