In England, it’s important to have bells at your wedding; if you don’t, many think it’s bad luck. So if you’re fortunate enough to book a church with a functioning bell tower, you can request the services of the local tower ringers to bless your new life. There, however, are ceremonies where there’s no carillon …
Category: Choraegus
Feb 03
Newness (Handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, Level 1)
The Bible tells us to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). It’s all about the beauty and joy of a redeemed soul experiencing God’s love and guidance from day to day and minute to minute. This original piece depicts how that newness feels. We’ve had this original handbell work in Level 2/3 form for …
Jan 31
All Things Bright and Beautiful (ROYAL OAK) – for sixteen handbells
Cecil Frances Alexander wrote All Things Bright and Beautiful in 1849. The joyous text and its happy melody are perfectly matched! Here’s our new arrangement of the hymn tune ROYAL OAK for sixteen handbells. This score is available in C5-B6 and G4-F#6 versions; the latter can be played on a standard two-octave set of handbells. …
Jan 27
Take My Life and Let It Be (MESSIAH) – for twelve handbells
Hymnody, the body of hymns that we have and sing, often combines the same words with several different tunes. Sometimes we also match the same melody with different words – it can enrich our Christian musical experience. In this case, Louis Hérold wrote the hymn tune MESSIAH, which also works with the same words as …
Jan 24
How Can I Keep From Singing? – Twelve-Handbell Version
Christian joy depends only on God and His everlasting goodness. Because of that, believers have the power to rise above even the most troubling of times and circumstances. Here’s our twelve-bell arrangement of this hymn. No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that Rock I’m clinging. Since Christ is Lord of heaven and …
Jan 20
America the Beautiful (AMERICA/MATERNA) – Handbells, 3 to 5 octaves, Level 4
I think of America the Beautiful as a “wannabe national anthem”, because it says so much about what matters in the country where I live. Our Level 4 arrangement for three to five octaves of handbells will sparkle in your church service or patriotic gathering. O beautiful for spacious skies / For amber waves of …
Jan 17
New “Newness” video!
We’ve continued to make videos of our works for handbell choir. Here’s a new five-octave version of Newness, an original work for three or five octaves of handbells, plus three octaves of handchimes. Newness can be played either as a Level 2 or a Level 3 piece. To play it as a Level 2 piece, …
Jan 14
Come Down, O Love Divine (DOWN AMPNEY) – (Handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 3-)
This lovely hymn tune was written by Ralph Vaughan Williams. Here’s our handbell arrangement for three or five octaves of handbells plus three octaves of handchimes. 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 …
Jan 10
Gaudete! (Handbells, 3-8 octaves, plus handchimes, 3-4 octaves, Level 4+)
Here’s our new arrangement of this sixteenth-century Christmas song! It’s scored for three to eight octaves of handbells plus three or four octaves of handchimes – and if you have a percussionist, there also is a cajón part! Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen …
Jan 01
Happy 2022, and Thank You!
Happy New Year! It’s time for celebration and a bit of relaxing and making resolutions… uh, okay. Maybe not all of those. Many of us have had a difficult year, and are hoping the next trip around the sun is more user-friendly than the one that’s just ended. We hope you have some optimism, however …
