This song goes back more than a few years, dating to the Crusades. While we’re not into the militaristic part of that bit of history now, Jesus Christ is still just as wonderful and lovely as ever. Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature, O thou of God and man the Son, Thee will I …
Category: Handbell Ensemble
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 Some historical references say that Henry VIII wrote it… but it had to be someone else because it was written after he’d died.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 …
Sing We Now of Christmas (NOEL NOUVELET) – Eight handbells
This arrangement is dual-purpose – it can be played for Christmas or Easter! So… if you already have our eight-bell version of Now the Green Blade Riseth, you don’t need to buy it again! Sing we now of Christmas, Noel, sing we here! Hear our grateful praises to the babe so dear. Sing we Noel, …
O Holy Night (CANTIQUE DE NOEL) – Eight handbells
O Holy Night is perhaps one of the most dramatically-presented of all English language Christmas carols. It’s been performed by countless artists, and has been a favorite of many people all their lives. O holy night! the stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in …
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night (CHRISTMAS)
It’s always interesting to find that the lyrics for Christmas carols and hymns are sung to different melodies on each side of the ocean. This one, by Handel, is the version of While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night that’s sung in the USA. While shepherds watched their flocks by night, all seated on the …
Joy to the World (ANTIOCH) – Eight handbells
Handel wrote the music for this Christmas carol. The first eight notes form a descending scale, which turns out to be the change ring pattern “Rounds” upside down. So… our eight-bell arrangement contains a bit of English bell ringing tradition in that some of the best-known change ring patterns are included in the score. Joy …
The First Nowell (THE FIRST NOWELL) – Eight handbells
We hear that the tune for this carol was from W. Sandy’s Christmas Carols, published in 1833, and arranged by none other than John Stainer (who is well-known for his wonderful work “God So Loved the World”). The first Nowell the angel did say was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay; In …
