January 17, 2022

Newness – Spring Handbell Music

Newness is an original composition for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells. Spring is approaching (although it’s going to take a while, here in Michigan), so we thought the time was right to make a demonstration video of the 5-octave version. If you’re looking for spring handbell music that’s suitable for a secular performance or a worship service, this piece could be an option, and it shouldn’t take too long to learn.

More information about Newness

Newness is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. If all the notes are played on bells, it’s a Level 2 piece. Adding the handchimes adds an extra challenge for several ringers. We found it helpful to be able to play the chimes as 4-in-hand pairs with the bells. When we recorded this piece on 3 octaves, we played the chimes separately, again as 4-in-hand pairs – so that could be an option too, if you have extra ringers. If in doubt, just play the whole thing on bells only!

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. 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 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 30, 2021

Somebody Loves Me – Handbells, 5-7 Octaves

Somebody Loves Me is a George Gershwin classic, with lyrics by Ballard McDonald and Buddy DeSylva. It was published in time for the 1924 edition of The George White Scandals, a series of revues that ran from 1919 to 1936.

There are some handbell arrangements that are absolutely perfect for sight-reading! We discovered this is not one of them. It’s a Level 5 piece, with lots of chromatic stuff and interesting challenges. After we’d played it, we thought of several ways we could have made our job easier – perhaps with a couple of duplicate bells, layout changes etc. Still, we had fun, and it came out not-too-badly for an unrehearsed piece. Our original plan had been to record it for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, but once we’d looked at it, we didn’t want to wait any longer – so here it is!

More information about Somebody Loves Me

This arrangement is for 5-7 octaves of handbells. If you’d like to play it, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus. It’s available as an individual score, or as a full-choir score.

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?

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

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

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.