Handbell - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.953733 Composed by Frank M. Davis, Henry Smart, John Hughes, Robert Lowry, William B. Bradbury, and and George A. Young. Arranged by G. R. Adkison. Christian,Sacred. Score. 10 pages. Gary Ray Adkison #14705. Published by Gary Ray Adkison (A0.953733). God: Our Leader Medley is a 120 measure arrangement for 4-5 octave handbell choir and 3 octaves of OPTIONAL associated handchimes, although the handchime parts can also be played by handbells. The overall theme is the leadership of God in the life of the Christian. This is a medley of 7 Christian hymns. The first 4 are requests---requests to God to lead us. The last 3 are descriptions of God leading us (responses by God). The 1st request is presented by the handchimes playing Savior Lead Me. This is a simple, easy to play section in the key of D. Still in D, the 2nd request is Lead on, O King Eternal. After a false modulation, the 3rd request is Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us. This features a few bass runs. After a modulation to the key of G, the 4th request starts with Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehova. Also featuring some bass runs, it also makes use of descant lines. The 1st response, also in G, is All the Way My Savior Leads Me. This section is not in the original 3/4 time, but in 4/4 time, although near the end it reverts to the normal 3/4. It makes heavy use of fills and a brief descant line. The 2nd response is a 6/4 version of God Leads Us Along in the key of C. Again, there is a brief descant line. The last response is He Leadeth Me, also in C, that features two descant passages, and bass runs in the last two lines. After the first section of the overall arrangement, the chords used are often significantly more interesting than the chords normally used with these 7 hymns. This arrangement uses various dynamic and tempo markings, in order to achieve musical contrast, and still be true to the character of the original hymns. (The MP3 audio demonstration file provided is in a piano patch (voice), although the actual arrangement is for (and, of course, will sound better with a) handbell choir.) This arrangement is probably a level 2+ (2 plus) degree of difficulty.

Handbell - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.953727 Composed by William B. Bradbury and John B. Dykes. Arranged by G. R. Adkison. Christian,Sacred. Score. 5 pages. Gary Ray Adkison #14257. Published by Gary Ray Adkison (A0.953727). Holy God Medley is a medley of the Christian hymns: He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought and Holy, Holy, Holy arranged for 4-5 octave handbell choirs. It starts with a two measure introduction, followed by He Leadeth Me, O Blessed Thought. This is fairly up-tempo, with a surprise modulation going into the chorus. In the chorus, there are bass runs, a brief descant line, and doubling of the melody into the high bells. There are then two verses of Holy, Holy, Holy. The first verse is slow and is in ¾ time, instead of the normal common meter. It is also soft and *very* plain, as a setup for the last verse, which is faster, and grows in volume to the end, with much fuller chords, and uses the normal common meter that the original hymn uses. There is another surprise modulation halfway through this verse. Very full chords are used, with a brief bass clef downward arpeggio in the next to last measure, to emphasize the ending. The first verse of Holy, Holy, Holy can be performed with handchimes, if desired, although the arrangement is not scored as such. The audio demonstration clip provided is in a piano voice (patch) but suffices to demonstrate how this arrangement is generally meant to sound. I believe that this is probably a 2+ (2 plus) arrangement in degree of difficulty.

Handbell - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.953729 Composed by Elisha Albright Hoffman, Leila Taylor Morris, Virginia Harmony, and William A. Ogden and Daniel B. Towner. Arranged by G. R. Adkison. Christian,Sacred. Score. 7 pages. Gary Ray Adkison #14567. Published by Gary Ray Adkison (A0.953729). Jesus: Savior is a 110 measure, 4-5 octave bell choir arrangement, which also uses 3 octaves of OPTIONAL handchimes, although bells can be substituted for the chimes. It is a medley of the Christian hymns: Are You Washed in the Blood, Let Jesus Come into Your Heart, Amazing Grace! How Sweet the Sound, He is Able to Deliver Thee and At Calvary. The obvious theme is Jesus as Savior, as portrayed in these hymns. There are numerous bass runs, descant lines, and, in the upper bells, doubled melodic lines. The melody is in the bass clef, in the chorus of Let Jesus Come into Your Heart. The harmonies used are often more exotic than those in the original hymn compositions. The shake technique is occasionally used. There is an extra tag ending in the last 2 measures. The MP3 audio file provided is in a piano patch/voice, but suffices to demonstrate how the arrangement is generally meant to sound. This is probably a 3- (3 minus) difficulty rating.