Star singers
Star singers, also known as Epiphany singers, or Star boys' singing procession (England), are children and young people walking from house to house with a star on a rod and often wearing crowns and dressed in clothes to resemble the Three Magi (variously also known as Three Kings or Three Wise Men). The singing processions have their roots in an old medieval ecclesiastical play, centred on the Biblical Magi of the Christmas story in the Gospel of Matthew (Mt 2,1-28), appropriate to Epiphany. It is observed usually during the period between 27 December and 6 January (the feast of the Epiphany).
"Star boy" redirects here. For other uses, see Starboy (disambiguation).In Scandinavia and Central Europe a special set of songs, distinct from Christmas carols has developed in this context. In England, the liturgical drama developed from being performed by cathedral schoolboys in the 16th century to become a more secular mystery drama, containing also some ordinary Christmas songs and carols. Historically performed by boys and male adolescents only, it is nowadays performed by children and young people of both sexes in most regions where the tradition is alive.
Die heil′gen drei König′ mit ihrigem Stern,text and melody from Bavaria (18th century).
Die Legende von den drei weisen Königen, text: Rolf Krenzer, melody: (ZDF-Star singer event 1999).
Ludger Stühlmeyer
Die Weisen aus dem Morgenland, text and melodie: Kurt Rommel.
Drei Könige führte Gottes Hand, text: , melody: Cologn, 1880.
Friedrich Spee
Erfüll mit deinen Gnaden Herr Jesus dieses Haus (Ein Kind ist uns geboren), Leipzig 1884.
, text and melody from Swissland (19th century).
Es ist für uns eine Zeit angekommen
Es ziehn aus weiter Ferne drei Könige einher, text and melody from Austria.
Gott griaß enk Laidln ollesombt, megn sai so fü enk woin, from Bavaria.
Heller Stern in der dunklen Nacht, text: , melody: France 1874 ([[Il est né le divin enfant|Il est né le divin enfant]]).
Diethard Zils
Hier kommen die Könige, sie folgen einem Stern, text: Rolf Krenzer, melody .
Peter Janssens
Seht den Stern, den wir euch bringen, text: Peter Gerloff, melody: Ludger Stühlmeyer, 2016.[11]
[10]
Seht ihr unsern Stern dort stehen, text: Zils, melody: France 18. Jahrhundert (Les Anges dans nos campagnes).
[12]
Wir heil'gen drei Könige mit unserm Stern, Folk song.
Wir kommen daher aus dem Morgenland, text: Maria Ferschl, melody: Heinrich Rohr.
Wir sind die drei Könige, text and music: Kurt Mikula.
Cavalcade of Magi
Chalking the door
King Cake
(Poland)
kolęda
Liturgical drama
Medieval theatre
Mystery play
Rosca de reyes
(Czech Republic)
cs:Tříkrálová sbírka
Manfred Becker-Huberti: Die Heiligen Drei Könige. Geschichten, Legenden und Bräuche. Greven Verlag, Köln. 3-7743-0356-8.
ISBN
Carsten Bregenhøj: Helligtrekongersløb på Agersø: Socialt, statistik og strukturelt. Dansk Folkemindesamling, Skrifter 3. Copenhagen 1974.
Laurits Bødker: Folk Literature (Germanic). International Dictionary of Regional European Ethnology and Folklore Volume II. Rosenkilde and Bagger. Copenhagen 1965.
Hilding Celander: Stjärngossarna. Deres visor och julspel. Nordiska museets Handlingar:38. Stockholm 1950.
Frederick J. Marker & Lise-Lone Marker: A history of Scandinavian theatre. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge 1996.
1993, see Hans Wiers-Jenssen & Haakon Hougen.
Erik Henning Edvardsen
Terry Gunnell: The Origins of Drama in Scandinavia. D.S. Brewer, Woodbridge 1994 (1995).
B. Hayward (1992) Galoshins: The Scottish Folk Play. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh 1992. 0-7486-0338-7
ISBN
: Helligtrekonger (p. 205-210). At gavne og fornøie. Et utvalg av hans arbeider ved Gordon Hølmebakk. Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo 1984.
Reidar Kjellberg
: En gammeldags julaften. Juleaften. Aktieselsk. Biglers Forlag. Kristiania [1897].
John Paulsen
: Bogen om julen. Historien om julen og dens traditioner. Sesam. Copenhagen 1998. ISBN 978-87-7258-570-3
Iørn Piø
: Julestjerna. For Bygd og By nr. 25–26. Julenummer 1925.
Klara Semb
: Keeping Christmas. Yuletide Traditions in Norway and the New Land. Minnesota Historical Society Press. MS 2000. ISBN 0-87351-390-8.
Kathleen Stokker
& Haakon Hougen: Stjernespill og stjernesang i Norge. "Norvegia Sacra" 1921 og 1937. [Reprint of earlier periodical articles and an updated investigation of later oral and written sources to the star play, the singing procession and the star boy tradition in Norway and a short description of the custom elsewhere in the world, by Erik Henning Edvardsen, p. V-VII and p. 109- 160.] Norsk Folkeminnelags skrifter nr. 138 / Norsk Folkeminnelag. Oslo 1993. ISBN 82-991811-2-7.
Hans Wiers-Jenssen
Archived 2017-12-24 at the Wayback Machine (in German)
Website about charities that are helped by Star singers in Germany
(in German)
The Three Wise Men in the Catholic Youth Organization in Austria
(in Finnish)
Historic, Finnish sourches from North Österbotten (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan) Museum
– the expression of tradition (in Finnish)
Taru Kolehmainen: Julesanger (Joululaulujen)
(in Finnish)