May 17, 2021

The God of Abraham Praise – for 16 Handbells

“The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of Everlasting Days,
and God of Love;
Jehovah, great I AM!
by earth and heaven confessed;
I bow and bless the sacred name
forever blest.”

Here’s our 16-bell arrangement of The God of Abraham Praise. The hymn tune (LEONI) is an adaptation of the Jewish hymn Yigdal, with lyrics loosely translated by Christian evangelist Thomas Olivers in 1770. The opening verse is based on Exodus 3:6, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham.”

More information about this arrangement

The God of Abraham Praise is available in two versions – C5-B6 and G4 – F#6 – so you can choose which range of bells works best for your ensemble. 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

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group. – so don’t pay for more copies than you need! 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 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!

May 10, 2021

Kelvingrove – 2-3 Octave Handbell Music

Kelvingrove is a traditional Scottish melody, dating back to the early 18th century. The following lyrics were written by Thomas Lyle, and appeared in Collected Poems and Songs in 1837:

“Let us haste to Kelvin Grove, bonnie lassie, O
Thro’ its mazes let us rove, bonnie lassie, O
Where the roses in their pride
Deck the bonnie dingle side
Where the midnight fairies glide, bonnie lassie, O.

Let us wander by the mill, bonnie lassie, O
To the cove beside the rill, bonnie lassie, O
Where the glens rebound the call
Of the roaring waters’ fall
Thro’ the mountain’s rocky hall, bonnie lassie, O.”

In more recent years, the melody has been adapted for use as the hymn The Summons (Will You Come and Follow Me) with lyrics by John L. Bell – so if you’re familiar with the tune from hearing it in a worship service, that’s why!

Would you like to play Kelvingrove?

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

When you buy handbell music from Choraegus, please remember that the music score will come to you as a PDF file. 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 2-3 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.

May 6, 2021

Stowey – for Handbells, 3-5 Octaves

Have you ever heard the hymn When a Knight Won his Spurs, in the Stories of Old? People who grew up in England in decades past will remember it from school assemblies. Jan Struther wrote the lyrics for the hymn first published in 1931. However, the original tune is STOWEY, so named because it was collected by Cecil Sharp from a man near the village of Nether Stowey in Somerset.

The STOWEY tune is also used as the setting for the Christmas song How Far is it to Bethlehem?, and also for Praise God for the Harvest, with words by Brian Wren. It’s quite a versatile tune!

Here’s our 3-5 octave arrangement, put together in our basement during the pandemic! It’s another sight-read, so it’s a little under-polished, but you’ll get the idea.

More information about Stowey

Stowey is a Level 2+ arrangement for 3-5 octaves of handbells. If you’d like to play it, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.

When you buy Choraegus handbell music, 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 licence) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. The arrangement is also available as an individual score, but you’ll need to purchase the full choir version if you want to print enough copies for your whole group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information. 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!

Purchase of the full-choir copy gives you the benefit of our fuss-free permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing – so you won’t need to worry about purchasing any kind of performance licence. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music, and ask us if you have any questions!

If you have questions…

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

Stowey When a Knight Won His Spurs handbells

April 30, 2021

It Is Well With My Soul – for 16 Handbells

“When peace like a river, attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well, with my soul”

Our latest “cloned” recording project is It Is Well With My Soul; a hymn first published in 1876. The tune was composed by Philip Bliss, with lyrics by Horatio Spafford. We recommend our 16-bell arrangement to any handbell ensemble looking for something interesting and challenging to play, without needing a lot of bells or ringers!

Suitable for socially-distant handbell ensembles

If your handbell ensemble is observing social distancing, our 16-bell arrangements could be useful. It Is Well With My Soul contains no bell changes, and needs no bell-sharing. It’s suitable for up to 8 ringers to play, and doesn’t need any tables or foam. If your handbell ensemble is playing from music stands, with physical 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 information 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. Please contact us if you don’t find the information you need, and we’ll be happy to help!

April 26, 2021

Count Your Blessings – for 8 Handbells and Piano

It’s been a while since we published any new accompanied 8-bell music – so here’s a lively arrangement of Count Your Blessings, for handbells and piano. This piece could work well for a Mother’s Day or spring worship service!

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.“

As with all our 8-bell arrangements, this piece involves no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals mid-piece, and no shared bells. You won’t even need tables or foam!

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play Count Your Blessings, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately; useful if you don’t have a willing accompanist, or if you want to rehearse at home without the rest of your ensemble.

Please note that our 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. Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites and social media. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials such as church service bulletins.

If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this 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 be happy to help!

April 21, 2021

Winter Dance – for Handbells, 5 Octaves

Our most ambitious recording project in recent months has been this 5-octave arrangement of Winter Dance. Written by Seiichi Kyoda for Uttara-Kuru, this piece was originally performed with traditional and modern Japanese instruments. Here, we demonstrate Larry’s 5-octave arrangement on handbells and handchimes. And look! Carla is actually playing bass bells!

More information about the music

Winter Dance is arranged for 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. If you don’t have the chimes, it works without – but they do add an interesting texture to the piece! It’s a Level 4 arrangement; interesting enough to challenge any handbell choir, but still very playable. If you’d like to play this arrangement, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.

When you buy Choraegus handbell music, please note that it 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 choir version of the score) entitles you to print out up to 15 copies for your group. Individual copy licences are also available, but if you buy one copy as a preview, you’ll need to come back for the choir version for your ensemble to play it. Please read our licensing agreement for full information. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

Any questions?

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

April 19, 2021

I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art – for 8 Handbells

“I greet Thee, who my sure Redeemer art,
My only trust and Savior of my heart,
Who pain didst undergo for my poor sake;
I pray Thee from our hearts all cares to take.”

It’s been a while since we published any new 8-bell music! We have several new arrangements that will be available from Choraegus soon… but first, here’s one that we’ve had for a while. It’s a hymn that dates from the 16th century, with the tune TOULON. Our video is another that we recorded early last year, when Larry was waiting to have shoulder surgery.

As with our other 8-bell pieces, this arrangement has no bell-sharing, no picking-up of accidentals during the piece, and no need for tables. We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand duet, but there are no special techniques written into the score, so it could also be suitable for a trio or quartet to play.

How to purchase the sheet music

If you’d like to play I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print up to four copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. Your 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, 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. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help.

I Greet Thee, Who My Sure Redeemer Art - handbells

April 15, 2021

Peace – for Handbells, 3-5 Octaves

It often seems as if the world is full of so much violence, and our own lives are more stress-filled than we’d like them to be. Sometimes we just long for a bit of peace! In our house, that can mean sitting down with a cup of tea in front of the TV, but sometimes playing music is exactly what’s needed.

Peace is an original composition for 3-5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. It’s a Level 2+ arrangement, and fairly straightforward to play. This video was one of the first 3-octave pieces we put together. It was a sight-read, with no rehearsing beforehand, but the notes all seem to be there, so you’ll get the idea.

Where to get the sheet music

Peace is suitable for secular performances, as well as for worship services. If you’d like to this original composition, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.

Choraegus handbell music is designed to be downloaded 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 (provided you bought the choir version) entitles you to print out up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

If you enjoyed Peace, you might also enjoy another of Larry’s original compositions, Newness! Purchase of either of these pieces gives you the benefit of our no-fuss permissions for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing – so you won’t need to apply for a separate licence for any of these.

Any questions?

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

April 9, 2021

Happy – for Handbells, 3-5 Octaves

Happy – for handbells, 3-5 octaves – is one of our recent “just the two of us” recording projects. We played the 5-octave version this time, and added the cajón too – a box-shaped percussion instrument, originally from Peru. For anyone interested, Larry’s cajón is the El Guapo from Malmark Bellcraftsmen.

Larry originally wrote Happy for the Low Ding Zone Murder Mystery shows in early 2013. It has that 1920s flavor, and was a lot of fun to play — both as the original bass piece, and more recently as a 3-5 octave full-choir piece. As with all our put-together full-choir videos, we recorded it without rehearsing first, so please think of any minor inaccuracies as “adding character”!

More information about the music

Happy is an original Level 4 composition for 3-5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes — F6, G6, G#6, A6, B6, and C6. The sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.

Choraegus handbell music is designed to be downloaded 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 score) entitles you to print out up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

Any questions?

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

April 5, 2021

The Heavens Declare Your Glory – for Handbells

“The heavens declare your glory, the firmament your power;
day unto day the story repeats from hour to hour.
Night unto night replying, proclaims in every land,
O LORD, with voice undying, the wonders of your hand.“

The Heavens Declare Your Glory is the hymn tune FAITHFUL, written by J.S. Bach. We enjoyed putting together this arrangement for 3-5 octaves of handbells! With lots of opportunity for mallets in the bass, a lively beginning and ending, and a thoughtful and contemplative middle section, there’s plenty in this piece to keep your ringers and audience entertained!

How to get the music, and more information about Choraegus

The Heavens Declare Your Glory is a Level 3 arrangement, for 3-5 octaves of handbells. If you’d like to play it, 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.

Any questions about buying or playing our music?

If you have any questions for us, 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.