Category Archives: Handbell gifts

A Discount Code for Handbell Music!

Today we’re celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary. Here’s a chance to celebrate with us, with a discount code for handbell music from Choraegus! You can save 15% on all your purchases, from today until next Thursday.

Handbell music discount code - Choraegus

It’s a great time to stock up on handbell music!

There’s no limit to how many times you can use the discount code. Now is a great time to stock up on handbell music for fall, and for the holiday season! We’re always adding new pieces to the catalog, and we have a wide range of arrangements and original compositions.

Our music is available to download for your handbell choir; no more waiting for music to arrive by mail! If you’re looking for 5-8 octave arrangements, we have lots, and if your handbell ensemble is down to just a few ringers this season, we have plenty of music for smaller groups too. You’re welcome to browse the site, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, please ask us, and we’ll do our very best to help you find something suitable.

Don’t forget The Bass Ringer’s Notebook – the must-have guide for anyone who wants to dig deep into the world of playing bass handbells. That’s also available from Choraegus (and you can use the discount code for that too). The only difference is that it’s not available to download. If you order a copy, we’ll lovingly package it up and mail it to you from Michigan.

How to use the coupon code

To use the discount code, simply make your selections from Choraegus in the usual way using the Add to Cart button. In your shopping cart, enter the code ANNIVERSARY in the coupon code box, and your discount should magically appear. If you haven’t purchased music from Choraegus before, and you’d like to test the process, we recommend looking at the Freebies section, where you can download some free handbell music, and see how it all works, without spending any money.

We hope you’ll enjoy playing Choraegus handbell music, and thank you for your interest! If you have any questions, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help.



FREE Handbell Music – Dona Nobis Pacem, for 8 Bells

Yay! Free handbell music! After our busy holiday season, we were happy to be able to start the new year by working on some brand-new eight-bell music to be published on Choraegus. The first of these new pieces is Dona Nobis Pacem.

The scene outside our window would look so much prettier with some snow!

We’re pleased to offer the sheet music for this piece to you for free, as a thank-you to everyone who has encouraged and supported us in our musical endeavours since we started playing handbells together in 2012. You can find it in the Freebies section of our music site, where there’s also free music for Happy Birthday and Auld Lang Syne. You’ll also find printable covers for anyone who’s storing their 8-bell music in binders.

There’s no obligation to make any other purchase from Choraegus to get the free handbell music. Of course, we hope you’ll take a look at other titles we have to offer, but if you want to grab the free music and go, we don’t mind at all. It’s a good way to try our eight-bell music without having to spend any money! Dona Nobis Pacem would also be very suitable for playing as a quartet; useful for those times when you’re working with less than a full handbell choir.

Instructions for downloading the free handbell music

To get your free sheet music, add it to your cart on the Choraegus site, and click on the yellow “Check out with PayPal” button. Enter your details, and click “Confirm Order” (there’s no need to click on the PayPal button a second time). Then check your email inbox! If the download link doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder, and it might be there.

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us (or claiming your free music), especially if this is your first time downloading music from Choraegus. You won’t receive anything in the mail, and will be responsible for printing your own music.

Any questions?

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

free handbell music Dona Nobis Pacem

Handbell Duets at the 2019 Great Lakes Regional Convention of the AGO

We enjoyed the opportunity to share our handbell music with guests at the recent Great Lakes Regional Convention of the AGO. We demonstrated our duets at a reception hosted by Third Reformed Church here in Holland.

Great Lakes Regional Convention of the AGO - handbells
Information about The Bass Ringer’s Notebook and music from Choraegus

For anyone who came to the presentation for the American Guild of Organists (or missed it!), we thought it might be helpful to share some information here.

Handbell performances and workshops

Several people talked with us about our availability for duet performances. We can also work with individuals and church handbell choirs, either by attending a rehearsal, or leading a workshop session. We can help your ringers improve their basic technique or learn more advanced treble or bass skills. If you’re interested in booking us, please contact us and let us know the type of performance or workshop you’re interested in, your location, and when you’d like the performance to happen.

You can find more information about performances, workshops and our fees in the Book Us section of this website.

handbell duo in church
At Los Altos Lutheran Church, California, May 2019 (Photo: Carl S. Gutekunst)

Handbell music from Choraegus

To find out more about our handbell music published by Choraegus, check out our music site, where there is a wide variety of music available for anything from one- to eight-octave handbell choirs. That’s where you’ll find the music we demonstrated during the reception, as well as other pieces for full handbell choir, and some music for handbells and organ.

For beginning or less-experienced groups, and also for quartets, we recommend our Surprisingly Easy eight-bell pieces. Our 8-bell music can also be useful for small groups of ringers who want an extra challenge. It can work well for small groups who want to continue ringing through the summer when the choir is taking a break.

Music from Choraegus will come to you as a digital download; a PDF file with permission to make a certain number of copies for your group. You can find more information and all the “small print” in the licensing agreement, and we also recommend our step-by-step guide!

If you’d like to try our 8-bell music before you spend any money, you might like to check out some of our free arrangements. Also available for free are the binder cover sheets for our music, as shown on the music binders on display at the reception.

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
Bass Ringer's Notebook, yellow flowers
The Bass Ringer’s Notebook – available now!

Information about Larry’s book on bass ringing

Larry’s book – The Bass Ringer’s Notebook – is available from Choraegus. This is not a digital download; it’s an actual book. We will lovingly package up a copy and send to you by mail when you’ve made your purchase.

Any questions?

Our thanks go to everyone who came to the reception at the Great Lakes Regional Convention of the AGO. Thanks to everyone who asked questions, and listened to our performance. Thanks also to the members of Third Reformed Church for their generous hospitality. If there’s anything we forgot to mention here, or you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to help!

9 Out of 10 Foo Dogs Recommend The Bass Ringer’s Notebook

Would you recommend the Bass Ringer’s Notebook to your bass-ringing friends?

We’ve read that Chinese Guardian Lions have mystical powers of protection. For many years, they have traditionally stood in front of Imperial palaces, government offices, temples and the homes of high-ranking members of society. You’ll find a pair of them in the Terrace Room at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Michigan. We were there recently, for the Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 spring handbell conference.

In Western society, people often refer to these lions as “Foo Dogs”. We’re not sure that they’ve mastered the techniques needed to play bass handbells. They lack a certain flexibility, it’s true. But who cares about that, when they’re so golden, so mystical, and so protective and wise?

Totally scientific research

From our detailed research at Grand Hotel, we’re confident that this one would definitely recommend The Bass Ringer’s Notebook. It’s the ultimate guide to playing bass handbells. Have you bought your copy yet?

We recommend The Bass Ringer's Notebook!

Any questions?

If you need more than just a recommendation from some Chinese foo dogs, Larry will be happy to give you more information. If you have questions about The Bass Ringer’s Notebook, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

Now Available from our Music Site – Gift Vouchers!

UPDATE for 2024:

We regret that we’re currently unable to offer gift vouchers for the Choraegus site, because of a technical issue that’s outside our control. Thank you to everyone who purchased them! We do hope to be able to bring them back at some future date.

We’re excited to introduce something new on our music site – gift vouchers! You can now purchase and download a gift voucher for $10, $20, $50 or $100, give it to a friend, and let them choose their own music from the wide selection of pieces available on our site. It could be an ideal Christmas or birthday gift for the handbell musician in your life!

Gift vouchers for handbell music

There’s so much music to choose from!

There are so many handbell titles on Choraegus that it’s sometimes difficult to choose. We have solo handbell arrangements, music for just 6 bells and piano, 8-bell music… all the way up to full-choir music for 5-8 octaves. There’s straightforward music for beginning or improving ensembles. You’ll also find pieces that will challenge even the most skilled and experienced handbell ensembles. There’s something for everyone!

The Bass Ringer’s Notebook

Don’t forget The Bass Ringer’s Notebook (Second Edition), which is also a great choice for any bass handbell musician or aspiring bucket-slinger. Unlike the gift vouchers and music scores, the book isn’t a downloadable file; it’s an actual book which we will lovingly package up and send to you – so order a copy soon if you need it delivered in time for Christmas!

The Bass Ringer's Notebook
The Bass Ringer’s Notebook – 2nd Edition!

Any questions?

If you have any questions about Choraegus gift vouchers, or about our music in general, please get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to help.