Product Description
"The Story of Jesus" is a 3-4-5 octave, 62 measure arrangement for handbell choir, and OPTIONAL 3 octave handchimes. It is a medley of the Christian hymns: "Tell Me the Story of Jesus", "What Wondrous Love Is This", and "Blessed Redeemer". All three of these hymns tell about Jesus, hence the title: "The Story of Jesus". The subject matter also works well for an Easter performance. There is a toll (swing) technique used in "Tell Me the Story of Jesus". "What Wondrous Love Is this" calls for chimes, although bells can be substituted for the chimes, if desired. There's something eerily beautiful---ethereal---about the sound of handchimes playing a minor key composition. In "Blessed Redeemer" rich chords are used. The last musical phrase is half-timed, at triple forte, for a majestic effect. Then, suddenly the music briefly stops (a grand pause) after a fermata. When it resumes, the dynamic level is again soft, and the tempo slows even more, for a subdued, reverent effect during the last 4 melody notes. If handchimes are indeed used for the middle section, the arrangement is written such that it will be easy to switch from handbells to handchimes, and again, from handchimes back to handbells, after that section. This arrangement juxtaposes 3 different musical styles in the medley. The audio clip provided is in a piano voice (patch) but suffices to demonstrate how the arrangement is generally meant to sound. This is probably a level 2+ (2 Plus) degree of difficulty arrangement.
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