The melody in this arrangement of Away in a Manger by James Murray is the one most familiar to Americans.
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head,
The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love you, Lord Jesus; look down from the sky,
And stay by my side until morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask you to stay
Close by me for ever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in your tender care,
And fit us for heaven, to live with you there.
Bells used: G5, A5, B5, C6, D6, E6, F6, G6
Key: C major
Church Calendar: Christmas
Hymn tune: AWAY IN A MANGER
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Also available for 6 accompanied handbells (CRADLE SONG), 8 handbells (CRADLE SONG), 12 handbells (CRADLE SONG), 12 handbells (MURRAY), handbells (3 octaves, Level 2) (MURRAY), and handbell duet (NORMANDY).
Purchasing this 8-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score, 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.
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Just wondering what suggestions you can offer for ringing in the colder weather. We’ve actually used some of your pieces and visited some church members outside their front doors. Would like to do it again with the Christmas carols but just wondering if you have ideas.
Thanks, Karen
Author
Hi Karen,
Thank you for playing our music for your church members!
We’ve heard that the handbell manufacturers recommend ringing at temperatures above 40ºF. We confess to having played in colder weather; under those conditions, we’ve noticed that our bells can play less easily or even change their tone noticeably. That hasn’t stopped us, of course – but we realize that anything that happens is our responsibility.
We acclimate our bells to the winter temperatures ahead of time by putting them (in their case) in our car for an hour or more before we leave home. This avoids the thermal shock that would happen if warm bells are exposed to (really) cold air suddenly. After we go home, we reverse the acclimation process by bringing the oh-so-cold case of bells into the house and letting it warm up to room temperature for several hours before opening it (to tell the truth, after we’ve played outside for a couple of hours, we’re ready for Netflix and coffee rather than more practice!).
When we played at our local Christmas market, the organizers have kindly provided a propane heater to keep us and our bells a bit warmer. Our bells seem not to have suffered from being outside. As for ourselves, we bundle up and get some hot apple juice from the stand next to us, and invariably find that once we start playing, we warm up nicely.
Best wishes and blessings as you minister this holiday season!
Larry & Carla
This question and answer have been very helpful. Our church is planning an outside Christmas eve service and the bells were asked to play. Due to the logistics, we have decided against using the bells, but the question came up among the players about how the cold weather would affect the bells ( we are in NE Ohio and already had snow Nov 1st, altho we are having near 70s all of this week. But, hey, that’s Ohio!). I am happy to have this info to share with my ringers. Thank you! Karen Z
Author
You’re welcome, Karen!