In The Cross Of Christ I Glory (arr. John Leavitt): Choral Instrumental Pak

Leavitt's treatment transforms a familiar hymn into something that feels both rooted and refreshed. The drone accompaniment creates hypnotic forward motion while the melody stays front and center, and the addition of handbells and piano gives you instrumental color that doesn't overwhelm the voices or require extensive rehearsal to balance.

There's an understated elegance here. The drone creates a meditative bed while the melody floats above it with gentle confidence, and the handbells add moments of brightness that feel earned rather than ornamental. The overall effect is reverent without being heavy, contemporary without losing the hymn's spiritual core.

This arrangement works beautifully for church choirs of intermediate ability, community choruses with access to handbells and piano, and school choirs preparing Easter or spring concert repertoire. The piece scales well whether you're performing it as a standalone anthem or incorporating it into a larger liturgical or secular program.

• Balance the lower voice drone carefully during early rehearsals so singers can lock onto the melody without it drowning out the harmonic foundation.
• Coordinate with your handbells director early to establish tempo and interpret the rhythmic nuances of the accompaniment together.
• Let the piano and handbells articulation shape the phrasing in the vocal lines; singers will naturally follow the instrumental texture if you draw their attention to how accompaniment voices breathe and move.
• Experiment with dynamic contrast between verses to showcase what the instrumental colors bring at each section.

Pair this with contrasting sacred works on an Easter service or concert to highlight its distinctive harmonic approach and orchestration. It also serves well as a bridge piece between traditional hymn singing and more modern choral writing, helping singers understand how arrangers reimagine familiar texts for new contexts.

• Singing sustained tones against moving accompaniment
• Blending voices in a drone texture
• Responding to instrumental color and articulation cues
• Performing moderate sacred repertoire with piano and optional handbells
• Understanding how arrangement choices reshape familiar melodies