Aug 09

Dance of the Sugar Plum Sumo Fairy – for bass handbell trio

Tchaikovsky created one of the all-time holiday season favorites when he wrote the Nutcracker Suite in 1892. There’s a good chance you’ve seen more than just a small part of it at a December ballet presentation. The Dance of the Candy Fairy (or Sugar Plum Fairy) was a sensation at its premiere, because Tchaikovsky chose the celesta (also called a “bell piano”) as the solo instrument. At the time, the celesta was unknown in Russia; the composer had one secretly delivered from Europe and kept it hidden until the first performance. Wikipedia notes that the celesta is a “transposing instrument” – it plays notes an octave higher than its written score.

In the Low Ding Zone tradition, we poke a little fun at Tchaikovsky’s world-famous work by transposing the notes downward one octave, recasting the piece as a bass handbell trio. For your convenience, the score package for this arrangement comes with a complete three-staff score, plus separate parts for each ringer. It may be played an octave higher than written if you have nothing but “gurlie bells”.

Interpretive dancer not included. 😀

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain the number of copies needed your handbell ensemble (plus the accompaniment score) – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Aug 05

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth (AN WASSERFLÜSSEN BABYLON) (Handbells, 3 or 5 octaves plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 3-)

The hymn tune AN WASSERFLÜSSEN BABYLON dates from the sixteenth century. It’s from the Strassburger Kirchenant of 1525. We’ve found it to be a bit of an earworm, probably because of its harmonies. We hope you enjoy playing our Level 3- arrangement for three or five octaves of handbells.

A Lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
‘Tis laden with the sin of earth,
None else the burden sharing;
It goes its way, grows weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
Its spotless life to offer;
Bears shame, and stripes, and wounds, and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”

Lord, all my life to you I’ll cling,
This love forever holding.
You ever, as you ever me,
With loving arms enfolding.
Lord, you will be my beacon-light,
Guiding me safe through death’s dark night,
Cheering my heart in sorrow.
Therefore my self, and all that’s mine,
To you, my Savior, I consign,
From whom all things I borrow.

Purchasing this handbell choir arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Aug 03

Praise the Lord Together – for SATB choir

Praise the Lord Together, the seventy-fifth of the Living Water songs, tells of the rejoicing that’s part (all?) of the Christian life.

Special bonus for those of you looking to start an interstellar ministry: In addition to a score in English, we also have a translation to Klingon!

We hope you take a moment to listen to our new audio recording!


(Just a note: This MP3 is a men’s chorus voicing of the original SATB score – because those were the voices I could record…)

Purchasing this score gives you permission to print and maintain the number of copies needed by your ensemble – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Aug 02

Larry and Carla’s Sixth “Surprisingly Easy”™ Eight-Bell Hymn Collection !!!

Our sixth (!) collection of “Surprisingly Easy”™ eight-bell hymns is like our previous five collections. It contains music that you can prepare relatively quickly, and which will enhance your worship service.

You can play this music with two four-in-hand ringers… or you could have four ringers with two bells each. Beginning ringers will have fun with these, and will have an easy way to learn to play multiple bells, too. And when you master them, you can think about moving on to learn the more advanced versions that take the music a bit further!

A total of eleven bells are used to play the entire set (G5, A5, B5, C6, C#6, D6, E6, F6, F#6, G6, and A6), so if you’re playing the entire set, everything will fit on just one table!

Jul 29

Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us (BRADBURY) for twelve handbells plus piano

We present our first score for twelve handbells and piano. It’s an arrangement of Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us that’s fairly easy to learn. And despite having no bell changes, there are sections in different keys!

As usual, this score is available in C5-G6 and F5-C7 versions. There is an accompaniment track corresponding to each as well.

Purchasing this 12-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Jul 23

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus (STORIES OF JESUS) – for sixteen handbells

William Parker and Frederic Challinor joined forces to write this hymn in 1885. Many of Parker’s hymns were sung in schools in England. Our sixteen-bell arrangement will make a great addition to your handbell ensemble library!

Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear;
Things I would ask Him to tell me if He were here:
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.

Purchasing this 16-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Jul 12

Love Divine, All Loves Excelling (BEECHER) (Handbells, 3-5 octaves, plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 3+)

God is so great and so incredible that His love is overwhelming. His care for us is beyond anything we could expect or hope for, and His gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is beyond comprehensibility. We hope you’ll enjoy playing our arrangement for handbell choir!

Love Divine, all loves excelling / Joy of heaven to earth come down
Fix in us thy humble dwelling / All thy faithful mercies crown
Jesus, thou art all compassion / Pure unbounded love thou art
Visit us with thy salvation / Enter every trembling heart.

MP3:

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.

Jul 09

O, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus (EBENEZER) – for sixteen handbells

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus is sung to the hymn tune EBENEZER, which means “stone of help.” Jesus is the Rock of Ages, and our Eternal Rescuer; He is the One to whom we must turn for salvation. Our new arrangement for sixteen handbells is straightforward to play with a bit of enjoyable challenge, and is available in C5-B6 and G4-F#6 versions, with the G4-F#6 version fitting the range of a standard two-octave handbell set.

O the deep, deep love of Jesus! Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free,
rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love;
leading onward, leading homeward, to Thy glorious rest above.

Purchasing this 16-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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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Jul 02

Tell Me the Story of Jesus (STORY OF JESUS) – for sixteen handbells

Frances (Fanny) Crosby was one of the most famous American hymn writer. Despite being blind, the words she wrote showed that she had a spiritual sight far beyond that of most. Her passion was to know her Savior, and this hymn (tune written by John Sweney) is a prayer for deepening of that everlasting relationship. Here is our arrangement of this song for sixteen handbells.

Tell me the story of Jesus, write on my heart every word;
tell me the story most precious, sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels, in chorus, sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest! Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Purchasing this 16-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Jun 28

Praise God, Ye Servants of the Lord (ANDRE) – for eight handbells and piano

William Bradbury wrote hymn tunes that are still well-known more than a century later. He Leadeth Me and Sweet Hour of Prayer are two that still appear in hymnals of today. His lively tune ANDRE may be less familiar, but it still suggests praise and rejoicing when played. Our arrangement for eight handbells and piano will be a welcome addition to your repertoire.

Praise God: ye servants of the Lord, O praise, the Lord’s name praise.
Yea, blessed be the name of God from this time forth always.
From rising sun to where it sets, God’s name is to be prais’d.
Above all nations God is high, ’bove heav’ns his glory rais’d.
Unto the Lord our God that dwells on high, who can compare?
Himself that humbleth things to see in heav’n and earth that are.

The eight bells in the score are accompanied by piano; if you don’t happen to have an accompanist available, we also have an accompaniment MP3 available for purchase.\

Purchasing this 8-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment/instrumental score(s), if part of the purchase) – so you only need to pay once. 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.

Find Larry and Carla on Facebook!