February 3, 2022

Level 1 Handbell Music – Newness

We had a request for some Level 1 handbell music – so here’s an update to our recent post about Newness.

Newness is an original composition for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells. It’s turning out to be a versatile piece! If you play it without the handchimes, it’s around Level 2 in difficulty. It’s fairly straightforward, but with a running 8th note/quaver line. If you add the optional handchime part, the challenge level is taken up a notch for several of the bell assignments. Here it is, played in full – the 5-octave version:

Now available in a Level 1 version!

By request, Newness is now available in a simplified, Level 1, version! The 8th note/quaver runs are gone, and the whole piece has nothing smaller than quarter notes/crotchets to deal with. We didn’t make another video for this version, but the audio track is below for you to listen to. As it’s an original composition, there’s also no problem if your handbell choir needs to play it more slowly than we did.

We’ll be looking to see if we can get some more Level 1 handbell music arranged for 3-5 octave handbell choirs. In the meantime, there’s a lot more spring handbell music available from Choraegus, including titles for Lent and Easter – so take a look, and we hope you’ll find something to interest you!

How to purchase the sheet music

Sheet music for Newness is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Make sure you select the version you need for your choir. In common with most sellers of downloadable sheet music, we don’t usually offer refunds for files/scores that have already been download – so please choose carefully. You can either purchase an individual copy (useful for massed ringing events, or for preview), or purchase the full choir license. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

Your purchase of the full-choir license also gives permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we ask you to credit the arranger (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). See our licensing agreement for full details. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us on our Facebook page!

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. 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, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide 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. If someone has asked us a question even once, it will be there, along with the answer. Please contact us if you don’t find the information you need, and we’ll be happy to help.

January 14, 2022

Come Down, O Love Divine – Handbell Music for Pentecost

“Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.”

We’re happy to bring you this new recording of Larry’s arrangement of the hymn Come Down, O Love Divine. The tune is DOWN AMPNEY, written by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906. This hymn is ideal for Pentecost worship.

More information about this arrangement

Come Down, O Love Divine is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. It’s a Level 3- arrangement. Sheet music is available to download from Choraegus – available as an individual score, or as a full-choir license.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

When you purchase handbell music from Choraegus, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir copy) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming, and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

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

Come Down O Love Divine handbell music for Pentecost

October 13, 2021

Gesu Bambino – for Handbells and Piano

Gesù Bambino is an Italian Christmas carol, written by Pietro Yon in 1917. Frederick H. Martens translated it into English for his carol When Blossoms Flowered ‘mid the Snow.

“When blossoms flowered ‘mid the snows
Upon a winter night,
Was born the Child, the Christmas Rose,
The King of Love and Light.“

We’re pleased to bring you our demonstration video of this new arrangement from Choraegus.

More information about Gesu Bambino

This arrangement is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with piano accompaniment. It’s a Level 3 arrangement, with a lilting mood – perfect for Christmas worship. There are no shared accidentals, so if your handbell choir is still observing social distancing, the ringers could play from spaced-apart tables. If you’d like to play our arrangement of Gesu Bambino, you can purchase and download the sheet music from Choraegus.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

When you buy handbell music from Choraegus, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir copy) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing Choraegus handbell music, please look at our Frequently-Asked Questions. Just about any question anyone has ever asked us is there – with answers. If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

August 15, 2021

Wexford Carol – New Handbell Music for Christmas

The Wexford Carol is a traditional Christmas carol from County Wexford in Ireland. It’s also known as The Enniscorthy Carol, as William Grattan Flood first heard the tune there in the early 20th century, and transcribed the carol for publication in The Oxford Book of Carols. The lyrics are believed to date back as far as the 12th century, but the tune seems to have been written later; perhaps in the 15th or 16th century. In any case, this is an unusual and interesting carol!

“Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved Son
With Mary holy we should pray,
To God with love this Christmas Day
In Bethlehem upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born.”

Our 16-bell arrangement of Wexford Carol is perfect for anyone who’s a fan of unusual Christmas carols. The piece contains full-sounding chords, and some really interesting dissonance, which makes for a mysterious and slightly spooky sound. This was one of the first 16-bell arrangements we recorded with just the two of us – at the end of 2020 – with our skinny Christmas tree in the background!

Note: If a Christmas tree salesman ever tells you, “The tree only looks skinny because it’s cold. It’ll get bigger when it warms up”, you can let them know that it doesn’t work like that for trees.

More information about this 16-bell arrangement

Wexford Carol is suitable for 4-8 ringers. The arrangement contains no bell changes, and needs no bell-sharing, so you can play it without needing tables or foam. There are no special techniques, and there’s no requirement to play 4-in-hand. This arrangement is available in two ranges – either from G4 to Eb6 (2 octaves), or from D5 to Bb6 (3 octaves).

In recent weeks, there have been increasing concerns about COVID-19 cases. This arrangement might be useful if you need to play something for your ensemble to play for Christmas while observing social distancing.

If you’d like to play this Wexford Carol, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

More about Choraegus handbell music

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group. Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please be sure to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.

Please note that our sheet music is designed to be downloaded as 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. Just about every question anyone has ever ask us is there, along with answers! However, if you don’t find the answer you need, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

August 5, 2021

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth – Handbells, 3 or 5 Octaves

“A lamb goes uncomplaining forth,
The guilt of all men bearing;
‘Tis laden with the sin of earth,
None else the burden sharing;
It goes its way, grows weak and faint,
To slaughter led without complaint,
Its spotless life to offer;
Bears shame, and stripes, and wounds, and death,
Anguish and mockery, and saith,
“Willing all this I suffer.”

Lord, all my life to you I’ll cling,
This love forever holding.
You ever, as you ever me,
With loving arms enfolding.
Lord, you will be my beacon-light,
Guiding me safe through death’s dark night,
Cheering my heart in sorrow.
Therefore my self, and all that’s mine,
To you, my Savior, I consign,
From whom all things I borrow.”

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth was written by Paul Gerhardt, a German Lutheran pastor, in 1647, with music by Wolfgang Dachstein. It’s a beautiful and meaningful hymn for Lent, Holy Week and Good Friday. Here’s our handbell arrangement:

More information about A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth

This arrangement is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with 2 octaves of (optional) handchimes. It’s a Level 3- arrangement. If you’d like to play this piece, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

When you purchase handbell music from Choraegus, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir copy) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth handbells

July 23, 2021

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus – for 16 Handbells

“Tell me the stories of Jesus I love to hear,
Things I would ask him to tell me if he were here.
Scenes by the wayside, tales of the sea,
Stories of Jesus, tell them to me.“

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus continues our little run of 16-bell arrangements. Not to be confused with Fanny Crosby’s Tell Me the Story of Jesus (also available from Choraegus), Stories was written by William Parker in 1885, with music by Frederic Challinor.

More information about this 16-bell arrangement

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus contains no bell changes, and needs no bell-sharing, so you can play it without needing tables or foam. We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand piece, but it’s suitable for up to 8 ringers to play, holding just two bells each. This arrangement is available in two ranges – either from C5 to F6, or from F5 to C7.

If your handbell ensemble is still observing social distancing, or you need a small ensemble piece for the summer months, this could work!

If you’d like to play this arrangement, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

More about Choraegus handbell music

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

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Just about every question we’ve ever been asked is there, along with answers! However, if you don’t find the answer you need, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

June 9, 2021

Sunrise – a Hymn Tune for 3 or 5 Octave Handbells

The hymn tune SUNRISE was first published in the 1768 Supplementum to the Luxembourg Kyriale. In more recent times, it has been used as the tune for William Bright’s hymn At Thy Feet, O Christ We Lay. In 1978, John Richards also used it for his hymn Spirit, Working in Creation. Here’s our arrangement for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, also referred to in our house as “that peck-peck tune”, because of the treble thumb-damps!

More information about Sunrise (Kyriale)

SUNRISE is arranged for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with 2 octaves of (optional) handchimes. It’s a Level 2+ arrangement. If you’d like to play this piece, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.

Things to know about Choraegus handbell music

When you buy handbell music from Choraegus, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir copy) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

May 20, 2021

Day By Day – for 16 Handbells

Here’s our 16-bell arrangement of the hymn Day By Day. The hymn tune BLOTT EN DAG was composed in 1872 by Oscar Ahnfelt. A while ago, we published a 3- or 5-octave arrangement of this hymn tune, and we enjoyed playing it so much that we decided to make a 16-bell arrangement too.

More information about this arrangement

Day By Day is available in two 16-bell versions – D5-C7 or A4-G6 – so you can choose which range of bells works best for the bells you have. The arrangement contains no bell changes, and needs no bell-sharing. We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand piece, but it’s suitable for up to 8 ringers to play, holding just two bells each. If your handbell ensemble is playing from music stands, or observing social distancing, this would work!

If you’d like to play this arrangement, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

More about Choraegus handbell music

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

Any questions?

May 3, 2021

Rock of Ages – for Handbells, 3 Octaves

“Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood, from Thy wounded side which flowed,
Be of sin the double cure; save from wrath and make me pure.

Not the labors of my hands can fulfill Thy law’s demands;
Could my zeal no respite know, could my tears forever flow,
All for sin could not atone; Thou must save, and Thou alone.

Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die.

While I draw this fleeting breath, when mine eyes shall close in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown, see Thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of Ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.“

Rock of Ages is a popular hymn, written by the Reverend August Toplady and first published in 1775. This is our arrangement for 3 octaves of handbells.

More information about Rock of Ages

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

When you buy handbell music from Choraegus, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir copy) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide, which we designed to take you through the process in a stress-free way!

Purchasing this 3-5 octave arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing, as part of a performance or worship service. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing Choraegus handbell music, please look at the Frequently-Asked Questions first, in case the answer is there. If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.