Tag Archives: Larry Sue

Larry’s Prostate Cancer – the Next Chapter

Some of you may remember that Larry had prostate surgery at the beginning of 2019. We originally had high hopes that the surgery would be the end of Larry’s prostate cancer. Towards the end of 2019, we were told that Larry was cancer-free, and we celebrated.

However, things changed in late December 2019, when one of Larry’s routine blood tests came back with a worrying result. Hoping it was just a blip, he did another test, and the result was worse. We were referred to a local radiation oncologist here in Holland, and told that there was a high probability that the cancer had returned.

Prostate cancer can hide for a long time!

The problem with prostate cancer recurrence is that it’s not always easy to know where the cancer is hiding. After a couple more blood tests, the radiation oncologist referred Larry for an Axumin PET scan in Grand Rapids at the beginning of May. However, here in the USA, it often seems that medical treatment is decided not so much by the doctors as by the insurance companies. Our health insurance company refused to approve the PET scan, so the appointment was cancelled. We were very disappointed, but focused on Larry’s shoulder surgery, which had been scheduled for May.

Last summer, as he recovered from shoulder surgery, Larry had more tests. He had a bone scan, an MRI, a kidney ultrasound, and a renal nuclear scan. None of those tests showed us where the cancer was hiding. We continued life as normal, as far as we could – driving up to Bay View for days and weekends by the lake, and driving back to Holland for more doctors’ appointments.

Finally, a PET scan!

When summer was over, we were growing anxious that Larry hadn’t started any treatment for his cancer recurrence. We decided to try again to get the much-needed PET scan. After some online searching, we found out that there was a clinical trial of a PSMA PET scan at the University of Michigan hospital. We took a deep breath, contacted the hospital, and asked if Larry qualified for the scan. Our insurance once again refused to cover it, so we were left with no option but to agree to pay the cost ourselves.

At the start of November, we drove to Ann Arbor, where Larry had the PSMA PET scan. Here he is, at the hospital, before the scan – still smiling behind the mask.

Larry's prostate cancer treatment continues

The scan results came back, showing that the cancer had spread to a lymph node. We made an appointment to see an oncologist at the University of Michigan.

Next steps

The next chapter in Larry’s treatment will include radiation at the University of Michigan Hospital. The treatment starts on Tuesday, January 19, and will be Monday-Friday; twenty sessions over four weeks. The hospital is 3 hours away from where we live, and Larry is planning to drive there (and back) every day for as long as it’s possible. We love long road-trips, right?

2020 was not the best of years. You know that already

2020 was a tough year for lots of people, us included. It left us with a ton of stress, a heap of worries, and more medical bills than we know what to do with. However, Larry’s still feeling well. He’s still writing handbell music, singing for online church services, and doing life as normal. We have each other, and friends to cheer us on, and we’re thankful.

Larry will be receiving treatment for the next six months – and by the end of this year, we should know if the treatment has been successful. We appreciate all love, prayers and positive thoughts as we go through this next chapter in our story.

Lift High the Cross (CRUCIFER) – for Handbells and Piano

Lift High the Cross is a 19th century English hymn. The tune used here is CRUCIFER, written in 1916 by Sydney H. Nicholson. It’s a popular hymn for Holy Week and Easter, and our new 8-bell arrangement is straightforward and fun to play.

People sometimes ask us how they can use 8-bell music when they have more than 4 ringers in their handbell choir. We suggest that if handchimes are available, the piece could be doubled on bells and chimes! We decided to demonstrate this in our latest video:

Played like this, doubled on handbells and handchimes, up to 8 ringers could be kept busy with just 2 bells or chimes each. Of course, if you only have 2-4 ringers, you won’t need to double anything, and the piece can just be played in the usual way. But this was a fun experiment!

How to get the sheet music:

If you’d like to play Lift High the Cross, the sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. We also have an mp3 piano accompaniment track, available to purchase separately if you don’t have a willing accompanist. It’s also useful if you want to rehearse at home.

The all-important “small print”

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 do what we can to help!

Lift High the Cross 8-bell

16-Bell Music – Holy, Holy, Holy – Played as a Duet

16-bell music has been a fairly recent recording project for us. It’s been an exciting challenge to put together some new demonstration videos.

Holy, Holy, Holy is our latest arrangement for sixteen handbells. We enjoyed recording this piece as a duet project, and we love how pretty the snow looks in the background!

This arrangement is straightforward to play, and contains no bell changes and no accidentals to pick up mid-piece. There are no techniques that require tables, so it’s suitable for a socially-distanced group to play from music stands.

If you’d like to play Holy, Holy, Holy, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Other 16-bell music is also available. If you don’t see the title you’re looking for, please let us know, and we’ll see what we can do!

More information (the small print)

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group. 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. In addition, please 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, 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, designed to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.

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 do what we can to help!

Away in a Manger – 12-bell Arrangement Played as a Duet

Here’s another demonstration video of a 12-bell piece – Away in a Manger.

We recorded this video in the same way as we made our other recent 12- and 16-bell projects – in two separate parts. This arrangement has no bell-sharing, no accidentals, and no need for tables, which makes it particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians. It could be played by 3-6 ringers, using spaced-apart music stands, and two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

Would you like to play this piece?

If you’d like to play Away in a Manger, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six 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, and please remember 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 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, 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!

From a Distant Home – 16-Bell Music Played As a Duet

From a Distant Home is a lively Puerto Rican carol. It was a fun 16-bell recording project for us! This is a versatile arrangement, suitable for Christmas or Epiphany. We played it using our usual 4-in-hand technique, but it could be played by up to eight people.

“From a distant home the Savior we come seeking,
using as our guide the star so brightly beaming.

Lovely eastern star that tells us of God’s morning,
heaven’s wondrous light, O never cease thy shining!
Glory in the highest to the Son of Heaven,
and upon the earth be peace and love to all.“

If you’d like to play From a Distant Home, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. 

Important information (the small print)

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight 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 such as concert programs.

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, 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!

From a Distant Home - handbells

Angels from the Realms of Glory – 12-Bell Music Played as a Duet

Here’s another demonstration video of a 12-bell piece – Angels from the Realms of Glory.

This video was recorded in the same way as our other recent 12- and 16-bell projects – in two separate parts. We recorded this video in the evening – half just before dark, and half just after, as you can see from the two sides of the recording!

This arrangement has no bell-sharing and no accidentals, making it particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians. There’s no need for tables, so the arrangement can be played by 3-6 ringers using spaced-apart music stands. Two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

If you’d like to play Angels from the Realms of Glory, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six 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, and please remember 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 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.

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 do what we can to help!

Angels from the Realms of Glory - 12-bell Christmas

New 12-Bell Christmas Music – As With Gladness Men of Old

Here’s a 12-bell Christmas carol arrangement of As With Gladness Men of Old. The hymn tune DIX is also used as one of the settings for For the Beauty of the Earth.

Recording a 12-bell piece with just the two of us

Our demonstration video was our first attempt at recording a 12-bell piece during a time of COVID-19 and social distancing. We didn’t have a third person to join us for a trio, so our best option was to play all the bells ourselves, and put two videos together. It’s not perfect (and we hope to improve as we get used to doing this!), but you’ll get the idea of how the music should sound.

Information about playing this piece

This arrangement is straightforward to play, and has no bell-sharing, no accidentals, and no need for tables. It’s particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians, and can be played by 3-6 ringers. Two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

If you’d like to play As With Gladness Men of Old, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six 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, and please remember 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 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, 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!

As With Gladness Men of Old - 12-bell Christmas

New Christmas 6-Bell Music – Once in Royal David’s City

Our latest handbell title for Christmas is this different and fun arrangement of Once in Royal David’s City – because, seriously, who doesn’t need another Christmas carol in 7/8?

As with all our 6-bell arrangements, this piece involves no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals, and no shared bells. There are no techniques that require tables or foam pads. The arrangement would be suitable for 3 people to play, holding just two bells each.

Interested in playing this piece?

If you’d like to play Once in Royal David’s City, 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. This can be useful if you don’t have an accompanist available, or for rehearsal purposes.

If you’re looking for an arrangement of this carol that doesn’t need piano accompaniment, we also have an 8-bell arrangement, in two different bell ranges.

Important information to note:

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 a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. Please see our licensing agreement for full details. Remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials.

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 do what we can to help!

Once in Royal David's City 6-bell Christmas

New 8-Bell Music for Worship and Weddings – St. Anthony Chorale

As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ve been thinking about hymns suitable for worship services at this time of year. Our latest 8-bell arrangement, the St Anthony Chorale, is mostly known as a classical piece. It’s perfect for wedding ceremonies, and for use in worship. It’s the setting for the hymn We, Thy People, Praise Thee, with lyrics by Kate Stearn Page.

We recorded our demonstration video of St. Anthony Chorale in October, in our chilly summer cottage near Petoskey. This arrangement is straightforward to play, and has no bell-sharing, no picking-up of accidentals during the piece, and no need for tables, which makes it particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians. It could be played by two, three or four ringers.

If you’d like to play St Anthony Chorale, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print 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 such as concert programs.

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 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. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll do what we can to help!

St Anthony Chorale for handbells

New Accompanied 6-Bell Music – Marvelous Grace

Since Larry had his shoulder surgery in May, his recovery has been going well. He still occasionally feels the need to put the sling back on, but only to demonstrate a new 6-bell arrangement. The newest title available from Choraegus is the hymn Marvelous Grace, also known as Grace Greater Than Our Sin. We recorded this demonstration video at the end of a very long day, and we’d have liked another try at the tricky section – but we hope you’ll get the idea of how it should sound with a little more practice.

This arrangement works well as a duet, but a trio could also play it, with social distancing as required. There are no techniques that need tables or foam, and no bell-sharing between ringers. If you’d like to play Marvelous Grace, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. We also have an mp3 piano accompaniment track available to purchase separately; useful if you don’t have a willing accompanist, or want to rehearse at home.

More information about our music

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 a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Your purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. 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, and in any printed materials such as church service bulletins.

You might like to look at our step-by-step guide to buying music from Choraegus, especially if you’re new to purchasing music online. 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 you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll do what we can to help!

Marvelous Grace - 6-bell