September 19, 2021

Swiss Handbell Music for Christmas – Es ist für uns eine Zeit angekommen

There was once a time… for a glorious few hours on a November evening… when we thought we might be able to start planning a performance for a super-exciting event in New York City. We were asked if we had any Swiss handbell music for the occasion, and we started thinking. Sadly, the performance was not to be, but we still made an arrangement of this Swiss Christmas carol. The thing with inviting bookings for the holiday season is that you never know when you might need to play Christmas carols from other countries. We like to be prepared!

Es ist für uns eine Zeit angekommen translates as Unto Us a Time has Come. It’s a lively traditional carol from the Lucerne region of Switzerland. We performed it for the first time last Christmas, for an online concert (but not in New York City).

More information about this arrangement

Our 8-bell arrangement of Es ist für uns eine Zeit angekommen is suitable for 2-4 ringers. We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand duet, but there’s no requirement to play 4-in-hand, and no need for tables. Our 8-bell music is useful for small-group ringing, or for social distancing.

How to purchase the sheet music

If you’d like to play some Swiss handbell music, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print up to four copies for your handbell group – so don’t pay for more copies than you need! 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 title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials.

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.

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.

September 16, 2021

12- and 16-Bell Music for Christmas

We’ve recently had several enquiries about 12- and 16-bell music for Christmas. This type of music can be useful for small ensembles, or for choirs that still need music suitable for social distancing. Here’s what’s currently available from Choraegus; click on a title to find out more about each piece!

12-bell Christmas music

Angels We Have Heard on High

The Christmas carol Angels We Have Heard on High is sung to the French tune GLORIA. It’s a carol of rejoicing!

Angels, from the Realms of Glory (REGENT SQUARE)

Here’s a moderately challenging arrangement that will add to your Christmas ringing!

As with Gladness Men of Old (DIX)

Here’s our 12-bell arrangement(s) of the 19th-century Epiphany carol As with Gladness Men of Old, sung to the hymn tune DIX. This versatile arrangement can also be played with the title For the Beauty of the Earth – suitable for more than just the holiday season!

Away in a Manger (MURRAY)

There are several tunes for Away in a Manger, but this is the melody that’s most often sung in the USA.

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

In the French carol Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella, a young girl is sent to bring a torch/candle to bring light to the stable where the Christ Child sleeps.

Ding Dong, Merrily on High

Ding Dong, Merrily on High is a 16-century tune that we now sing as a Christmas carol. It’s especially popular with handbell people, and audiences too!

In the Bleak Midwinter

Here’s our arrangement of Gustav Holst’s famous Christmas song In the Bleak Midwinter. For handbells and piano.

It Came Upon the Midnight Clear

Edmund Sears wrote the words to It Came Upon the Midnight Clear in 1849, and it’s sung on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean (just with different tunes). This arrangement is to the American melody, CAROL, composed by Richard Storrs Willis.

Still, Still, Still

Our piano-accompanied, twelve-bell version of Still, Still, Still will be a nice addition to your collection of Christmas music! Please note, however, that it’s in G major (i.e. with F#5 and F#6) rather than the usual C major. For handbells and piano.

We Three Kings

We Three Kings tells of special visitors on the first Epiphany. It’s often sung as a carol throughout the Christmas season.

What Child is This/Greensleeves

This versatile English melody can be played with the Christmas title, but also as a secular piece at any time of year!

16-bell Christmas music

From a Distant Home (ISLA DEL ENCANTO)

This joyous Puerto Rican Christmas carol From a Distant Home fits beautifully into sixteen bells!

O Come, O Come Emmanuel (VENI EMMANUEL)

This beautiful Advent carol is an interesting and fun challenge for 16 handbells!

The First Nowell

Our 16-bell arrangement of The First Nowell is an exciting and lively celebration of Christmas!

Sleeping Beauty Waltz

It’s not a traditional Christmas tune, strictly speaking, but if you’re looking for a secular piece for a holiday performance, this arrangement from Tchaikovsky’s ballet could fit the bill!

Wexford Carol

If you’re a fan of unusual Christmas carols, and rich, dissonant chords, you’ll enjoy this arrangement of a traditional Irish Christmas song.

More about Choraegus handbell music

Music from Choraegus is designed to come to you as a PDF file, ready for you to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. You can purchase music, download it on the same day, and be ready for your next rehearsal without having to wait!

Purchasing a 12-bell arrangement gives you permission to print up to 6 copies of the music for your handbell group. If you purchase a 16-bell arrangement, you can print up to 8 copies. If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide, designed to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a (we hope!) stress-free way.

Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please be sure to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.

Any questions?

We hope you’ll enjoy playing some 12- and 16-bell music this Christmas! If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. You’ll find just about every question anyone has ever asked us, along with answers! However, if you don’t find the information you need, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

16-bell music for Christmas — Christmas bells!

September 13, 2021

Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul – a Swedish Christmas Carol

Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul is a Christmas song from Sweden. Gustaf Nordqvist wrote the music, with lyrics by Edvard Evers. The title translates as “Christmas, Glorious Christmas”, and the carol has been one of the most popular Christmas songs in Sweden since its publication in 1921. There have been many versions of Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul recorded by musicians in Scandinavia and around the world.

Our demonstration video was recorded last December, as part of an online handbell duet concert we put together for a group in Colorado.

More information about this arrangement

Our 8-bell arrangement of Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul is suitable for 2-4 ringers. There are no special techniques written into the score, and there’s no need for bell-sharing or tables.

How to purchase the sheet music

If you’d like to play Jul, Jul, Strålande Jul, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print up to four copies for your handbell group – so don’t pay for more copies than you need! 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 title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials.

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?

September 9, 2021

All Creatures of our God and King – for 16 Handbells

“All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O praise Him, O praise Him!
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!”

All Creatures of our God and King is an English hymn, usually set to the German tune Lasst uns erfreuen, which was originally published with an Easter text. The lyrics were originally written for Whitsun/Pentecost, but the hymn is now used year-round. The tune is also used for the hymn Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones – but we can’t sing or play it without thinking of Mr. Bean, from the British TV series that aired in the 1990s. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth a look; just search on Google for “Mr Bean hymn”, and you’ll find it easily!

Here’s our 16-bell arrangement:

More information about All Creatures of our God and King

This hymn arrangement is available in two handbell ranges. The version we demonstrate is for 16 handbells from C5 to A6. Another version is available for G4 to E6, to make it possible for 2-octave handbell choirs to play. There’s a key change built in to the arrangement, and some meter changes – but it’s still quite straightforward. Just keep counting! We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand piece, but it’s suitable for up to 8 ringers. If your handbell ensemble is playing from music stands, or observing social distancing, this could work!

If you’d like to play this arrangement, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

More about Choraegus handbell music

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group. – so don’t pay for more copies than you need! Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please be sure to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.

Please note that our sheet music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs. 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, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide, designed 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. You’ll find just about every question anyone has ever asked us, along with answers! However, if you don’t find the information you need, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

All Creatures of our God and King handbells

September 2, 2021

A Christmas Handbell Duet – Away in a Manger

Here’s a Christmas handbell duet that could be perfect for anyone looking for something unusual this holiday season. The melody is a traditional Normandy carol tune that was first published with the Away in a Manger lyrics in 1911. It’s a change from the Murray or Kirkpatrick tunes usually heard with this carol, and we played it for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Home for Christmas concert last year!

More information about Away in a Manger

This arrangement is for bells from D5 to A6, with piano accompaniment. It’s not difficult to play, and there’s no requirement for traveling 4-in-hand or any advanced solo-ringing techniques. A piano accompaniment mp3 is available to download separately if you don’t have an accompanist, or if you’d like to practise on your own. The sheet music for this Christmas handbell duet is available to download from Choraegus.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

When you purchase Away in a Manger from the Choraegus site, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment entitles you to print sufficient copies for your group. If you prefer to split the parts between more than two people, that’s okay; you don’t need to pay for extra copies, as long as you’re only using the music for one ensemble.

Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online concerts, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing Choraegus handbell music, please look at our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Christmas handbell duet Away in a Manger

August 30, 2021

Somebody Loves Me – Handbells, 5-7 Octaves

Somebody Loves Me is a George Gershwin classic, with lyrics by Ballard McDonald and Buddy DeSylva. It was published in time for the 1924 edition of The George White Scandals, a series of revues that ran from 1919 to 1936.

There are some handbell arrangements that are absolutely perfect for sight-reading! We discovered this is not one of them. It’s a Level 5 piece, with lots of chromatic stuff and interesting challenges. After we’d played it, we thought of several ways we could have made our job easier – perhaps with a couple of duplicate bells, layout changes etc. Still, we had fun, and it came out not-too-badly for an unrehearsed piece. Our original plan had been to record it for Valentine’s Day or an anniversary, but once we’d looked at it, we didn’t want to wait any longer – so here it is!

More information about Somebody Loves Me

This arrangement is for 5-7 octaves of handbells. If you’d like to play it, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus. It’s available as an individual score, or as a full-choir score.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

When you purchase handbell music from Choraegus, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir copy) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

August 25, 2021

Handbells at Bay View, August 2021

Handbells have been a traditional sight and sound at Bay View for many years. The annual Week of Handbells has been part of our lives since 2010. It’s the event where we first spent time together in person, during our long-distance relationship. It’s also where we celebrated our engagement in 2011 (with a cupcake reception). It was our first destination when we closed the distance and started our life together in 2012.

We were disappointed that the Week of Handbells was postponed in 2020, and canceled again in 2021. However, we understood the reasons; a global pandemic isn’t a trivial thing! The Week of Handbells needs a lot of advance preparation. The musicians spend months before the event learning their music, and the bells and equipment must be borrowed from various people and organizations. Participants have to arrange their travel and accommodation well in advance. The director, Fred Gramann, flies to Michigan from his home in France. The decision not to hold the last two handbell concerts at Bay View was a wise and necessary one.

“Definitely not a concert!”

This year, we decided to invite residents and guests of Bay View to attend a “not-concert” in the Bay View Association grounds. We started by playing some of our 8-bell duets, and we answered questions from audience members, about the techniques involved in playing our instruments, and how our shared love of handbells brought us together when we were living 5,347 miles apart. We played a selection of popular hymns, including Amazing Grace, Great is Thy Faithfulness, and I Stand Amazed. There were also some lively secular pieces – our 8-bell arrangement of Chopsticks, and the popular Irish jig Calliope House.

After our duet presentation, some of our friends from the Bay View Week of Handbells joined us for a sight-read of some of our 12-bell music. We were impressed and thankful that so many of the usual Week of Handbells participants were willing and able to join us. Some are based in northern Michigan, but others had traveled from as far as Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska! Together we read through some music that most of the ringers hadn’t seen or played before. It was a fun challenge, and everyone did well. Several people commented that they hadn’t played handbells in over a year, so it was great to get back to it! We played Annie Laurie and Leaning on the Everlasting Arms, among others, and ended with a 16-bell arrangement of God Be With You Till We Meet Again.

Thank you to everyone who helped to make this event possible!

We’re thankful to the Bay View Association for allowing us to use the big events tent for this event. It was reassuring to be able to gather in an outdoor (but sheltered) setting. We provided masks, hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes to try to make the event as COVID-proof as possible!

We’re also thankful to the musicians who came along to share their musical skills with each other and our audience. Special thanks go to everyone who helped by bringing bells and music stands.

Thanks also to everyone who dropped by to listen, and to everyone who asked questions, applauded, and encouraged us as we played!

Would you like handbell music at your own event?

As a professional handbell duo, we are available for worship services, weddings, memorial services and Christmas events. We’re members of the Bay View Association, and during the summer months you can often find us on our porch at the corner of Woodland and Pine. If you’d like to book us to play handbell duets at your event (and yes, we’re willing to travel outside of Michigan), please get in touch with us!

August 23, 2021

Sing We Now of Christmas – Handbells, 3-5 Octaves

Sing We Now of Christmas was a fun recording project for us! This arrangement of the NOËL NOUVELET hymn tune was written for the Carillon Choir at Third Reformed Church of Holland, and they played it for a Christmas Eve service. We decided to put together a recording of our own!

The useful thing about Sing We Now of Christmas is that, with a quick change of title (and maybe no red accessories), it can become Now the Green Blade Riseth. Two playing opportunities for the price of one, and perfect for a spring or Easter worship service.

More information about Sing We Now of Christmas

This arrangement is for 3-5 octaves of handbells. It’s a Level 3 arrangement. If you’d like to play it, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus. It’s available as an individual score, or as a full-choir score.

More arrangements for fewer bells and smaller groups

We have several other arrangements of this piece! If you don’t have a full handbell choir, or if you’d like to introduce some variety into your worship service or Christmas concert, one of these might work:

8-Bell Standard Version

8-Bell Surprisingly Easy Version

and an arrangement for 6 Handbells and Piano

Buying Choraegus handbell music

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

August 15, 2021

Wexford Carol – New Handbell Music for Christmas

The Wexford Carol is a traditional Christmas carol from County Wexford in Ireland. It’s also known as The Enniscorthy Carol, as William Grattan Flood first heard the tune there in the early 20th century, and transcribed the carol for publication in The Oxford Book of Carols. The lyrics are believed to date back as far as the 12th century, but the tune seems to have been written later; perhaps in the 15th or 16th century. In any case, this is an unusual and interesting carol!

“Good people all, this Christmas time,
Consider well and bear in mind
What our good God for us has done
In sending His beloved Son
With Mary holy we should pray,
To God with love this Christmas Day
In Bethlehem upon that morn,
There was a blessed Messiah born.”

Our 16-bell arrangement of Wexford Carol is perfect for anyone who’s a fan of unusual Christmas carols. The piece contains full-sounding chords, and some really interesting dissonance, which makes for a mysterious and slightly spooky sound. This was one of the first 16-bell arrangements we recorded with just the two of us – at the end of 2020 – with our skinny Christmas tree in the background!

Note: If a Christmas tree salesman ever tells you, “The tree only looks skinny because it’s cold. It’ll get bigger when it warms up”, you can let them know that it doesn’t work like that for trees.

More information about this 16-bell arrangement

Wexford Carol is suitable for 4-8 ringers. The arrangement contains no bell changes, and needs no bell-sharing, so you can play it without needing tables or foam. There are no special techniques, and there’s no requirement to play 4-in-hand. This arrangement is available in two ranges – either from G4 to Eb6 (2 octaves), or from D5 to Bb6 (3 octaves).

In recent weeks, there have been increasing concerns about COVID-19 cases. This arrangement might be useful if you need to play something for your ensemble to play for Christmas while observing social distancing.

If you’d like to play this Wexford Carol, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

More about Choraegus handbell music

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group. Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please be sure to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.

Please note that our sheet music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. Just about every question anyone has ever ask us is there, along with answers! However, if you don’t find the answer you need, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

August 12, 2021

The Lord is My Shepherd – Handbells, 4-5 Octaves

The Lord is My Shepherd is an arrangement that Larry wrote in 2008, for Caroline Harnly, in honor of her mother. Caroline was, until recently, the long-term director of the San Francisco State University Handbell Choir. The hymn tune POLAND is an unusual one; it was written by Koschat in 1862.

“The Lord is my shepherd, no want shall I know,
I walk in green pastures, safe-folded I rest,
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed,
Restores me when wand’ring, redeems when oppressed.”

We enjoyed the opportunity to make a video of this 5-octave arrangement!

More information about The Lord is My Shepherd

This arrangement is for 4-5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. It’s a Level 3 arrangement. If you’d like to play it, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus. It’s available as an individual score, or as a full-choir score.

Buying Choraegus handbell music

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online worship services, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.