August 28, 2022

Away in a Manger – 12-Bell Music for Christmas

Away in a Manger is this week’s new 12-bell piece for Christmas. The tune is CRADLE SONG, written by the American composer William J. Kirkpatrick and most commonly used in the United Kingdom. Don’t be confused if this is an unfamiliar tune; in the USA, the tune used most often is MUELLER, written by James R. Murray. We have arrangements of that tune too; keep reading and you’ll find more information!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

Away in a Manger is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G6) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and make sure you purchase the right version.

Other arrangements of this carol

There are more versions of this carol available from Choraegus:

An accompanied arrangement for 6 handbells and piano (the CRADLE SONG tune)

Arranged for 8 handbells, unaccompanied (the CRADLE SONG tune)

For 8 handbells, unaccompanied (the MUELLER tune) – available in two versions

Another 12-bell arrangement, unaccompanied (the MUELLER tune)

A full-choir arrangement for 3-5 octaves (the MUELLER tune)

An accompanied handbell duet arrangement (the NORMANDY tune)

Did you miss Go, Tell it on the Mountain?

Our 12-bell arrangement of Go, Tell it on the Mountain has been available since last week. This laid-back arrangement is another one suitable for 3-6 ringers. Again, there’s a choice of two handbell ranges, and you can download the sheet music from Choraegus.

Things to know about Choraegus handbell music

Choraegus handbell music scores are designed to be downloaded as PDF files. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Purchasing a 12-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six copies for your handbell group – so please don’t pay for more copies than you need! A practice track is also available separately – useful if your ringers need to practise their parts without the full group being available.

Your purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the arranger (Larry Sue) and the publisher of the piece (Choraegus) on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs. We appreciate your help in getting the word out about Choraegus handbell music – and if you make a video of your handbell choir playing this piece, we’d love to see it!

If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help!

June 27, 2022

New 12-Bell Music – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

We’re happy to present some more new 12-bell music – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing; a popular hymn for worship services and weddings. The NETTLETON hymn tune can also be used as the setting for Come, Ye Sinners Poor and Needy, As We Gather at Your Table, and Praise the God of All Creation, among others.

Here’s our demonstration video!

If you missed last week’s announcement on our Facebook page, we also have a new 12-bell arrangement of the hymn Children of the Heavenly Father. This arrangement is a very straightforward choice for a small handbell choir.

More about these 12-bell arrangements

As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing and Children of the Heavenly Father are suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate our 12-bell arrangements using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. These arrangements are available in two ranges of handbells – one version using C5-G6 and another for D5-A6. There are a couple of accidentals involved, so be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and be sure to purchase the right version.

Other arrangements of these hymn tunes available from Choraegus

You’ll find both of these hymns also available as arrangements for just eight handbells. There’s a list of all our 8-bell hymn arrangements on the Choraegus website. Please note that our 8-bell arrangements and 12-bell arrangements aren’t designed to be played together. Each piece is a completely different arrangement.

Important things to know about Choraegus handbell music

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help!

June 26, 2022

New Handbell Music for Christmas 2022 – from Choraegus

In the handbell world, we get accustomed to thinking ahead when preparing for concerts, worship services and seasonal performances! It’s not the holiday season yet, but we’ve already introduced some new handbell music for Christmas 2022 – available to download from Choraegus. If you’re interested in playing any of these pieces, please click on the title to find out more.

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime is the oldest-known Canadian carol, also known as the Huron Carol. Our arrangement is for 3 or 5 octaves, and also uses optional handchimes, giving a slightly mysterious feel to the piece. After playing our 8-bell arrangement of this carol for so many years, we enjoyed putting together this demonstration video!

Of the Father’s Love Begotten

We prepared this video of Of the Father’s Love Begotten for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Christmas concert last year, but it was too late for us to make the arrangement available in time for Christmas. So here it is, ready for 2022! It’s arranged for 3 or 5 octaves, with handchimes – and the introduction gives you an (optional) opportunity to use Silver Melody Bells (as we did), or handchimes, or Petit & Fritsen or Whitechapel/Taylor bells – if any of those are available to you. The cajón part adds to the fun, and is available separately.

Gaudete!

Gaudete! is a Christmas song dating back to at least the sixteenth century. This arrangement is for 3-8 octaves of handbells, plus handchimes. It’s a lively Level 4+ piece that’s exciting to play! The optional cajón part is fun too!

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

This exciting new arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a wild, mixed-meter ride that advanced handbell choirs will enjoy. The optional (but worthwhile) flute part adds some extra sparkle! Level 5, for 3 or 5 octaves.

If you want to play the same piece with fewer bells, here’s an arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing that has piano accompaniment – and, again, an optional flute part. We made this video for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Christmas concert last year.

In addition to our new handbell music for Christmas 2022, we also have a couple of newish full-choir arrangements that were available last year, but slipped through the cracks a little during the pandemic, when fewer groups were able to give live performances:

Gesu Bambino

Gesu Bambino (“the Christ Child”) is a Nativity song from 1917. Our piano-accompanied arrangement for 3 or 5 octaves is Level 3. The score package includes a full score for the pianist to use, and a separate handbell part for the bell choir.

Away in a Manger

Our handbell choir arrangement of James Murray’s Away in a Manger is written for three octaves of handbells and two octaves of handchimes (you can add doublings for your bells beyond C4-C7, of course). Its gentle feel will add a reflective touch to your Christmas Eve service.

Choraegus handbell music for smaller ensembles

As well as our exciting arrangements for 6- and 8-bell ensembles, we’ve recently added several new Christmas arrangements for 12-bell ensembles. More are on the way!

Any questions? Suggestions? Requests?

If you have any questions about Choraegus handbell music, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help. If you’re looking for a piece of Christmas music that you can’t find on the Choraegus site, you’re always welcome to get in touch and put in a request, particularly if the music is in the public domain (i.e. not under copyright) – and we’ll see if we can add it to our catalog!

June 9, 2022

I Saw Three Ships – a New 12-Bell Arrangement

Continuing our little series of new 12-bell pieces for Christmas, here’s a new arrangement of the English carol I Saw Three Ships – also known as I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In or On Christmas Day in the Morning. This traditional carol has been around since the 17th century!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

I Saw Three Ships is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G6) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and make sure you purchase the right version.

Other arrangements of this carol

This carol is also available for 8 handbells. Two different arrangements are available from Choraegus – a standard version and a “surprisingly easy” version.

Things to know about Choraegus handbell music

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help!

June 6, 2022

An Italian Christmas Carol – New 12-bell Music

For anyone looking for something unusual for a small group to play at Christmas – here’s a new 12-bell arrangement of the popular Italian Christmas carol From Starry Skies Descending (original title: Tu Scendi dalle Stelle). Alternative translations are: You Came a Star from Heaven and From Starry Skies Thou Comest. The carol was written in Alphonsus Liguori in 1732.

Here’s our 12-bell version!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

From Starry Skies Descending is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G5) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to use the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all of the bells you need.

If you’re a fan of this unusual Italian Christmas carol… we also have an arrangement that uses just 8 handbells, available to download from Choraegus. This arrangement is available in two versions – one standard and one “surprisingly easy.” Here’s the standard 8-bell version, performed during our 2019 trip to California:

If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before…

Choraegus handbell music is designed to be downloaded as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six copies for your handbell group – so please don’t pay for more copies than you need! A practice track is also available separately – useful if your ringers need to practise their parts without the full group being available.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help!

May 23, 2022

Exciting Christmas Music for Handbells and Flute

Looking for some exciting Christmas music for a holiday performance? Last week we published our new arrangement of Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, for 1 octave of handbells, piano and flute, as performed in the 2021 Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Christmas concert. This week we’re pleased to bring you our version for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells!

This full-choir arrangement is another exciting journey of mixed-meter Christmas fun! If you’re looking for a challenging and unusual handbell piece to add sparkle to your holiday concert, this could be the audience-pleaser you’re looking for! Once again, Martha Matthews brings her flute skills to our demonstration video – and yes, we put lots of sparkle into our video too.

More information about Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells. The optional flute part (available separately) is the same one used for the smaller handbells-plus-piano arrangement. It moves through lots of different meters, and is Level 5.

Sheet music for this arrangement is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. You can either purchase an individual copy (useful for massed ringing events, or for preview), or purchase the full choir license. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

More information about Choraegus handbell music

Your purchase of the full-choir license also gives permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we ask you to credit the arranger (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). See our licensing agreement for full details. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us on our Facebook page too!

Choraegus handbell music comes to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If someone has asked us a question even once, it will be there, along with the answer. Please contact us if you don’t find the information you need, and we’ll be happy to help.

Exciting Christmas music handbells flute

May 16, 2022

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing – for Handbells (1 octave), Piano and Flute

Did you ever watch the Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Christmas concert for 2021? If you missed it, the recording is still available to watch on the group’s official YouTube channel! One of the pieces we prepared for that concert was an exciting mixed-meter arrangement of the Christmas carol Hark, the Herald Angels Sing – for one octave of handbells and piano – with an additional flute part available to purchase separately.

Holland-based musicians Gary and Martha Matthews joined us for this performance:

More about Hark, The Herald Angels Sing

This arrangement uses 12 handbells between G5 and G6. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have more than two ringers, that’s not a requirement. The piece starts with a piano introduction, the flute joins in, and then the handbells join the fun, moving through a variety of meters – 7/8, 4/4, 2/4, 6/8, 9/8, 10/8 and 11/8. It’s a super-fun challenge for capable handbell musicians! If you prefer to play this piece without the optional flute part, it works just fine with just the handbells and piano.

Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.

About Choraegus handbell music

Choraegus handbell music is designed to be downloaded as PDF files. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain the number copies needed for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for extra copies when one single payment will cover everything! A practice track is also available separately – useful if your ringers need to practise their parts without the full group being available.

Your purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the arranger (Larry Sue) and the publisher (Choraegus) on video-sharing sites, social media and concert programs. We appreciate your help in getting the word out about Choraegus handbell music – and if you make a video of your handbell choir playing this piece, we’d love to see it!

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help!

May 9, 2022

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime – for Handbells, 3 or 5 Octaves

“‘Twas in the moon of wintertime
When all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchi Manitou
Sent angel choirs instead
Before their light the stars grew dim
And wond’ring hunters heard the hymn:

Jesus, your King, is born;
Jesus is born!
In excelsis gloria!”

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, also known as the Huron Carol, is thought to be Canada’s oldest Christmas Carol. It was written in around 1642 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary in Canada. The tune is based on a traditional French song.

More information about ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. It’s an exciting arrangement with a touch of mystery! There’s lots of activity for the bass bells, and the handchimes add a shimmer of magic.

More information about Choraegus handbell music

Your purchase of the full-choir license also gives permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we ask you to credit the composer (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). See our licensing agreement for full details. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us on our Facebook page too!

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

Any questions?

Twas in the Moon of Wintertime Huron Handbells

May 5, 2022

Of the Father’s Love Begotten – for Handbells, 3 or 5 Octaves

“Of the Father’s love begotten,
Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore!”

Of the Father’s Love Begotten is a hymn based on the Latin poem Corde Natus. It’s set to the medieval plainchant melody Divinum mysterium, which first appeared in print in 1582. Our arrangement was created for the 2021 Kalamazoo Ringers online Christmas concert On a Winter’s Night and we had fun playing it with just the two of us!

More information about Of the Father’s Love Begotten

Of the Father’s Love Begotten is a Level 3+ arrangement for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. There’s also a cajón part, available to purchase separately. We used Silver Melody Bells at the beginning, but you could play the introduction on handbells or handchimes, depending on what’s available.

More information about Choraegus handbell music

Your purchase of the full-choir license also gives permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we ask you to credit the composer (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). See our licensing agreement for full details. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us on our Facebook page too!

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

Any questions?

March 7, 2022

Handbell Music about Snow!

Snow is a big feature of winter in Michigan. Since we moved here in 2016, we’ve grown to love waking up to snow-covered views from our windows, and having to go outside and shovel the driveway. Larry’s become an expert at using the snowblower, and has even written some handbell music about snow!

We’ve just gone through the time of year sometimes referred to as “Fool’s Spring” here. Fool’s Spring is generally followed by Second Winter. We’ve had a couple of weeks with the sun attempting to shine through the clouds, and the snow has been melting away, leaving us with just the occasional patch of ice, and those murky-looking snow-mountains that accumulate in local parking lots. Just when we start to think that warmer weather really is here to stay… an overnight fall of snow reminds us that winter’s not over yet!

Rather than make another video of the two of us playing this 3-octave handbell piece, we thought we’d show you some snowy scenes from where we live. If you live in a warmer climate and you’ve never driven through snow, our video will give you a view from the passenger seat!

More information about Snow

Snow is for 3 octaves of handbells, Level 1+. Sheet music for this original composition is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. You can either purchase an individual copy (useful for massed ringing events, or for preview), or purchase the full choir license. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

Your purchase of the full-choir license also gives permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we ask you to credit the composer (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). See our licensing agreement for full details. We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us on our Facebook page too!

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.