Bill Hughes formed the idea of a trio of Irish tenors during a Cannes festival at which the famous Three Tenors, Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras and Plácido Domingo were performing. Hughes wanted to produce a television special and first approached Ireland's Finbar Wright in 1998 to join the group but Wright's recording contract with Sony BMG prohibited such a venture. Hughes then invited Canadian John McDermott to head up the group and he accepted. After conferring with Ireland's leading vocal coach, Dr. Veronica Dunne, Anthony Kearns and Ronan Tynan were asked to join. In 1999, "The Irish Tenors-in Dublin" debuted on PBS television in the United States.
PBS signed up for another special by the increasingly popular new group but early in 2000 McDermott's mother died and John decided he could not fully commit himself to the group. Days before PBS was to film The Irish Tenors - Live in Belfast Hughes again contacted Finbar Wright and asked him to step in. Wright agreed to help and was asked to stay on for upcoming tour dates. Having left Sony, Wright was able to join the trio on a permanent basis.
In 2001, the Irish Tenors filmed their third special, an historic PBS broadcast at New York's Ellis Island , hosted by Irish/American actor Martin Sheen. Their album "Ellis Island" topped Billboard's Heatseeker list and landed on its "Top 10 Best of 2001".
In 2006, after Tynan left the group to concentrate on his solo career, Karl Scully was asked by Kearns and Wright to join the trio. This successful blend of voices spurred Bill Hughes to produce a television 9 part series for Ireland's RTE titled The Irish Tenors & Friends. Friends performing on the television special with The Irish Tenors include Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber , Paul Carrick, Finbar Furey , Hayley Westenra , Shayne Ward , Sharon Shannon, Peter Grant , Rebecca Storm, Lucia Evans , and Celine Byrne.
In 2007 the South Carolina Legislature issued a "Proclamation" welcoming the trio to that State at their performance in Charleston.
The trio continues to tour yearly.
We Three Kings
The Irish Tenors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bearing gifts we traveled so far,
Field and fountain, morr and mountain,
Following yonder Star
O, star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain;
Gold i bring to crown Him again;
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.
Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship Him, God on High.
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Seal'd in the stone-cold tomb.
The song "We Three Kings" by The Irish Tenors is a classic Christmas carol that tells the story of the journey made by the three wise men who traveled from the East to visit the newborn Jesus Christ in Bethlehem. The lyrics of the song beautifully describe the journey of the three kings from their home in the East, across deserts, mountains, and fields, following the guiding star that led them to the birthplace of the special child.
The first verse of the song describes the journey of the three kings, bearing gifts for the newborn king. The second verse speaks of the guiding star that led them to the perfect light, symbolizing the divine intervention that helped them find their way to the manger. In the third verse, the gifts of the three kings are revealed, with each king bringing a precious offering to the child, with gold, frankincense, and myrrh highlighting the greatness, holiness, and eventual sacrifice of Christ. The final line of the last verse describes the ultimate sacrifice made by Jesus, symbolizing his death and resurrection, and the hope of salvation for all mankind.
Overall, "We Three Kings" is a powerful song that tells the story of the journey of the wise men and their gifts, leading them to the divine light of the child Jesus. The song reminds us of the importance of faith, hope, and love, and the incredible sacrifice made by Jesus for our salvation.
Line by Line Meaning
We three kings of Orient are,
We are three wise men from the East
Bearing gifts we traveled so far,
We have come a long distance to offer our gifts
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
We have traveled through various types of landscapes
Following yonder Star
We are following the bright Star in the sky
O, star of wonder, star of might,
Oh, splendid and powerful Star
Star with royal beauty bright,
Bright Star with regal beauty
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guiding us towards the West, continuing on our journey
Guide us to the perfect light.
Lead us to the source of the ultimate light
Born a king on Bethlehem's plain;
A King was born in Bethlehem
Gold I bring to crown Him again;
I am bringing gold to crown Him, again
King forever, ceasing never,
He is the eternal King, never to be replaced
Over us all to reign.
To rule over us all
Frankincense to offer have I;
I have brought frankincense to offer
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
It is an offering suitable for a God
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
By offering this, we can raise our voices in prayer and praise
Worship Him, God on High.
To worship Him, the highest God
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
I have brought myrrh, with its harsh scent
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
It symbolizes sadness and darkness
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
A reference to the death of Jesus
Seal'd in the stone-cold tomb.
Whose body was placed in a sealed tomb
Contributed by Cooper T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ron Wickman
on Grace
A glorious rendition that tears at one's heart, without histrionics.. Wm. Shakespeare couldn't have said it better.