Wisemen Rock Musical – Working title “From Star to Stable”
Just a holding page whilst I put the set of songs together in “album” order.
Prototype Covers
The Magi Visit the Messiah
Song One
I decided on an instrumental to start the “album”. I wanted this one to represent the Stars being formed as part of God’s creation. Stars bursting into cosmic beacons across the universe. One, in particular, destined to shine on Bethlehem. In its blazing glory, to announce the birth of Jesus. The shining star sign, seen by the wisemen and to which they respond.
Having created the instrumental I decided it would be good to use this piece to set the scene. So I have overdubbed some verses form Genesis on the formation of the Earth, Moon and Stars, and some verses from chapter 1 of John’s Gospel. These draw our story to Jesus’ birth and leads us to the story of the wisemen.
Title – “Star Birth”
Instrumental
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:48
Album Length – 3:48
2nd version with some Bible verses – still working on this. Rough recordings of the passages done with the laptop microphone…
Words:
Genesis 1 v 16 (NIV)
16 God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
John 1 v 1-5, 9-10, 14 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Song Two
Written for an Advent series of reflections. This song was originally written to reflect the first chapter of John’s gospel. The created star’s light travels billion of miles to shine exactly as needed on Bethlehem.
As I was thinking about and writing this song, a new star was discovered in December 2024. The star is in the Firefly Sparkle and astronomers have calculated that the light from that star has taken 13 billion years to reach us. It set me to thinking of the wonder of creation and in this context of the star that announced the coming of Jesus. The lines “here with us though far away” are to represent the wonder of the length of time that light takes to get to us here on earth.
Title – “Light of Day”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2024
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:45
Album Length – 7:33
1. Light of day, fades away.
Darkness falls, close of day.
Vision fades, shadow spreads.
Dreams of wonder in sleepy heads.
[Chorus]
Light from star which your hands had formed,
Shines brightly on the place you’re born,
Lights of the night which guide the way,
Here with us though far away.
2. Flickering stars, now appear.
Scattered rays, darkness clear.
.Heavenly helper, show the way.
Guide our hearts, as we pray.
[Bridge]
Once again, gather there,
Come close, if we dare,
Starlight dancing, on his face,
Sleeping, waking, full of grace.
[Chorus]
4. Even in the light of day.
The stars still shine away.
Ready for the time,
When their light will truly shine.
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Even in the light of day.
The stars still shine away.
Ready for the time,
When their light will truly shine.
Song Three
This gentle folk style song is used to set the scene of the stars appearance. Also beginning the stars insistent call to both the wise men so long ago and its continual call to us today.
I found the original lyrics to this hymn by accident. I liked them but thought they needed a little tinkering with to bring them more up to date. So this is my version of the words of Charles Coffin from 1736 which were translated from Latin to English in 1837 by John Chandler.
Title – “What star is this”
Lyrics – Charles Coffin Tr John Chandler (Public Domain) This revision © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 2:04
Album Length – 9:37
1. What star is this, with beams so bright?
That blazes in the dark of night?
it shines announcing – Comes the King!
Glad tidings of our God to bring.
2. See now fulfilled what God decreed,
“From Jacob shall a Star proceed:”
And lo! the eastern Wisemen stand,
To read in the heavens, of God’s plan.
3. Oh, while the Star of heavenly grace
Invites us, Lord, to seek Thy face,
May we no more ignore the call,
To come to where its’ light does fall.
Song Four
We pass into the message from Matthew’s Gospel.
This song was originally written as a rap. It was performed by one of the church youth (accompanied by me on a drum) at a carol service a good few years ago. Lyrics slightly updated and new a.i. tune. This one was inspired by thoughts of the wisemen first seeing the star and deciding to follow it. So in a way a prequel to the passage from Matthew. I’ve squeezed it into part of verse 1 – “Magi from the east came”.
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
Title – “I was sitting in my astral dome”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 5:08
Album Length – 14:45
1. I was sitting in my astral dome,
Wasting time, getting stuff done,
Looking up with my tired eyes,
Not much changes in the night skies,
Stars and planets, come and go,
How do they do that? I do not know.
[Chorus]
We are experts in a field of three
That’s all of us One, Two, Three!
2. What’s this through my looking glass,
A new star, in the sky so vast,
It comes from nowhere, never seen before,
Something special, – that is for sure!
Must mean something, better get down,
With the other wise ones in this town.
[Chorus]
3. Well what on earth does it show
It seems to make some sense, if you know
We talked and talked for a pretty long time
Through all the possible meanings of this sign
Seems a new king has been announced
Loud in clear in the silence by this light
[Chorus]
4. Seems to us a special kind of sign
Sent straight to us it was a thing, divine
Better take notice and get ready to go
To see the king whose star now glows
A king! This one must be the king of kings
To merit a star so bright. What a thing!
[Chorus]
5. Better pack our bags and get the train
Camels of course, shouldn’t need to explain
Setting off to the West, following the star
To find the place that it will rest
Months and months ahead of us
Weary feet tramping desert sand and dust
[Chorus]
6. We are still on that journey but getting pretty near
The palace in Jerusalem, seems pretty clear
We’ll go straight there and ask if we can see the king
Who we have come so far to see
Should be pretty simple, we’ll walk right up
Ask directions and been shown right in
[Chorus]
7. Seems to us a special kind of sign
Sent straight to us it was a thing, divine
Better take notice and get ready to go
To see the king whose star now glows
A king! This one must be the king of kings
To merit a star so bright. What a thing!
[Chorus]
Song Four
The Journey – not written yet
Song Four
The next song idea came from thinking about the reaction of the palace officials to the wisemen asking for directions and the likely panic which would ensue…
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Title – “Three Wisemen at the gates”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 4:07
Album Length – 16:48
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 3 – 8 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]”
7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”
I MIGHT SPLIT THIS TO INCLUDE A SONG ON THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE PROHECY?? (Verses 4 – 6) If I do this song will be Verses 7 – 8 – I’ll see how it goes but for now this is the song for this full section. Reflecting Herod’s anger and sneakiness…
Two competing versions at the moment which I have not yet narrowed down to my preferred one!
Title – “Come in, come in”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 4:51
Album Length – 14:06
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 9-10 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was.
I am still finalising the tune for this one the words a written – thought I might use some words from O little town of Bethlehem in it for fun!
Title – “We’re on our way to Bethlehem”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2025
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:26
Album Length – 17:32
I made the mistake again of creating a tune before I had finalised the words and of course it is the one I like best. So the current favourite but still “Work in Progress” I had to weave three more verses into the song using what is proving to be the “random” software edit facility!
Or a more jazzy progressive version?
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 11a On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Song not written yet or maybe also use this one…written for last years Advent reflections.
Title – “In the silence of night”
Lyrics – © Chris Hancock, 2024
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 3:21
Album Length – 20:53
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 11b Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Song not written yet
Likely to be a rambling prog one though or 4 songs weaved together.
Introduction
Not just a mortal king
i Gold
Gold was and remains a very valuable rare element. Prized by kings and extensively used in the decoration of the tabernacle.
I have taken some of the ideas for this one from God’s design for the tabernacle from Exodus and some of the items created.
The Mercy seat, the lamp and the incense altar and linked these to some of the facets of Jesus’ nature. Merciful, the light and an intercessor for us.
ii Frankincense
Frankincense was a rare resin. It was used in the ancient world as part of worship. It would have been burnt on the Incense altar and symbolised the lifting of the prayers of the priests to God.
iii Myrrh
Myrrh is another rare resin. Unlike Frankincense, which was burnt, Myrrh was used for the perfume in anointing oil. It was sought after as an anointing oil for embalming of bodies. Its rarity has been said to indicate that Myrrh was used for the embalming of kings and that as a result. The gift of Myrrh to Jesus indicated both his kingship and his death.
Matthew Chapter 2 Verse 10 -11 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
Song not written yet
Final Song
This one was a re-write of a Charles Wesley Christmas hymn. Which I revised for my 2024 Advent series. I use it to indicate the story is not over and we await Jesus coming once more.
Title – “Light of those in darkness dwelling”
Lyrics – Charles Wesley revised lyrics © Chris Hancock, 2024
Music – Generated on Suno.com (Paid subscriber)
Length – 4:00
Album Length –
