" We Three Kings of Orient are" is my favourite christmas carol. The carol centres around the Biblical Magi (the names of the Magi—Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar) who visited Jesus during his Nativity and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh while paying homage to him. The refrain proceeds to praise the beauty of the Star of Bethlehem. It was written by John Henry Hopkins, Jr. in 1857.
John Henry Hopkins was born in 1820 in Pensilvania in the family of famous and respected episcop of Anglican Church. In spite of he was brought up in the religious family, John Henry dreamed to become a lawer, he graduated Vermount University, philology department. Later he moved to New York, worked as a reporter and prepared tojuridical caree. Suddenly he entered the General Theological Seminary. He graduated this Seminary and worked there as a deacon and a music teacher. John Henry was incredibly talanted, hard-working and capable to work. He was an editor and a writer, a painter and an illustrator.
Hopkins was a philosopher and humanist... He struggled for rights for all people, he struggeld for freedom of slaves in America.
Hopkins wrote "We Three Kings" for a Christmas pageant held at the college. He created the plot, directed the perfomance, created music and lyrics and even painted decorations for stage. The perfomance was wonderful!
In some years in 1862 " We Three Kings of Orient are" became official christmas carol and got in "Christmas Carols Old and New", a very prestigious and influential collection of carols
