About We Three Kings of Orient#
John Henry Hopkins Jr. wrote both words and music around 1857 for a Christmas pageant in New York City, and it became one of the first widely sung American carols. The verses follow the gifts the three travelers bring, and the minor-key opening gives way to a bright, swinging refrain.
I like how the tones of this one sound on the 12-hole ocarina. The tab runs from E up to high D, so the thumb holes open only for that top note. The one accidental is a Gb, and there are no sub-holes to worry about. Four lines keep it short enough to learn in an evening.
We Three Kings of Orient Ocarina Tab#
| B | A | G | E | Gb | G | Gb | E | |
| B | A | G | E | Gb | G | Gb | E | |
| G | G | A | A | B | B | D | C | B |
| A | B | A | G | Gb | E |