The Jamaican song Linstead Market tells of a woman who goes to town to sell some ackee fruit to earn money so she can feed her children. Unfortunately, she isn’t able to sell enough, and exclaims “what a Saturday night!” This melody is present in our churches as the hymns “Break Not the Circle” and …
Tag: international music
We admit to using "international music" as a bit of a catch-all for pieces that don't fit into our other categories, such as "hymns", "Christmas", and "classical". But having a catch-all simplifies things a bit, because we might have had to create dozens of other categories otherwise. Think of it as a place to view new vistas!
Sakura – Eight handbells
One of the most-beloved melodies from Japan is Sakura. The translation of the title is “cherry blossoms”. This thoughtful, melancholy tune affords lots of oppportunity for expressive, flowing playing. Standard Version: ”Dual-Range”™ Score Package: $ US G5-based practice track: $ US F5-based practice track: $ US Purchasing this 8-bell arrangement gives you permission to print …
Mar 07
The Boys of Bluehill
Hornpipes and jigs were two of the exciting additions to our repertoire over the past three or four years. In case you haven’t played many of them and were wondering about thematic structure, jigs often (but not always!) have the pattern AA, BB, CC, DD, etc. and can be chained together to add to the …
Malagueña – Handbell solo
Ernesto Lecuona’s possibly-most-familiar work Malagueña describes a woman of the town of Malaga. When you play this, it surely will create a musical portrait of a lady with flair and boldness! Range of bells: C#5-E7 Here’s a video of Lisa Arnold playing the piece she commissioned: Price: $ US Purchasing this score gives you permission …
Aug 09
Barney
No… not the purple dinosaur! It’s been more than a month since the last post, so bringing out a new piece of music is way-y-y overdue. The new eight-bell piece is the Irish jig Barney Brannigan. It’s a lively, bouncy slip jig that’ll have you dancing even as you’re ringing it!
Apr 08
Flow Gently, Sweet Afton
Larry and Carla are part of Inspiration International, a UK handbell ensemble whose purpose is to take handbell music into the lives of people who sometimes feel forgotten by society. Since two of the members are in the USA, it’s a challenge for the three to get together to play. So when Larry and Carla …
Flow Gently, Sweet Afton – Twelve handbells
There’s written poetry, and there’s musical poetry. In Flow Gently, Sweet Afton, verse by Robert Burns weds a tune by Jonathan Spilman to become this arrangement, played by Inspiration International. It also is known as the hymn As Rain from the Clouds. Flow gently, sweet Afton! amang thy green braes, Flow gently, I’ll sing thee …
Aug 04
Wrong Foot Forward
We’ve just released our arrangement of “Wrong Foot Forward”, a new generation Irish jig by Brian Finnegan and Sarah Allen of the band Flook. It’s on their album “Haven” – and it’s a lot of fun! You might ask yourself why Brian and Sarah chose this title. Well… there are two kinds of Irish jigs. …
My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean – Twelve handbells
There’s some speculation that My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean came into being because of those who hoped that Bonnie Prince Charlie (Charles Edward Stuart) would one day return to the throne. On the other hand, if anyone asked, you could just claim that you were singing about your girlfriend (and keep yourself intact, of …
Shenandoah – Twelve handbells
The American folk tune Shenandoah, also known as “Across the Wide Missouri”, speaks of journeying through the American Midwest. It’s idyllic tune has inspired many settings – and here’s the twelve-bell one! O Shenandoah, I long to hear you Away, you rolling river O Shenandoah, I long to hear you Away, I’m bound away ‘Cross …
