We love the Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard on High so much that we now have a second “standard” eight-bell version! We hope you’ll enjoy it enough to play both arrangements during the holidays!
Aug 31
Simple Gifts – for six accompanied handbells
Shaker songs are fantastically good as six-bell music! “‘Tis a gift to be simple”, yes… but this arrangement is a lot of fun to play!
‘Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained,
To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come ’round right.
Our piano-accompanied six-handbell arrangement of nineteenth-century Shaker tune SIMPLE GIFTS provides an opportunity to play as a two-bells-each trio. Another possibility is to play as a duet where one ringer plays four bells and the other (perhaps a younger/newer player!) plays two bells.
The six 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.
Aug 27
The Spider Song – for eight handbells (and free!)
Okay… we hedged our bets with respect to the title, because this children’s song is called Itsy Bitsy Spider in the US, Incy Wincy Spider in the UK. Fortunately, the hand motions are the same in both places. You’ll have fun with our free eight-bell arrangement!
Aug 24
Al die willen te kaap’ren varen – for six accompanied handbells
Clearly, there’s a tiny bit of (ancient) gender bias when you announce “all who want to be privateers, must be bearded men”. But eating rancid bread doesn’t sound like much fun. Perhaps it’s a somewhat silly song in today’s world, but it’s fun to play!
| Al die willen te kaap’ren varen Moeten mannen met baarden zijn Jan, Pier, Tjores en Corneel Die hebben baarden, die hebben baarden Jan, Pier, Tjores en Corneel Die hebben baarden, zij varen meeAl die ranzige tweebak lusten Moeten mannen met baarden zijn Jan, Pier, Tjores en Corneel Die hebben baarden, die hebben baarden Jan, Pier, Tjores en Corneel Die hebben baarden, zij varen mee Al die deftige pijpkens smoren Al die met ons de walrus killen |
All those wanting to sail Must be men with beards Jan, Pier, Tjores and Corneel They have beards that have beards Jan, Pier, Tjores and Corneel They have beards, they sail with themIf you want to eat rancid bread Must be men with beards Jan, Pier, Tjores and Corneel They have beards that have beards Jan, Pier, Tjores and Corneel They have beards, they sail with them Those who smoke the fancy pipes All those killing the walrus with us |
Our piano-accompanied six-handbell arrangement of the Dutch folk song Al die willen te kaap’ren varen (“All who want to be privateers”) provides an opportunity to play as a two-bells-each trio. Another possibility is to play as a duet where one ringer plays four bells and the other (perhaps a younger/newer player!) plays two bells.
The six 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.
Aug 20
We have a new “Surprisingly Easy”™ Christmas Collection!
It’s been quite a while since we released a new collection of “Surprisingly Easy”™ Advent/Christmas/Epiphany arrangements – here’s the fourth one!
It includes the following:
- Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
- From Starry Skies Descending
- Joy to the World
- O du Fröhliche
- Pat-a-Pan
- People, Look East
- The Friendly Beasts
- The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
Here’s a compilation video of the music:
Aug 17
Nyanyikanlah (NYANYIKANLAH) – for six accompanied handbells
Our piano-accompanied six-handbell arrangement of the Indonesian melody NYANYKANLAH (translated as “Hallelujah!”) provides an opportunity to play as a two-bells-each trio. Another possibility is to play as a duet where one ringer plays four bells and the other (perhaps a younger/newer player!) plays two bells.
The six 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.
Aug 13
Let All Things Now Living (THE ASH GROVE) – for eight handbells
You’ll enjoy playing this eight-bell arrangement of the ASH GROVE! It’s often encountered in hymnody as Let All Things Now Living.
Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
to God the Creator triumphantly raise,
who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
who guides us and leads to the end of our days.
God’s banners fly o’er us; God’s light goes before us,
a pillar of fire shining forth in the night,
till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,
as forward we travel from light into light.
Aug 10
Be Thou My Vision (SLANE) – for eight accompanied handbells
Our piano-accompanied eight-handbell arrangement Be Thou My Vision will work well with your small handbell ensemble (duet, trio, or quartet)!
Historical note: This arrangement came into being because Steve in Maryland bought some music in early July 2020, and mentioned that he was hoping to find an arrangement of Be Thou My Vision for eight accompanied handbells. This score came together a couple of days later, and gave Steve and his ringers a bit over a month to prepare it for their service on August 9, 2020.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.
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.
Aug 06
Christ, the Life of All the Living (JESU, MEINES LEBENS LEBEN) – for eight handbells
Trusting in Christ is life… not just avoiding death, or being alive forever, but life that transcends anything that it would be without Him, and a blessed eternity in His glorious presence. Here’s our eight-bell arrangement of this hymn about trusting God.
Christ, the life of all the living, / Christ, the death of death, our foe;
who Thyself for me once giving / to the darkest depths of woe,
patiently didst yield Thy breath / but to save my soul from death;
praise and glory ever be, / blessed Jesus, unto Thee.
Aug 03
Kingsfold – for six handbells and piano
This venerable English tune, placed into the modern hymnody by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906, takes on a new introspective feel in our eight-bell arrangement. It also is known as Star of the County Down.
Our piano-accompanied six-handbell arrangement of the hymn tune KINGSFOLD provides an opportunity to play as a two-bells-each trio. Another possibility is to play as a duet where one ringer plays four bells and the other (perhaps a younger/newer player!) plays two bells.
The six 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.
