arranged for percussion ensemble by Simeon Tanner
We Three Kings by John Henry Hopkins Jr.; arr. Simeon Tanner © 2025 Tapspace Publications, LLC (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
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TSPCE25-019
PROGRAM NOTES
We Three Kings is a traditional holiday song originally composed by John Henry Hopkins Jr. in 1857. Inspired by the biblical magi, this arrangement for percussion ensemble sets a middle eastern atmosphere in the introduction of the work before moving on to tell the story of the three wise men and their journey through the desert to Bethlehem.
—Simeon Tanner
PERFORMANCE NOTES
• Both marimba parts may be performed on a single 4.3-octave (low A) marimba if necessary. If playing on a 5-octave marimba, Marimba 2 should play the notes that are in parentheses.
• For the “high” and “low” hand drums, bongos (high) and congas (low) work great, but any hand drums (such as doumbek, frame drums, djembe, etc.) may be used as long as one is clearly higher than the other. Both hand drum parts simply notate low and high sounds, such as a bass tone and open tone, or in the case of bongos and congas, low and high drums.
• Some vibraphone pedaling is indicated using slurs, and note lengths and rests should be observed (pedal up on rests). Any vibraphone pedaling that is not notated may be decided by the director for the desired sound for their ensemble.
• Directors are free to augment the instrumentation by doubling parts as they see fit to best serve their personnel.
PLAYERS AND INSTRUMENTATION
We Three Kings requires 8 players with the following instrumentation:
1. Glockenspiel + bass drum
2. Vibraphone + high tom
3. Marimba 1 (share w/ M2) + low tom
4. Marimba 2 (low A, opt. 5-octave) + medium tom, mark tree
5. Tambourine
6. Shakers — caxixi and medium shaker
7. High hand drum (bongos, doumbek, small frame drum, etc.) + finger cymbals
8. Low hand drum (congas, djembe, large frame drum, etc.)
SUGGESTED SETUP
