For anyone looking for something unusual for a small group to play at Christmas – here’s a new 12-bell arrangement of the popular Italian Christmas carol From Starry Skies Descending (original title: Tu Scendi dalle Stelle). Alternative translations are: You Came a Star from Heaven and From Starry Skies Thou Comest. The carol was written in Alphonsus Liguori in 1732.

Here’s our 12-bell version!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

From Starry Skies Descending is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G5) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to use the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all of the bells you need.

If you’re a fan of this unusual Italian Christmas carol… we also have an arrangement that uses just 8 handbells, available to download from Choraegus. This arrangement is available in two versions – one standard and one “surprisingly easy.” Here’s the standard 8-bell version, performed during our 2019 trip to California:

If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before…

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. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six copies for your handbell group – so please don’t pay for more copies than you need! A practice track is also available separately – useful if your ringers need to practise their parts without the full group being available.

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 arranger (Larry Sue) and the publisher of the piece (Choraegus) on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs. We appreciate your help in getting the word out about Choraegus handbell music – and if you make a video of your handbell choir playing this piece, we’d love to see it!

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!