January 14, 2022

Come Down, O Love Divine – Handbell Music for Pentecost

“Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.”

We’re happy to bring you this new recording of Larry’s arrangement of the hymn Come Down, O Love Divine. The tune is DOWN AMPNEY, written by Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1906. This hymn is ideal for Pentecost worship.

More information about this arrangement

Come Down, O Love Divine is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. It’s a Level 3- arrangement. Sheet music is available to download from Choraegus – available as an individual score, or as a full-choir license.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

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. 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. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. 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 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.

Come Down O Love Divine handbell music for Pentecost

January 28, 2021

To God Be the Glory – 12-Bell Music from Choraegus

“To God be the glory, great things He hath done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He hath done.“

To God Be the Glory is one of our favorite pieces to play as an 8-bell duet. We recently decided the time was right for a new 12-bell arrangement! Here’s our “cloned” demonstration video:

As with all Choraegus 12-bell arrangements, this piece has no bell-sharing, and there are no accidentals to pick up mid-piece. There are no techniquest that need tables or foam, so the arrangement can be played from music stands. The music is suitable for 3-6 ringers, and two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

Where to get the sheet music

If you’d like to play To God Be the Glory, the sheet music is available to purchase and download 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. 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.

Another thing to note is 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.

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!

January 17, 2021

The Skye Boat Song – New 12-Bell Music

The Skye Boat Song is a 19th century Scottish tune. We recently introduced an arrangement for 8 handbells and piano. Here’s a new 12-bell arrangement that’s fun to play too. This one starts very simply, then moves on to a flowing arpeggio section. Even though the piece started life as a secular song, the tune is also used in church as the setting for Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind, written by Margaret Old. People have also told us that this tune is the theme tune for the TV series Outlander, which we haven’t yet seen!

We enjoyed recording this arrangement with just the two of us:

12-bell music is great for socially-distanced ringing!

As with all Choraegus 12-bell arrangements, this piece has no bell-sharing, and no techniques that need tables or foam. It could be played by 3-6 ringers, playing from music stands. Two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

Where to get the sheet music

If you’d like to play The Skye Boat Song, you’ll find the sheet music on Choraegus, our music site. 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. 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.

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!

November 9, 2020

New Accompanied 8-Bell Music – The Skye Boat Song

Our latest 8-bell arrangement is from 19th-century Scotland – The Skye Boat Song. This is a very straightforward arrangement, suitable for a handbell duo, trio or quartet – even if there isn’t a lot of rehearsal time available. If you need a “pick up and play” piece for your group to perform at short notice, this could be the one!

The tune is also used as the setting for the hymn Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind, so it’s versatile enough to be suitable for worship services as well as any other performances. We’ve also been told that it was used as the theme song for the popular historical drama Outlander. We’ll have to put that on our “must-watch TV shows” list!

“Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye.”

As with all our 8-bell arrangements, this piece involves no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals mid-piece, and no shared bells. It can be played from just music stands, making it suitable even for socially-distanced handbell groups.

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play The Skye Boat Song, 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.

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!

July 1, 2020

New Handbell Music – To the Hills I Lift Mine Eyes

“To the hills I lift my eyes;
whence shall help for me arise?
From the Lord shall come my aid,
who the heav’n and earth has made.
He will guide through dangers all,
will not suffer thee to fall.
He who safe his people keeps,
slumbers not and never sleeps.”

Here’s another hymn arrangement that uses only eight handbells. It’s the 19th-century tune To the Hills I Lift Mine Eyes, also sung as Holy Spirit, Faithful Guide. This demonstration video was one of the last videos we rushed to record before Larry had his shoulder surgery. We need a little more rehearsal time, but you’ll get the idea.

The beginning and end sections of this arrangement are straightforward to play, with a little more challenge added in the middle section.

Would you like to play this piece?

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. Purchase also gives 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 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.

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!

To the Hills I Lift Mine Eyes, handbells

February 19, 2020

New Handbell Music – Come, All You People, Praise Our God

“Come, all you people, praise our God
and tell his glorious works abroad,
who holds our souls in life;
he never lets our feet be moved
and, though our faith he often proved,
upholds us in the strife.“

Here’s the latest addition to our 8-bell repertoire: Come, All You People, Praise Our God. This hymn tune (ODAWA) – by gospel songwriter Charles H. Gabriel – was first published in 1912.

Sheet music is available from Choraegus

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

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us. If this is your first time purchasing music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

Please also 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 this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group.

We’re happy to answer your questions!

If you have any questions about purchasing or playing 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. We hope you’ll enjoy playing our music!

January 10, 2016

New Music for Handbells – Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is our second new 8-bell piece of 2016. The tune is originally a ballad from Wales, called ST. DENIO.

Here’s a rehearsal video, from the day of the AGO January Jubilee event. Carla made a decision to rehearse this piece without shoes. She then decided that it was the wrong decision, and managed to put them back on without missing a note. Multi-tasking is a good thing, right?

More information about this 8-bell arrangement

Sheet music for Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is available for purchase and download from Choraegus. We play it as a duet piece, of course, but it’s suitable for 2-4 ringers. It’s not essential to play it 4-in-hand.

Please note that when you purchase handbell music from Choraegus, you won’t receive anything in the mail. Your music will come to you in digital (PDF) format, and you’ll be responsible for printing it yourself. Your purchase 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, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

Any questions?

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

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise - handbells

August 10, 2015

New Music for Handbells – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing is our latest 8-bell arrangement. The hymn tune is the pretty Nettleton, which was originally an American folk tune. We played this piece for the first time during our visit to Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church a couple of weeks ago.

We think this arrangement is fun to play, and it’s suitable for 2-4 ringers. The music is available for purchase and download from Choraegus.

More information about Choraegus handbell music

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.

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!