Worship Arts April May June 2022

Handbells, Choral

challenge over the summer, this would be for them. The goal would be to make the music flow so that no one bell is rung differently than any other. This ensemble technique takes practice and careful dampening to achieve a conti nuity of sound. There are several tunes with syncopation, and I would encourage staying with the tempo markings as given. This may be a challenge on some of the tunes, as Hyfrydol in particular is written with a tempo mark ing of 72 to the dotted quarter and is a very lively dance setting. Nun Komm, Der Heiden Heiland is a non hurried quarter around 80 and uses a repeating eighth note pattern that flows through the melody, sort of creat ing an ostinato pattern you may keep humming even after the bells have finished ringing. Regardless of which tune you might try, none has any page turns or any techniques needing tables.

This piece requires a full bell choir and a percussion ensemble. First, the music can be done with 3 octaves, but will not have nearly the impact if you have a full 7 octaves and the personnel to play a full 7 octaves. However, if you need to do with only 5 octaves this may still be effective, but will probably not translate as well without the extra percussion equipment. The score lists: orchestral chimes, timpani, sus. cym., windchimes, tom-tom, tambourine, triangle, snare, and vibra slap. If you have the 3-octave auxiliary bells such as Silver Melody handbells or Petit & Fritzen bells, you are set. If not, you can substitute a glockenspiel. Beyond all the equipment and extra people required, the music itself is a fantastic swirl of a mysterious set of opening notes followed by a jaunty melody reminiscent of a sea chanty. There are mallet rolls and singing bells and octave Cs rung like a church toll all to set the mood for the lively melody that follows. There is interplay between ringing techniques and other mallet fun for bell ringers (like malleting on the pads), and some back and forth with the percussion as well. The music brings back the opening chord patterns and spins right back into a final rendition of the melody using all bells possible. The piece may not be a “closer” to a concert setting, as it is in C minor, but could be a very effective opener to a Halloween concert for those who may plan far in advance. Book Publications (a division of Morn ingStar Music Publishers) MSM 60-0307, 2020, SATB and organ with soprano descant and optional congregation. String orchestra parts (MSM-60-0307B) and full score (MSM-60-0307A) available. This anthem uses the Liturgy of St. James text found in No. 636 of The United Methodist Hymnal and the tune Picardy also found in No. 636. Like the aforementioned anthem, although the text is not strictly for Advent, many associate this text and tune with the Advent season. There are four verses: the first has the choir sing in unison, the second has an SATB version, the third is either in unison or with an optional canon and the fourth has unison voices with a soprano descant. If you do not have the soprano descant voice available, the descant can be elimi nated. If you want to involve the congregation, their part is available in a free download reproducible version with the purchase of the choral anthems, and the reproducible string orchestra parts are available as MSM-60-0307B. Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Si lence , Chad Fothergill, Birnamwood

Overture , Brian Childers, G.I.A. Publications, Inc. G-10220, 2020, 3-7 octave handbells, 3-6 octave chimes, opt. 3 octave aux. bells, and percussion, L3. Get out all your bells and whistles – literally – it’s all bells and whistles for this Overture. Childers has an original composition that requires all the extras.

S P O T L I G H T : C H O R A L M U S I C F O R T H E C O M I N G Y E A R

Advent

O Emmanuel , Karen Marrolli, Birnamwood Pub lications (a division of MorningStar Music Publishers) MSM-50-0077, 2020, SATB and piano. Optional violin part (MSM-50-0077A) available. The text of this anthem is not strictly an Advent text. “Shadows are deep’ning and evening is falling, dusk ever hast’ning our midnight of souls. Lift to our darkness and hope for our longing, come dwell among us till daylight consoles. O Emmanuel, your people are calling…” However, the tune used primar ily in this anthem is the familiar Star In the East from Sacred Harp . Consequently, when persons listen to this anthem, I believe they will quickly associate it with the Advent/Christmas season. The anthem ends with Reginald Heber’s text “Brightest and Best of the Stars.” The first six pages mostly have unison women voices and/or unison men’s voices. It is not until page 7 that some measures require three- or four-part mixed voices while other measures are still only two-part mixed voices. The violin part is available separately; however, the anthem can be sung without the violin part if a violinist is not available.

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