A Sparrow on Christmas Morning (Handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 3+)

Otto Kotilainen’s Finnish carol A Sparrow on Christmas Morning tells the story of a sparrow that has exhausted his summer food supply. In danger of starving in the winter cold, he visits a young girl who offers him a seed to eat. The sparrow gratefully accepts the offer, and then reveals that he, her deceased younger brother, has returned from heaven to visit her.

Our arrangement for three or five octaves of handbells, plus three octaves of handchimes, contains plenty of enjoyable challenges for your bell choir, including suspended mallets and rich chime lines. Your B67 C78 ringer will love this piece, as the Position 11 has several solo lines representing the sparrow.

The lyrics tell the story wonderfully:

Finnish:
Varpunen jouluaamuna sanat

Lumi on jo peittänyt kukat laaksosessa,

järven aalto jäätynyt talvipakkasessa.

Varpunen pienoinen, syönyt kesäeinehen,
järven aalto jäätynyt talvipakkasessa.

Pienen pirtin portailla oli tyttökulta:

– Tule, varpu, riemulla, ota siemen multa!

Joulu on, koditon varpuseni onneton,

tule tänne riemulla, ota siemen multa!

Tytön luo nyt riemuiten lensi varpukulta:

– Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta.

Palkita Jumala tahtoo kerran sinua.

kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta!

En mä ole, lapseni, lintu tästä maasta,

olen pieni veljesi, tulin taivahasta.

Siemenen pienoisen, jonka annoit köyhällen,

pieni sai sun veljesi enkeleitten maasta.

English:
A Sparrow on Christmas Morning

Snow has already covered the flowers in the valley
The wave of a lake has frozen in the winter frost
A little sparrow has eaten its summer food
The wave of a lake has frozen in the winter frost

On stairs of little house stood deargirl:
Come, sparrow, joyfully, take this seed from me!
It’s Christmas, my homeless sparrow is miserable
Come, sparrow joyfully, take this seed from me!

The dear sparrow flew joyously to the girl
Gratefully I do take the seed from you
God will want to reward you once
Gratefully I do take the seed from you

I’m not, my child, bird from this land
I’m your little brother, I came from Heaven
The tiny seed, which you gave to the poor
Got your little brother from the land of angels

Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble; purchasing the single copy version grants permission to print and maintain one copy. Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.

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