Description

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The Quest of the Magi was one of the working titles for John Henry Hopkins Jr.'s famous carol, We Three Kings." Written in 1857 for a Christmas pageant in New York City, "We Three Kings" tells the tale of the Magis' journey to find a newly born king in a faraway land and the precious gifts they brought with them. This piece focuses more on the journey of "following yonder star." Traveling across many countries in the first century was a perilous task, full of danger, thievery, and possible death, not to mention these men were traveling with some of the most precious and expensive cargo one could possess. This piece chronicles the magi acquiring myrrh, frankincense, and gold for their journey. Each treasure is represented by its own motif and woven into Hopkins' original carol. (2:45)