Tag Archives: Choraegus

Handbell Duets with Organ Accompaniment!

We’re excited to be able to add a new video to our selection of handbell duets with organ accompaniment! Over the last few years, we’ve very much enjoyed being part of the music ministry at Los Altos United Methodist Church. We’ve led Monday evening rehearsals with the Alleluia Ringers, and played handbells in Sunday morning services.

One of the highlights for us has been collaborating with some of the talented musicians at the church. We’ve added handbell parts to choir anthems, used our bells to accompany congregational singing, and performed in concerts for the Alzheimer’s Association. It’s been so much fun to hear music played by Senior Organist T. Paul Rosas in the morning services. Paul has written accompaniments to a couple of our 8-bell pieces too!

It’s been a long time coming, but we finally managed to get a video of Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee with organ accompaniment. We’re grateful to Los Altos UMC for this recording from the last of three morning services on May 22nd, 2016:

We also have a recording from the summer of 2015, when we performed this piece in our concert with Philadelphia Bronze in King of Prussia, Organist Ross Boerner is the Director of Music Ministries at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church:

Would you like to play our handbell duets with organ accompaniment?

If you’d like to play Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, the music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus. You can buy it either with or without the organ accompaniment.

You might also like to take a look at our other organ-and-handbells collaboration, which we published earlier this year. Come Christians, Join to Sing is also available from Choraegus. We played this on Easter Sunday!

Any questions?

We’re always happy to answer questions about buying or playing our music. If you have questions, please contact us and we’ll be glad to help.

New Music for Handbells – Take the Name of Jesus With You

“Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of Heav’n.”

Here’s our latest 8-bell arrangement – the hymn Take the Name of Jesus With You (PRECIOUS NAME). We recorded this video during a rehearsal at Los Altos United Methodist Church. It’s a lively and fun arrangement to play!

How to get the sheet music

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

When you purchase sheet music from Choraegus, you’ll need to remember that it comes to you as a digital (PDF) file. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your purchase of this 8-bell arrangement 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, you might find our step-by-step guide helpful. We designed this to take you through the purchasing process and make it stress-free!

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing Choraegus handbell music, we recommend looking at our Frequently-Asked Questions. It’s possible that someone else has already asked the same question, and received an answer! If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

New Music for Handbells – Finlandia (Be Still, My Soul)

Finlandia is our latest arrangement for 8 handbells.

Some of the history of Finlandia

The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius wrote Finlandia in 1889. It was originally the Finlandia Hymn; part of a symphonic poem. Sibelius then reworked it as a standalone piece, as part of his Masonic Ritual Music. The Finnish poet Veikko Antero Koskenniemi wrote words for it in 1941, and it became popular as a national song for Finland, although not the official national anthem.

In 1752, Katharina Amalia Dorothea von Schlegel had written a hymn in German: Stille meine Wille, dein Jesus hilft siegen. In 1855, Jane Laurie Borthwick translated it into English as Be Still, My Soul.

“Be still, my soul, the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change He, faithful, will remain.
Be still, my soul, thy best, thy heavenly friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.”

Another popular hymn sung to the Finlandia tune is We Rest on Thee, written in England by Edith G. Cherry in 1895. This Is My Song is another hymn that uses the same tune, with words written in 1934 by Lloyd Stone. It’s also the tune used for Gweddi dros Gymru (A Prayer for Wales), which is widely considered to be the second Welsh national anthem.

With thanks to Los Altos United Methodist Church for allowing us to rehearse and record this piece in their beautiful sanctuary.

Would you like to play Finlandia?

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

When you buy music from Choraegus, please remember that it will come to you as a digital file (PDF). You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your purchase of this 8-bell arrangement will entitle you to print up to 4 copies for your handbell group. Please see our licensing agreement for full details.

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, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

A Reunion for Inspiration International, and New Handbell Music!

During our trip to England in February, we enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with a few of our friends from the world of handbells. We’ve already posted about our rehearsal with Pizzazz Handbell Trio and Quartet. We also had the chance to visit our friend Meg from Inspiration International. This is a Berkshire-based handbell project that’s very important to us.

More about Inspiration International

Inspiration International is a project which grew from the community work of Inspiration – an initiative of Finchampstead Handbell Ringers in Berkshire, England. The group’s mission is to enrich the lives of the young and elderly in the Berkshire community. We take handbell music into the lives and homes of those who sometimes feel forgotten by society. Pioneered by Meg, the leader of Finchampstead Handbell Ringers, the group has visited and entertained the residents of many care homes in the area. They have volunteered to share their handbell music with social groups and at community events.

Carla first worked with Meg and Sally from Inspiration when she needed to take a trio of handbell musicians to perform at Heathrow Airport in 2011. The group entertained airport travellers during the busy Christmas rush. Meg and Sally were happy to be involved, and they had a great time sharing their music at the airport.

Inspiration International - handbells
The trio at Heathrow Airport, Christmas 2011

After that, Carla joined Meg and Sally in taking their handbell music to people in the Berkshire community. They visited many care homes and community groups. Space is often limited in care homes, so it was a huge advantage to be able to perform as a small group playing 4-in-hand. The group was honoured to be nominated for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2012.

When Sally decided to focus on other projects for a while, Meg and Carla started playing duets. That’s when Larry started arranging music for eight bells!

Inspiration handbells - All the Bells in Wokingham, 2012
Meg and Carla at the “All the Bells” event in Wokingham, 2012

Carla’s move to California, and Meg’s continued work in the community

When Carla moved to California in August 2012, it was a challenge to see how we could continue the “Inspiration” project across the miles. We really wanted to find a way! So, using the powers of modern technology, we’ve been working together to prepare and record music that Meg can use for performances. From the original Inspiration grew the new Inspiration International. Meg continues to visit care homes and community groups in Berkshire. She adds her live handbell-playing to pre-recorded tracks made more than 5,000 miles away in California.

A happy reunion in England

It’s a rare treat for us to be able to get together and rehearse as a group! Of course, we were determined to find some time to catch up with Meg during our visit to England in February. We enjoyed a lovely home-cooked meal, and caught up on some of the news and chit-chat. Then we dropped Meg right in at the deep end with some brand-new and unpublished 12-bell music!

Here’s a video of one of the pieces we tried; it’s the traditional Scottish melody Flow Gently, Sweet Afton. It’s not a note-perfect demonstration, but it should give you an idea of how the piece could sound, with a little more rehearsal time!

Would you like to play this piece?

If you’d like to play this arrangement, the music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus. Please see our step-by-step guide and licensing agreement for full information about buying our music online.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Inspiration International, please check out the group’s Facebook page!

Any questions?

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

New Music for Handbells – He Keeps Me Singing

Here’s our latest 8-bell arrangement; it’s the popular hymn He Keeps Me Singing.

We know this hymn as a lively and joyful melody. However, we recently read about the circumstances that led Luther Burgess Bridgers to write it – and they were far from happy. He was a pastor and evangelist who wrote the hymn after his wife and three sons had died in a house fire while he was away preaching.

“There’s within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low,
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life’s ebb and flow.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest Name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.”

Our thanks to Los Altos United Methodist Church for allowing us to rehearse in their beautiful sanctuary. It’s the place where we had our wedding ceremony in September 2012.

Would you like to play this arrangement?

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

When you buy music from Choraegus, it will come to you as a digital download; a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your purchase of this 8-bell arrangement will entitle you to print up to 4 copies for your 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! We designed this in an attempt to take you through the process in a stress-free way.

Any questions for us?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, you might like to check 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.

He Keeps Me Singing - handbells

New Music for handbells – For the Beauty of the Earth

As we say hello to the month of April, here’s a new 8-bell arrangement – the hymn For the Beauty of the Earth.

The useful thing about this tune is that it also doubles as the Christmas carol As With Gladness, Men of Old. Two titles for the price of one!

Would you like to play For the Beauty of the Earth?

If you’d like to play this piece, it’s available from Choraegus.

When you buy handbell music from Choraegus, it will come to you as a digital (PDF) file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your purchase will entitle you to print up to 4 copies of this 8-bell arrangement for your handbell group. Please see our licensing agreement for full details.

If you haven’t previously purchased music from Choraegus, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this to make the process as stress-free as possible!

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, please check our Frequently-Asked Questions, 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.

New Music for Handbells – Sweet Hour of Prayer

“Sweet hour of prayer! Sweet hour of prayer!
That calls me from a world of care,
And bids me at my Father’s throne
Make all my wants and wishes known.
In seasons of distress and grief,
My soul has often found relief,
And oft escaped the tempter’s snare
By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!”

Our latest 8-bell piece is this peaceful melody, written by William Bradbury in 1861. We recorded the video in the beautiful sanctuary of Los Altos United Methodist Church.

More information about this arrangement

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

When you buy music from Choraegus, it will come to you as a digital download; a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your purchase of this 8-bell arrangement allows 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. We designed this in an attempt to take the stress out of ordering music online.

Any questions?

If you have questions about buying or playing our handbell music, please check our Frequently-Asked Questions. You just might find your answer there! If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Sweet Hour of Prayer - handbells

New 8-Bell Music for Handbells – Faith of our Fathers

Here’s our latest 8-bell piece; it’s the hymn Faith of our Fathers (ST CATHERINE). We recorded this video during a rehearsal at the AGO Silicon Valley January Jubilee event earlier this year.

Would you like to play Faith of Our Fathers?

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

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. Your purchase of this 8-bell hymn arrangement allows you to print up to 4 copies for your handbell group. Please see our licensing agreement for full details, and don’t pay for more copies than you need to!

If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before, you might find it helpful to read our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process and make it stress-free!

Any questions?

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

Tico Tico no Fubá – at the Bay View Week of Handbells

We’re excited that Larry’s arrangement of Tico Tico no Fubá is on the repertoire list for this year’s Bay View Week of Handbells! The Week of Handbells is an event that’s very special to us.

Tico Tico no Fubá - handbells

Information about the sheet music

If you need to purchase a copy of Tico Tico no Fubá for the event, you’ll find it on Choraegus. Please note that the music will be sent to you as a PDF file for you to download and print for yourself. You won’t receive anything in the mail. If you’re unsure about what’s involved in buying music from us, you may find our buying guides helpful, and the step-by-step guide.

If you have any questions, or you’re unable to order online for any reason, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Videos of Tico Tico

Here are two videos. The first is a demonstration video, produced before this arrangement had ever been played on handbells. The second video is from a rehearsal at the 2015 Distinctly Bronze event, which took place in Portland, Oregon.

This year’s Bay View Week of Handbells repertoire looks as exciting as ever. Here’s the full list of pieces, with composers/arrangers and publishers’ information.

PROCESSIONAL by Arnold Sherman (organ and bells) (Agape 2195)

ALLEGRETTO arr. Michael Mazzatenta (From the Top Music 20428)

ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING arr. Alex Guebert (Choristers Guild CGB962)

OBLIVION by Douglas Anderson (From the Top Music 20426)

SONATA IN BAROQUE STYLE by Michael Helman (Beckenhorst HB497)

GIVE ME JESUS arr. John Behnke (AGEHR AG46025)

TOCCATA ON ‘KING’S WESTON arr. Matthew Compton  (Agape 2767)

THE DRUNKEN SAILOR arr. Carl Wiltse (Stained Glass Music)

TICO TICO NO FUBÁ arr. Larry Sue (Choraegus)

AUTUMN LEAVES arr. Andrea Handley (Red River Music RRG5018)

NOLLIRAC CARILLON by Fred Gramann (Unpublished; available only from Heitz Handbells and Music)

GIVE US PEACE IN OUR TIME arr. Donald E. Allured (Composers Music Company HW0550)

CONCERTO FOR HANDBELLS AND ORGAN IN BAROQUE STYLE by Michael Helman (Beckenhorst HB424A)

THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU by Peter Lutkin (sung; not played)

We can’t wait to get started with rehearsing for this event. This year’s Week of Handbells will be another great one!

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