Edmund Sears wrote the words to It Came Upon the Midnight Clear in 1849, and it’s sung on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean (just with different tunes). This arrangement is to the American melody, CAROL, composed by Richard Storrs Willis. It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, From angels bending …
Category: Christmas
Ding Dong, Merrily on High – Twelve-Handbell Version
The sixteenth-century English tune Ding Dong, Merrily on High is quite popular at Christmas. It reflects the joy of the season, and invites us to share in the joy of heaven at the birth of the Son of God. Ding dong merrily on high, / In heav’n the bells are ringing: Ding dong! verily the …
Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella – Twelve handbells
In this charming sixteenth-century French carol Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella, a young girl is sent to bring a torch/candle to bring light to the stable where the Christ Child sleeps. Un flambeau, Jeanette, Isabelle, Un flambeau, courons au berceau! C’est Jésus, bonnes gens du hameau, Le Christ est né, Marie appelle, Ah! Ah! que …
Angels We Have Heard on High – Twelve handbells
The Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard on High, sung to the French tune GLORIA is one of rejoicing! Angels we have heard on high, Sweetly singing o’er the plains And the mountains in reply, Echoing their joyous strains. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Gloria in excelsis Deo. Shepherds, why this jubilee? Why your joyous strains …
Twelve-Bell Christmas
If you have three to six ringers available for a holiday performance, our twelve-bell Christmas music is for you! There are about twenty arrangements here; if you have all of them, that’s about an hour of music! You’ll find these pieces to be solid concert repertoire as well, so they can be used to create …
Greensleeves/What Child is This? – Twelve handbells
There are many stories about Greensleeves. Some historical references say that Henry VIII wrote it… but it had to be someone else because it was written after he’d died. However, it was “on the charts” by Shakespeare’s time, so it’s been around for quite a while, and often appears during Christmas in the form of …
Carla Sue
Carla began playing handbells in England in 1987 as a member of the Wokingham All Saints handbell group. She continued to perform with that group for more than twenty years, and also spent a number of years as a member of the South East Region Bell Orchestra, the Rowland Ringers Ensemble and Hurst Handbell Ringers. …
Licensing Agreement – PLEASE READ
Choraegus Handbell Music Licensing Terms General Permissions | 6 bells | 8 bells | 12 bells | 16 bells | bell choir | solo | small ensemble | SATB choir General Permissions with respect to Performances and Recordings Live (including livestreamed) performance is permitted. For our purposes, “live performance” also includes rehearsals. Personal recordings of …
Greensleeves/What Child is This? (GREENSLEEVES) – Eight handbells
There are many stories about Greensleeves. Some historical references say that Henry VIII wrote it… but it had to be someone else because it was written after he’d died. However, it was “on the charts” by Shakespeare’s time, so it’s been around for quite a while, and often appears during Christmas in the form of …
Angels We Have Heard on High (GLORIA) – Eight handbells
Angels We Have Heard on High is based on the nineteenth-century French song Les Anges dans nos Campagnes and is traditionally sung to the hymn tune GLORIA. The lyric tells us of how the angels came from heaven to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Please note that there are two “standard” versions; version …
