Description

Michael Glasgow refers to this arrangement – written 18 months into the COVID-19 crisis – as his “pandemic anthem,” and describes the journey in heartfelt detail in the folio’s notes.  Commissioned for RingFest (an annual advanced-level youth festival in Ohio), this work blends together the beloved hymn tunes McAFEE and BETHANY with flowing lines, rich harmony, and abundant expressive opportunities.  The arrangement includes an optional (reproducible) choral tag, an unexpected performance option that closes the piece with the ringers and/or additional vocalists singing an unaccompanied stanza of Nearer, My God, to Thee; this is especially compelling in massed-ringing festival settings.

Voicing:  3, 4, 5 or 6 octaves handbells with optional 3, 4, or 5 octaves handchimes and optional SATB choral tag
Arranger: Michael Glasgow
Composers:  Cleland Boyd McAfee; Lowell Mason
Lyricist: Sarah Flower Adams
Tune source:  McAFEE, BETHANY
Season:  General | Concerts
Level:  3-