Category Archives: Church Music

New Music for Handbells – Praise to the Lord, the Almighty

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty is the latest addition to our 8-bell repertoire. The hymn tune is based on Joachim Neander’s German chorale Lobe den Herren, den mächtigen König der Ehren, published in 1680.

This is another video from our rehearsal during the American Guild of Organists’ January Jubilee event that took place at Los Altos United Methodist Church earlier this month.

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is suitable for 2-4 ringers.

Choraegus handbell music will come to you as a digital download, in PDF file format. This means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your payment entitles you to print up to 4 copies of the sheet music for your handbell group.

If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, you might find our step-by-step guide helpful.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, you might find the Frequently-Asked Questions helpful. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help.

Praise to the Lord the Almighty - handbells

New Music for Handbells – Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above

Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above is our latest 8-bell arrangement. The hymn tune MIT FREUDEN ZART was first published in 1566. We recorded this video during our rehearsal at the American Guild of Organists’ January Jubilee event in Los Altos just a couple of weekends ago.

“With healing balm my soul is filled
And every faithless murmur stilled:
To God all praise and glory.”

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above, the sheet music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus.

Choraegus handbell music is entirely a digital product. When you order music from us, you’ll receive a download link containing your music score. This means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. If you’d like to know more about how the process works, we recommend our step-by-step guide. Your purchase entitles you to print up to 4 copies for your group, so don’t pay for more copies than you need!

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our handbell music, please take a look at our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you seek, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to help.

Sing Praise to God - handbells

New Easter Music for Handbells – One Day

“One day when heaven was filled with His praises,
One day when sin was as black as could be,
Jesus came forth to be born of a virgin—
Dwelt among men, my example is He!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely forever:
One day He’s coming—O glorious day!“

Charles Howard March composed this beloved hymn tune, to words by John W. Chapman. It was published in 1911. The hymn tells the life of Christ, in a song that’s particularly popular at Easter. Our 8-bell arrangement is fun and challenging!

Where to get the sheet music

If you’d like to play this arrangement, the music is available from Choraegus.

Please note that Choraegus handbell music is downloadable. That means you won’t receive anything in the mail! You’ll receive a download link with your music, and you’ll need to click on the link to receive the music score. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, you might like to read our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take the stress out of the online purchasing process.

Your purchase of this 8-bell arrangement entitles you to print up to 4 copies of the music for your group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need! See our licensing agreement for full details.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, you might like to read our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

One Day - handbells

New Music for Handbells – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is our second new 8-bell piece of 2016. The tune is originally a ballad from Wales, called ST. DENIO.

Here’s a rehearsal video, from the day of the AGO January Jubilee event. Carla made a decision to rehearse this piece without shoes. She then decided that it was the wrong decision, and managed to put them back on without missing a note. Multi-tasking is a good thing, right?

More information about this 8-bell arrangement

Sheet music for Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is available for purchase and download from Choraegus. We play it as a duet piece, of course, but it’s suitable for 2-4 ringers. It’s not essential to play it 4-in-hand.

Please note that when you purchase handbell music from Choraegus, you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your music will come to you in digital (PDF) format, and you’ll be responsible for printing it yourself. Your purchase will entitle you to print up to 4 copies for your handbell group. Please see our licensing agreement for full details.

If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise - handbells

New Year, New Music for Handbells – O Worship the King

“O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing his power and his love:
our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.“

Here’s our first new handbell piece for 2016! It’s the English hymn O Worship the King. William Croft composed this hymn tune (HANOVER), in the early eighteenth century. The tune is also used as the setting for the hymn You Servants of God, your Master Proclaim.

If you’d like to play this piece, the music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus.

Important things to know about Choraegus handbell music

Choraegus handbell music comes in a digital (PDF) format. When you buy the music, you’ll receive a download link, and you’ll be responsible for printing your own music. You won’t receive anything in the mail!

Your purchase of this 8-bell hymn arrangement will entitle you to print up to 4 copies for your handbell group. Please read our licensing agreement for full details. If you haven’t bought Choraegus music before, we recommend our step-by-step guide. This will take you through the process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.

Any questions?

If you have questions about buying or playing Choraegus handbell music, you might like to look at some of our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you’re looking for, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help.

Celebrating Thanksgiving with Music for Handbells – We Gather Together

We Gather Together is also known as We Praise Thee, O God, Our Redeemer. It’s the perfect hymn to celebrate Thanksgiving!

We played this new arrangement for the very first time yesterday. Here’s our rehearsal video.

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play We Gather Together, the sheet music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus.

Please note that Choraegus handbell music will come to you as a PDF file, ready for you to download and print. You won’t receive anything in the mail! Purchasing this 8-bell piece gives you permission to print up to 4 copies for your handbell group. Please see our licensing agreement for full details, and ask us if you have any questions. Don’t pay for more copies than you need!

If you haven’t bought Choraegus handbell music before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide to help make the process as stress-free as possible.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, you might like to check out some Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We Gather Together - handbells

Book us for the 2015 Christmas and Holiday Season!

Need music for your event this winter? It’s time to book us for the 2015 Christmas and holiday season!

Handbells can bring a magical and festive atmosphere to any Christmas or holiday event. We can give a seasonal performance of carols and holiday music. We can provide background music to add that special, welcoming touch to your corporate event or holiday gathering. Nothing says Christmas quite as well as the traditional sound of English handbells beside the Christmas tree. . Our duet performances can bring the sounds of the season to hotel lobbies, church services, shopping malls and private homes!

As the 2015 Christmas and holiday season approaches, we’re looking forward to some fun performances! We’ll be joining VoiceWorks for a concert on December 13th. You’ll also be able to see us at the German Holiday Market in Mountain View. If you’re near El Cerrito, look for us at the Sundar Shadi Holiday Display. We’ll also be adding the beautiful sound of handbells to annual services of remembrance in Palo Alto and Oakland.

Why not listen to some of our handbell duets, and consider booking us for your 2015 holiday event? If you need more information or have questions, please contact us!

The 2015 Christmas and holiday season - with handbells

Have you Ever Heard an Alphorn?

If you haven’t hard an alphorn before, here’s your chance! There are only a few more days to go until Saturday’s Alzheimer’s Benefit Concert. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area, we hope you’ll come along!

Alzheimer's Benefit Concert - Alphorn

More information about the concert, written by organizer T. Paul Rosas:

Date and time: Saturday, October 3rd 2015 at 3:00pm

Place: LAUMC Sanctuary, 655 Magdalena Ave., Los Altos (at the corner of Foothill Expressway and Magdalena)

This year’s concert includes compositions by two of the Bay Area’s favorite composers, Sondra Clark and Brian Holmes. Sondra’s piece, “That Time of Year” is a setting of one of Shakespeare’s sonnets. Anne Janzer sings it beautifully. Brian Holmes will demonstrate and play the Alphorn for us. He has written two delightful pieces, “Amazing Grace” for Alphorn and organ and “Twilight in the Alps” for Alphorn and vocal trio. Casie Walker, Anne Janzer and Mayo Tsuzuki are the trio.

The program also includes a groovy piece for jazz organ and percussion, played by Paul Rosas and Dylan Damonte; evocative piano and organ duets by Dirk Damonte and Paul Rosas and the extraordinary dancing bells of Bay Area handbell duo, Larry and Carla Sue. The program will end with a “Jig for Handbells and Organ” written by Paul Rosas that will have everyone dancing.

It promises to be unique and entertaining event given to support the ongoing research into Alzheimer’s disease as well as the home services provided by the organization. Please invite your friends and family to come. It really is going to be a special concert.”

Admission to the concert is free, but a collection will be made to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. If you can’t come to the concert, but would like to support our fundraising efforts for this important cause, please visit our Walk to End Alzheimer’s fundraising page and make an online donation there.

Alzheimer's Benefit Concert

New 8-Bell Music for Christmas 2015!

In the handbell world, our thoughts turn to Christmas and holiday music before most people have even started thinking about the end of the summer. The dilemma is whether to risk being annoying by talking about Christmas when there are still several months to go, or whether to go full-tilt into the festive season, release new Christmas music, and give all the handbell musicians out there plenty of time to practise it before the season arrives. The end of September is approaching. It feels like the right time to introduce our new 8-bell muisc for Christmas 2015.

The following pieces are all available for purchase and download from our music site – and if you click on each individual title, you’ll be taken to the page with more information about each piece, the bells required, and how to make your purchase. Each piece can be played by two, three, four or more people – and we hope you’ll enjoy them!

Angels We Have Heard on High

The First Nowell

Good King Wenceslas

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

O Come, All Ye Faithful

O Holy Night

Once in Royal David’s City

While Shepherds Watched their Flocks

We hope you’ll enjoy playing some of our new 8-bell music for the holiday season. If you haven’t already done so, don’t forget to check out our new Christmas music for twelve bells too!

New 8-bell music for Christmas
The most wonderful time of the year!

New Music for Handbells – O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go

O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go is such a beautiful hymn! Today’s our third wedding anniversary. It’s hard to believe that we’ve already been married for three years! Maybe we’re still experiencing that thing long-distance couples complain about – how slowly time goes when two lovers are apart, and how quickly it flies by when they’re together in the same place!

Anyway, it’s time to celebrate our anniversary – and what better way to do that than by publishing a new eight-bell arrangement? This one is the beautiful hymn O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go. The tune is ST. MARGARET, written in 1884 by Albert L. Peace.

“O love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
that in thine ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.

If you’d like to play this piece, the music is available for purchase and download from our music site. We hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do.

More information about buying music from Choraegus

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four 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. Please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials.

Please also note that our music is designed as downloadable PDFs. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide, designed to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll do what we can to help!

O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go - handbells