Tag Archives: hymns

Jesus Loves the Little Children – our new 8-bell arrangement

Jesus Loves the Little Children is a popular children’s song that many people remember from their Sunday school days!

“Jesus loves the little children,
All the children of the world,
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in His sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world.“

Some people have observed that the lyrics, from the late 19th century, are a little old-fashioned for current times. Other alternatives have been suggested, such as:

“Every color, every race, all are covered by His grace.“, and
“Stranger, friend, and neighbour too, He loves them as He loves you.“

The useful thing about playing this song on handbells is that you don’t have to worry about the lyrics; you can just enjoy the music, and let the listener choose the words they like. Here’s our demonstration video:

More information about Jesus Loves the Little Children

Sheet music for Jesus Loves the Little Children is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. This lively arrangement is suitable for 2-4 ringers. If you’d like to take a look at the score before you make a purchase, you can do that by clicking on the “score preview” button on our Choraegus site.

Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement from Choraegus gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title (Jesus Loves the Little Children) and arranger (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.

Please note that Choraegus 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.

Click here to go to the Choraegus website

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

Jesus Loves the Little Children, handbells by Larry and Carla

Land of Rest – for 8 Handbells

LAND OF REST is a hymn tune that’s most often used as the setting for the hymn Jerusalem, My Happy Home. We enjoyed playing this new 8-bell arrangement!

More information about Land of Rest

Sheet music for LAND OF REST is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. It’s suitable for 2-4 ringers. If you’d like to take a look at the score before you make a purchase, you can do that by clicking on the “score preview” button on our Choraegus site.

Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement from Choraegus gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title (Land of Rest) and arranger (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.

Please note that Choraegus 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.

Click here to go to the Choraegus website

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

Land of Rest - handbells, Larry Sue

The Love of God – a new recording of an old favorite

“The love of God is greater far
than tongue or pen can ever tell;
it goes beyond the highest star,
and reaches to the lowest hell;
the guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
and pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure:
the saints’ and angels’ song!”

The Love of God was written by Frederick Martin Lehman in 1917. We first recorded our 8-bell arrangement in 2015. We played it in worship at Los Altos United Methodist Church in California before we moved to Michigan, and at a pre-Christmas performance in Holland in 2016. It isn’t an Advent or Christmas piece, but we were playing background music at the time, and decided we liked it enough to include it anyway.

A few days ago, we came across the sheet music for this 8-bell arrangement, and realised that it had been far too many years since we’d played it, so we decided to record it again!

More information about this 8-bell arrangement of The Love of God

Sheet music for The Love of God is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.

Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement from Choraegus gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title (The Love of God) and arranger (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.

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.

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

Click here to see The Love of God on the Choraegus website

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

The Love of God - handbell music from Choraegus

Here I Am, Lord – for 8 Handbells

Here I Am, Lord (sometimes also known as I, the Lord of Sea and Sky) is a hymn written by Dan Schutte. It was first published in 1981, and its lyrics are based on Isaiah 6:8 and 1 Samuel 3:4.

“I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save.

I, who made the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright,
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?

Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, if you lead me
I will hold your people in my heart.”

© 1981, Oregon Catholic Press.

We’re pleased to be able to bring you an 8-bell arrangement of Here I Am, Lord. This arrangement requires no accompaniment track, and is suitable for 2-4 ringers. We recorded it as a duet, but no 4-in-hand is needed if you have four people to play it! Here’s our demonstration video:

More information about this 8-bell arrangement of Here I Am, Lord

Sheet music for Here I Am, Lord is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.

Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement from Choraegus gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! 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.

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

A special note about broadcasting, live-streaming and social media/website sharing

Most Choraegus handbell music includes permission for broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing. The reason for that is that the original compositions are in the public domain. That’s not the case with Here I Am, Lord, which is under copyright.

For permission to broadcast, livestream, or upload/archive a video to social media or websites, please contact: Oregon Catholic Press, 340 Oswego Pointe Drive, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 https://www.ocp.org USA T: +1-800-LITURGY (548-8749) liturgy@ocp.org

Click here to see Here I Am, Lord on the Choraegus website

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

Here I Am, Lord - handbell duet

Come, Thou Almighty King – a new 8-bell arrangement

“Come, Thou Almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing;
Help us to praise:
Father, all glorious,
O’er all victorious,
Come, and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.“

Come, Thou Almighty King is sung to the hymn tune ITALIAN HYMN. We’ve had an 8-bell arrangement of this for some years now, but this new arrangement is a “surprisingly easy” version. We recommend our Surprisingly Easy™ arrangements for quartets in particular. When there are four ringers, it helps when there are fewer sixteenth notes, and straightforward rhythms. These arrangements can also be helpful for groups of 2-4 ringers to put together without needing a lot of rehearsal time.

Here’s our demonstration video of Come, Thou Almighty King:

More information about this 8-bell arrangement

Sheet music for Come, Thou Almighty King is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (Come, Thou Almighty King) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.

Please note that our music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs, so 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.

Other arrangements of Come, Thou Almighty King

As well as the two 8-bell arrangements (Standard and Surprisingly Easy), we also have a 16-bell arrangement of this hymn, available to download from Choraegus.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!

Come, Thou Almighty King, handbell duet

I Surrender All – new music for 8 handbells

“All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.”.

Our new arrangement of the popular hymn I Surrender All uses just 8 handbells, and can be played by 2-4 ringers. The tune is SURRENDER, a 19th-century melody composed by Winfield S. Weeden.

More information about this 8-bell arrangement

Sheet music for I Surrender All is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (I Surrender All) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.

Please note that our music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs, so 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.

Any questions?

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

Eternal Father, Strong to Save – 2-Octave Handbell Music

“Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm does bind the restless wave,
Who bids the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea.“

William Whiting wrote Eternal Father, Strong to Save in England, in 1860, and English clergyman John Bacchus Dykes wrote the tune MELITA to accompany the lyrics. The hymn was first published in Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1861. The hymn has been adopted in various forms and adaptations by the Royal Navy, the United States Navy, the U.S. Marine Corps, and other maritime services. For this reason, it’s also known as The Navy Hymn, as well as sometimes being referred to as For Those in Peril on the Sea.

Larry was recently asked to write a 2-octave arrangement of this hymn. Here’s our demonstration video of this Level 3 piece:

More information about this 2-octave handbell music

Sheet music for Eternal Father, Strong to Save is available to purchase and download 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 of the full-choir license allows you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service. There’s no need for any additional license or fee. We ask that you credit the arranger (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). Please 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 by email or on our Facebook page!

Please note that Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a downloadable PDF file. 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.

Eternal Father, Strong to Save - handbells

A new version of How Firm a Foundation

“How firm a foundation, O saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word!
What more can he say than to you he has said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

In ev’ry condition, in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea —
The Lord, the Almighty, your strength e’er shall be.

Larry’s new 8-bell arrangement of the hymn How Firm a Foundation is now available! It’s suitable for 2-4 ringers.

More information about this 8-bell arrangement

Sheet music for How Firm a Foundation is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. When you look at the page on the Choraegus website, you’ll see that there are two arrangements of this carol. This one is Version 2. Make sure you add the correct one to your shopping cart! This version is less challenging than our earlier version, and more straightforward for a quartet or beginning/improving duo to play.

Click here to find out more, and purchase How Firm a Foundation!

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 you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media.

Please note that our music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs, so 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.

Any questions?

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

How Firm a Foundation - Larry Sue

Handbell Music for Palm Sunday

We’re often asked about handbell music for Palm Sunday, and to be honest, we don’t have a lot, so it’s clearly something we need to work on. Here are the Choraegus titles that come to mind, although you’re welcome to look through the website, and you might find something we missed!

All Glory, Laud and Honor (ST. THEODULPH)

We have two arrangements of this popular Palm Sunday hymn: An 8-bell version – for handbells with piano accompaniment:

An unaccompanied 12-bell arrangement:

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name (CORONATION)

We have two 8-bell arrangements of the CORONATION hymn tune – a standard version and a “surprisingly easy” version.

Celebration

Setting the mood for a Palm Sunday celebration, this original composition for 3-5 octaves is a Level 1 piece, making it easy to learn, and suitable for beginning or improving handbell choirs. This one is a popular handbell prelude piece!

Hail to the Lord’s Anointed (ES FLOG EIN KLEINS WALDVÖGELEIN)

This is another joyous Palm Sunday hymn, available as an unaccompanied 8-bell arrangement.

Hark, the Glad Sound!

Suitable for Palm Sunday or Advent, this 12-bell hymn arrangement is a joy to play. The hymn tune is CHESTERFIELD.

Hosanna, Loud Hosanna

The ELLACOMBE tune is used for this hymn, also known as I Sing the Mighty Power of God. We have two unaccompanied 8-bell arrangements.

We also have a lively arrangement for 3-5 octaves!

Tell me the Stories of Jesus

This one didn’t come to mind immediately… but sure enough, the Palm Sunday words are in there!

“Into the city I’d follow
The children’s band,
Waving a branch of the palm tree
High in my hand;
One of his heralds,
Yes, I would sing
Loudest hosannas,
“Jesus is King!'”

Our 16-bell arrangement of this hymn is suitable for up to 4-8 ringers to play for a Palm Sunday service.

Any suggestions?

If you have any ideas, requests or suggestions for handbell music for Palm Sunday, please get in touch and share your ideas with us!

Handbell music for Palm Sunday


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