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 …
Tag: Christmas
Christmas is traditionally celebrated on December 25th as the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke 2).
Liturgically, Christmas is twelve days in length (hence the song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas"), ending on Epiphany (also known as Three Kings' Day).
Churches and celebrants who choose to be less precisely liturgical rejoice with Christmas music (and Epiphany music!) all the way through Advent as well. The important thing is to rejoice, of course.
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 …
Jun 14
New Music – Greensleeves!
Today we’re releasing our eight-bell arrangement of the English tune “Greensleeves” (aka “What Child is This?” for the Christmas-minded)! The video we’ve posted, of course, is a complete play-through of the piece, and has a squirrel as a bonus (just after the one-minute mark, if you’re watching for it). We really think you’ll like this …
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 Some historical references say that Henry VIII wrote it… but it had to be someone else because it was written after he’d died.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 …
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 Some historical references say that Henry VIII wrote it… but it had to be someone else because it was written after he’d died.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 …
