Lots of people are asking the question: “How do we get back to playing handbells, when we have to do social distancing?” It’s certainly a challenge, when you consider the usual handbell rehearsal or performance, with so much sharing of space and equipment. Musicians work as a team to make music in a limited amount of space. Tables are arranged in lines, music is shared between pairs of ringers, and people reach for shared bells during each piece.

But what if there were some handbell arrangements that could still be played with social distancing? What if a group of ringers could get together without needing to share bells, or even use tables? Members of the handbell community have been discussing this a lot in recent months. We realised that we have several hundred pieces available from Choraegus that could allow groups to play handbells while still observing social distancing recommendations.

Accompanied 6-bell pieces suitable for social distancing

For duos and small groups, we have some arrangements that only require 6 bells, with piano accompaniment. You can easily play these without tables, since they use the same six bells throughout the piece, with no need to change bells or pick up accidentals. These 6-bell arrangements can work as duets or trios, depending on the number of ringers in the group, and the number of handbells they each want to play.

8-bell music suitable for social distancing

We also have several hundred 8-bell arrangements – some accompanied and others not. Some are hymn arrangements, some are traditional melodies and folk tunes, and some are classical pieces. Again, they can be played without the need for tables, and are suitable for duos, trios or quartets. If you have extra people in your ensemble, you could double up with chimes, or even add some percussion. The video below was recorded in the ultimate outdoor space – at Yosemite National Park, California. Extreme social distancing, even before we’d heard of it!

Some of these arrangements are “surprisingly easy“; designed as “pick up and play” pieces for groups without a lot of rehearsal time, or for less-experienced ensembles. They’re also ideal for improving 4-in-hand skills! Some of our 8-bell arrangements are much more tricky. These are designed to challenge even the most skilled and experienced handbell musicians, and suitable for concert performances.

12-bell music suitable for social distancing

Our 12-bell music is also very suitable for groups observing social distancing. Each arrangement is available in two ranges of handbells; either C5-G6 or F5-G7. The higher version is designed for ringers who like to have the usual “left hand plays the note in the space, right hand plays the note on the line” assignment, and can also be more comfortable for playing 4-in-hand. There are no bell changes in these 12-bell arrangements, and no sharing of bells. There are also no techniques needed that rely on tables – so each piece can be played from a music stand.

We performed some of our 12-bell music this summer, with a group of participants and friends of the Bay View Week of Handbells. We played outside (well, on a large porch), with music stands, masks, and social distancing. Playing without a director can be a great opportunity to work on ensemble skills – such as listening to other ringers, matching movements, and playing together as a team. Getting the final chord in the right place is a good thing. The ringers at Bay View were sight-reading, and hadn’t seen the music before being invited to play it that evening!

16-bell music suitable for social distancing

Moving up to 16-bell music – this can be a really good way to involve more people. Up to eight ringers can play sixteen bell music, with or without using 4-in-hand technique. Our 16-bell arrangements are designed to be playable without tables, without bell-sharing, and without picking up accidentals mid-piece. Even before Covid times here in Michigan, our church handbell choir was working on 16-bell music as a way to continue the handbell ministry in the summer months, when fewer ringers are generally available.

Here’s a quartet from Bells of the Sound, playing one of our 16-bell pieces a few years ago. You can see how it would still be possible to play this and observe social distancing, even with a few more ringers involved.

Full-choir music suitable for social distancing

There is even some full-choir handbell music from Choraegus that’s playable with social distancing! From the discussions we’ve had with ringers, space is a major consideration, of course. I’s not always possible to have room for 5 octaves of handbells in a church sanctuary, with 6 feet of space between each ringer. However, with a bit of creative thinking, it would still technically be possible to play some of our full-choir music – with enough ringers, enough space, and enough music stands.

Our sheet music is downloadable, and you’ll receive it as a PDF file. Reproducing enough copies for each musician shouldn’t be a problem.

The following Choraegus full-choir pieces are worth considering for social distancing. You’ll possibly need tables for most of them – although some assignments could be managed with 4-in-hand. However, you won’t need to pass any bells from one ringer to another during the piece. Being able to play a handbell piece with no shared bells is a definite advantage for social distancing!

A Minor Crash (5-8 octaves)
All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine (3-5 octaves)