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Three Disoriented Kings
By Anthony St. Pierre June 2021
 
A T B
 
 
Of a kind with St. Pierre’s Contorted Yule Carols (duets), 'Three Disoriented Kings' is a twisted trio on John Henry Hopkins’ 1857 Epiphany carol, 'We Three Kings of Orient.' The disposition of the tune shifts as each king offers a variant of the tune. Jarring clashes in verse three represent the “bitter perfume” of King Balthazar’s myrrh.

Lying in a comfortable range throughout, and despite a verse in four flats, this easy setting will be readily recognizable, even with its eccentricities. The main challenge is precise tuning of unisons (eg. b. 102) and octaves (eg. bb. 56–60).

Duration: 4:00
-- Anthony St. Pierre
 
 
The familiar carol “We Three Kings” gets run through a funhouse mirror, to comedic effect. Technically not very difficult, a trio of like-minded wisecrackers will have a lot of fun with it. Harmonic surprises and other twists fill this ATB trio with merriment and help make it a perfect encore piece for your holiday party.
-- Glen Shannon
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
3
Difficulty:
Moderate
Occasion:
Christmas/Advent
Libraries:
New Music for Recorder
Date Added:
07/08/2021
Style:
Social/Casual, Concert, Laid-back/Slow, Tonal/Melodic, Variations/Fantasies/Adaptations