In the 1970s, our friend Kevin Inn created a lovely guitar/voice arrangement of the hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus. When we looked at this hymn as a possible eight-bell arrangement, it came to mind. Enjoy!
What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer!
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;take it to the Lord in prayer!
Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior, still our refuge — take it to the Lord in prayer!
Do your friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In his arms he’ll take and shield thee; thou wilt find a solace there.
Hymn Tune: CONVERSE
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Purchasing this 8-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment/instrumental score(s), if part of the purchase) – 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.
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2 comments
We are just two old ladies who volunteer, (mostly playing ukulele), for folks in local nursing homes. Last year we bought a set of kids handbells, (8 bells in all), and started playing simple Christmas tunes for them. The handbell portion of our show was well received. Now we want to expand and be able to play an assortment of popular music of their generation. Because we are both living on social security and because we never accept payment for our shows, naturally we are on a limited budget. Am I looking in the right place for such sheet music? I don’t really understand all the terms used here, I can only explain what we are looking for. Can you give me some suggestions via email please?
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Hello Debra!
Thank you for contacting us! Choraegus has lots of scores for eight handbells. If you’d like to try some of our music just to see what it’s like, you can start with our Freebies section. You can also take a look at our eight-bell catalog; the “Surprisingly Easy”™ versions should be well-suited to your needs.
We feel our prices are better than competitive. The “easy” eight-bell pieces in our catalog cost $5.00 for a downloadable PDf score, which comes to $2.50 per duet ringer. You can purchase them one at a time, or in bunches if you prefer. We also have some easy eight-bell collections that offer a somewhat better price per arrangement.
With the set of eight bells that you have, you’ll need to look for pieces played in G major (I think the set you have is in C, so you’ll also have to transpose; if you have any questions about how to do that, please ask!). Each arrangement has a “Score Preview” button that will display a sample score so you can verify that the bells needed are the same as what you have.
Just a thought: If you eventually decide you want to explore even further, there are fully chromatic sets of bells like the ones you have. Getting them would require a personal investment, but then you’d be able to play any of our eight-bell pieces!
Thank you again for writing to us. Carla and I wish you the best in your ringing adventures. Please don’t hesitate to ask any other questions you might have!
Happy Ringing,
Larry