Review:
"A Manger Lullaby" - a charming and beautifully crafted medley of cradleside carols with small snippets of Brahms' "Lullaby" and "Silent Night" - features the hymn tunes MUELLER ("Away in the Manger"), GREENSLEEVES and CRADLE SONG (another tune for "Away in a Manger"). Each has its own personality and the tunes are skillfully woven together with thoughtful transitions in this solid, 'upper end of a Level 3' arrangement.
High treble ringers enjoy a little extra challenge with 16th notes (by request of the commissioners). Rich chromatic passages will reward your ringers and audience with grace and drama – and a fresh take on these beloved carols. An optional, medium-difficult Bell Tree (15/16 or 19 bells (G5) A5-C7 - opt. Db, D, Eb, F7) or C instrument part (replacing some lines in the main score, marked with brackets) is included.
This score was revised in 2025: primarily adding bass chimes to the first section, but also eliminating some redundant accidentals and cleaning up some notation issues. No notes were changed, so the original edition still works fine (you can easily write in the newly added bass chime notes).
This fully orchestrated piece by Kathleen Wissinger is perfect for Copper or even Bronze festivals as it covers 3-7 octaves of bells and 3-6 octaves of chimes, skillfully including all ringers in a variety of voicings, melodic leads, chromatic passages, and three key changes. It is also ideal for worship and Christmas, Advent, or Epiphany concerts. Commissioned “To Celebrate the life of Michael David Nelson (1969-1976) and the 40th Anniversary of the First Baptist Church Handbell Choir, Madison, WI.” 4:00 performance time.
ringTrue Handbell Music offers many pieces with featured or optional Bell Tree Solos such as
Norwegian Fantasy (Grieg),
Semper Paratus (the piccolo part),
The Best Gift III & IV (full BT Solo with piano),
A Gentle Presence (BT solo with chime ensemble),
A Gentle Presence (BT solo with piano RE5627R ). Part of the
First String (Bell Tree) series from ringTrue Handbell Music. Look for more specific Bell Tree scores by clicking on the series link above. For more ideas, contact Kath at Longwalk3@aol.com.
Published by:
ringTrue
Part of the Series:
True Music
(ringTrue)
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Composer:
Multiple
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Arranger:
Wissinger, Kathleen
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Octaves:
3-7
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Level:
3
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Rating:
Medium
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Copyright:
2017
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Season:
Advent
, Epiphany
, Christmas
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Classification:
Bell Tree
, Church or Concert
, Concert
, Medley
, Instrument Part
, Hymn Tune
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Technique:
Mallet
, Pl (Pluck)
, HD (Hand Damp)
, Pluck Lift
, LV (Let Vibrate)
, Martellato
, Mallet Lift
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Voicing:
Handbells, No Choral
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Instrument:
Chimes(Choirchimes or Handchimes)
, Bell Tree
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