Here’s a list of 16-bell arrangements and small ensemble pieces available from Choraegus. 16-bell titles are useful for handbell ensembles with 4, 6 or 8 ringers. If you have 4 ringers who can all play 4-in-hand, our 16-bell music is a fun challenge. If you have 6 ringers, you can divide the bells between them, and perhaps use 4-in-hand for the higher parts only. With 8 ringers, the standard allocation of two bells each will apply.

Click on a title, and you’ll be taken to our music site, where you’ll find more details about each 16-bell piece. You’ll also find demonstration videos, and information about how to purchase music from us!

16-Bell Hymns

All Creatures of our God and King

Our arrangement of the LASST UNS ERFREUEN hymn tune is available in two ranges, making it suitable for 2- or 3-octave handbell choirs. The arrangement contains mixed meter, but is still quite straightforward to play.

All Things Bright and Beautiful

This cheerful arrangement is available in two bell ranges, to work with a 2- or 3-octave handbell set.

Blest Be the Tie that Binds

This arrangement of the DENNIS hymn tune is quite straightforward to play, and is available in two bell ranges.

Come, Thou Almighty King

This arrangement of THE ITALIAN HYMN uses 16 bells between C5 and C7.

Day By Day

Available in two different bell ranges, this arrangement of Day by Day (hymn tune BLOTT EN DAG) can be used for worship services all year round, as a reminder of God’s constant presence in our lives.

God Be With You Till We Meet Again

God Be With You Will We Meet Again is a popular benediction song in churches. It wishes the congregation well as they leave to face a new week, and reminds then that there’s another time of worship coming soon

The God of Abraham Praise

The God of Abraham Praise is a Hebrew hymn from before the 18th century. This arrangement is available in C5-A6 and F5-D7 versions.

Holy, Holy, Holy

Our arrangement for sixteen handbells comes in C5-C7 and G4-G6 versions. They can be played, respectively, with a three-octave or a two-octave set of bells or chimes.

It Is Well with My Soul

It Is Well with My Soul, the famous hymn by Horatio Spafford and Philip Bliss, is arranged for 16 handbells, to fit within the standard 2-octave handbell choir range.

Just a Closer Walk With Thee

If you’re looking for a super-fun arrangement to play, this one fits the bill! It’s available in 2 ranges of bells, and has a relaxed “swing” feel with some ring-touches (RT) in the middle verse.

Lead on, O King Eternal

This hymn tune is also sung as The Day of Resurrection, and is known to us as the Kinky Turtle Hymn.

O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

This interesting arrangement of the EBENEZER hymn tune is available in two versions, suitable for 2- or 3-octave handbell choir.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus

Available in two bell ranges, this accessible hymn arrangement is suitable for all-year worship services.

Tell Me the Stories of Jesus

William Parker and Frederic Challinor joined forces to write this hymn in 1885. This arrangement has flowing lines to provide a fun challenge for your handbell ensemble.

Wonderful Grace of Jesus

Haldor Lillenas wrote many great hymns of the twentieth century. Wonderful Grace of Jesus shares the message of salvation with uncommon depth and elegance. Our sixteen-bell arrangement is available in C5-G6 and F5-C7 versions.

16-Bell Advent, Christmas and Epiphany

The First Nowell

Here’s our sixteen-bell arrangement of The First Nowell. It’s an exciting and lively celebration of Christmas – have fun!

From a Distant Home (ISLA DEL INCANTO)

This joyous Puerto Rican Christmas carol fits beautifully into sixteen bells.

Gaudete

This lively arrangement of the traditional Christmas carol is a fun challenge for 4-8 ringers!

Hark, the Herald Angels Sing

This 16-bell arrangement of the popular carol is fun to play! It’s available in a choice of two ranges of bells.

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

This interesting arrangement of a beautiful Advent carol will keep your ringers challenged. For 16 bells from C5 to D7.

Wexford Carol

This delightfully-dissonant Irish Christmas carol will add an unusual flavor to your concert or worship service! Available in two ranges of bells.

16-Bell Classical Music

Sleeping Beauty Waltz

Tchaikovsky wrote several ballets. They’ve had a long and wonderful life; in fact, his “Sleeping Beauty” was made into the famous Disney film. One of the well-known pieces from this work is the Sleeping Beauty Waltz.

Well-Tempered Clavier – Prelude No. 1

We’ve adapted the first (C major) prelude of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier to be played with just sixteen handbells. This is a great piece for learning teamwork, and for working on musicality. There are two versions available for the ranges C5-G6 and F5-C7.

Other Small Ensemble Music

Away in a Manger (Normandy)
Handbell Duet

Our handbell duet Away in a Manger is an arrangement of the slightly less familiar NORMANDY tune. It still is lovely and thoughtful… just in a different way. This duet score is relatively easy, but expressive in the spirit of the melody. With piano accompaniment.

Dance of the Sugar Plum Sumo Fairy
Bass Handbell Trio

In the Low Ding Zone tradition, we poke a little fun at Tchaikovsky’s world-famous work by transposing the notes downward one octave, recasting the piece as a bass handbell trio. The score package for this arrangement comes with a complete three-staff score, plus separate parts for each ringer. This one is a real audience-pleaser!

Heather’s Dance
Handbells, Harp, and C/Bb/Eb/F Instrument

Dancing in the Highlands is the picture for this unusual trio (… a quartet if you add bodhran!), originally scores for handbells, harp, and bowed psaltery. Bells scored are D5, E5, F#5, G5, A5, B5, C6, D6, E6, F#6, G6, A6, B6, C6, D6, and E6, with D6-E7 on bell tree). Keyboard may be substituted for the harp, and other transpositions have been included for C/Bb/Eb/F instrument.

Masques
Handbell Sextet

Claude Debussy’s Masques is an impressionistic piece about a dancer performing onstage with the “happy” and “sad” Venetian masks. She switches from a joyous, excited dance to a more solemn one, then back, switching faces to signal the mood. This arrangement was commissioned by the Trinity Christian School Handbell Ensemble as their 2014-2015 AACS competition piece.

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Handbell Trio

This is a fun addition to your small ensemble’s holiday concert repertoire! You’ll hear the swans a-swimming, the drummers drumming, and even a hint of a certain farm animal. With the opportunity for schtick, this will be a definite audience-pleaser! This arrangement was commissioned by St. Andrew United Methodist Church, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado.