Otsego Hometown Christmas 2025 will be on December 6th. Holland-based handbell duo Larry and Carla will once again be there to play Christmas carols to celebrate the festive season!
More about Otsego Hometown Christmas 2025
This annual community event will be fun for all the family! There will be a live Nativity, carol singing, a parade, and opportunities for children to show their creative talents. You can take a hayride along the riverfront, enjoy hot cocoa and cider, and enjoy a chat with Santa! There will be lots of entertainment, and the community tree-lighting will take place at the end of the day.
Larry and Carla’s handbell duet performance is sponsored by Otsego District Library.
Would you like to book a handbell group for your event?
Larry and Carla are available to play handbell duets for weddings, worship services, concerts, holiday events, and corporate and private events. If you’re looking to hire a handbell choir for your event in Michigan or beyond, please get in touch! A handbell duo takes up less room than a standard handbell choir, making Larry and Carla particularly suitable for smaller venues. Tell us what kind of event you’re planning, and what type of music you’re looking for.
Come and see us at Otsego Hometown Christmas 2025, and listen to the sound of Christmas bells at this special time of year!
Holy Manna was one of the very first 8-bell arrangements we performed, when we started our life together in the San Francisco Bay Area, way back in 2012. We were asked to play in a worship service, and when we asked how many pieces they’d like us to play, the answer was “Could you play three”. Our reply was “We have three!” Yes, we played our entire repertoire for the congregation of LAUMC in Los Altos, CA (which happened to be the church where we got married!).
Fast forward to 2025, and we’re still playing the exact same arrangement of Holy Manna. It’s so much fun to play, and it still comes out at a lot of our concert performances and worship services. However, we had a request for an easier version; one that would be more straightforward for a quartet group to play. This is the new version:
More information about this 8-bell arrangement
Sheet music for Holy Manna is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. You’ll notice that the page gives two options for purchase. The standard version is the one we’ve been playing for years, and the Surprisingly Easy version is the new one. We recommend this one for quartet groups. It’s always suitable for anyone needing a straightforward arrangement that can be put together in a short space of time.
Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement from Choraegus gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title (Holy Manna) and arranger (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.
Please note that our 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.
As well as the two 8-bell arrangements (Standard and Surprisingly Easy), we also have a 6-bell arrangement of Holy Manna. This one has a piano accompaniment. The handbell score and piano accompaniment are available as a package, to download from Choraegus. Our 6-bell arrangements are perfect for 2-3 ringers, and are designed to show that handbell music can still be interesting, even with a very small number of bells!
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!
(They Long to Be) Close to You is a popular song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. It was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain in 1963, but was a huge success for The Carpenters in 1970, and their version is now the best-known.
“Why do birds suddenly appear Every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be Close to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky Every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be Close to you
On the day that you were born, the angels got together And decided to create a dream come true So they sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue.
That is why all the girls in town (girls in town) Follow you (follow you) all around (all around). Just like me, they long to be Close to you.”
(They Long to Be) Close to You is now available for handbells! Here’s our demonstration video:
More information about (They Long to Be) Close to You
You can find out more about this arrangement on Choraegus, but if you want to play it, you’ll need to go to Sheet Music Plus to purchase the downloadable score. This site has been a huge help with publishing arrangements of music that’s still under copyright, especially when communicating directly with copyright holders proved to be less than successful.
We hope you’ll enjoy browsing our selection of handbell music on Sheet Music Plus. You’ll find more of Larry’s arrangements there soon! If there are any popular songs you’d like to see an arrangement for, you’re always welcome to contact us to suggest it. As always, if you have any questions, please let us know!
A note of gratitude from Larry Sue, to participants at the 2025 Bay View Week of Handbells
Last night 107 handbell musicians at the 2025 Bay View Week of Handbells performed my arrangement of Seiichi Kyoda’s Winter Dance. Maestro Fred Gramann led us in an amazing program, and it was a tremendous honor that he included this piece in the repertoire.
My gratitude goes to all of you who made this performance more than just a technical reality. There was an inescapable growing intensity throughout the music that you made. During our penultimate rehearsal, I made a video of part of Winter Dance. It was everything I could have imagined. The Thursday night concert performance was even better than that!
I put lots of dots and squiggles on the pages, and I hope they were true to Kyoda-san’s heart. You turned those dots and squiggles into a unified sound that drew our audience into the dance we were trying to imagine. I could envision the people from that small village in far northern Japan, their bonfire, and their celebration in its warmth. Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, to each of you for being part of this musical endeavor. I thank you for granting me the privilege of joining you in it. Thank you for giving our audience an experience that they can remember. Thank you for dancing (in 5/4, no less). Most of all, thank you for having fun! You all created magnificence, and I’m indebted to you all for the gift you’ve given me.
The 2025 Bay View Week of Handbells Concert is fast approaching! We’re looking forward to this year’s concert, where more than a hundred advanced handbell musicians will once again be performing some beautiful, challenging and exciting music under the baton of director Fred Gramann.
We’ve been attending the Week of Handbells together since 2010, and participating in this event is always a highlight of our year. It’s an opportunity to work with a large group of musicians to prepare a concert to share, in a place that means so much to us. The music is always varied, challenging and exciting, and designed to appeal to a variety of musical tastes. Whether you love energetic original compositions, beautiful sacred works, classical pieces or familiar traditional melodies, there will always be something in the Week of Handbells concert that will appeal to you. It’s unlikely that you will ever get to see a concert that features such a huge number of handbells and handchimes!
This year’s concert will be on Thursday, August 14th, 2025, at 7:30pm, at the John M. Hall Auditorium at Bay View. Admission is free, and there will be an offering to benefit the Bay View Association Music Scholarship Fund. There’s no need to book tickets in advance, but we recommend arriving in plenty of time to get good seats, because it’s a popular concert!
Deck the Halls is a traditional carol with a Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The original Nos Galan drinking song was part of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Wales, and the lyrics had nothing to do with Christmas, and more to do with drinking!
“Deck the hall with boughs of holly, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! ‘Tis the season to be jolly: Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! Troul the ancient Christmas carol. Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!”
The English lyrics were written in 1862 by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant. Over the years, the words have changed even more, with the drinking references gone in the later versions.
In case you’re wondering about the “correctness” of the title, Deck the Hall (singular) was used in the original English version. Our late friend Tim Waugh was always insistent that only one hall should be involved. However, the plural “halls” has been widely used since the late 1800s, so we believe that either version is acceptable. Our 12-bell arrangement only has the melody and not the lyrics, so if you want to change the title and call it Deck the Hall, that’s no problem at all.
Here’s our demonstration video, recorded on a sunny afternoon in July:
More information about Deck the Halls
As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Deck the Halls is suitable for 3-6 ringers. Sheet music for this arrangement is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. Each arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells, so you can choose which you prefer. Please refer to 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!
We also have an 8-bell arrangement of Deck the Halls, available to download from Choraegus.
Important 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 group playing any of our pieces, 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!
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly is a traditional Polish Christmas carol. The song was originally titled W Żłobie Leży (In the Manger He Lies), and it was translated into English as Infant Holy, Infant Lowly in 1920. It’s thought that the melody could date back to the thirteenth century.
“Infant holy, infant lowly, For His bed a cattle stall. Oxen lowing, little knowing, Christ the Babe is Lord of all. Swift are winging, angels singing, Noels ringing, tidings bringing, Christ the babe is Lord of all.”
We recorded our demonstration video on a hot day in July. If you use your imagination, you might think that the harsh sunlight on the trees and grass behind us is soft, billowing snow. If not, it can just be a Christmas in July thing. After all, if we waited until December to publish new handbell music, no one would have time to learn it!
More information about Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Infant Holy, Infant Lowly is suitable for 3-6 ringers. Sheet music for this arrangement is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. Each arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells, so you can choose which you prefer. Please refer to 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!
We have other arrangements of Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, available to download from Choraegus. We have two 8-bell versions; one standard and one Surprisingly Easy™. We also have a Level 2 arrangement for 3 octaves.
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 any of our pieces, 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!
“Come, Thou Almighty King, Help us Thy name to sing; Help us to praise: Father, all glorious, O’er all victorious, Come, and reign over us, Ancient of Days.“
Come, Thou Almighty King is sung to the hymn tune ITALIAN HYMN. We’ve had an 8-bell arrangement of this for some years now, but this new arrangement is a “surprisingly easy” version. We recommend our Surprisingly Easy™ arrangements for quartets in particular. When there are four ringers, it helps when there are fewer sixteenth notes, and straightforward rhythms. These arrangements can also be helpful for groups of 2-4 ringers to put together without needing a lot of rehearsal time.
Here’s our demonstration video of Come, Thou Almighty King:
More information about this 8-bell arrangement
Sheet music for Come, Thou Almighty King is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.
Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (Come, Thou Almighty King) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.
Please note that our music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs, so 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.
Other arrangements of Come, Thou Almighty King
As well as the two 8-bell arrangements (Standard and Surprisingly Easy), we also have a 16-bell arrangement of this hymn, available to download from Choraegus.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing has been one of our favorite 8-bell arrangements over the years, ever since we played it at an event in downtown Holland, and a group of local college students stopped to listen, and started singing along. This new arrangement of the NETTLETON hymn tune has fewer sixteenth notes than our standard version, and is more straightforward to play.
We recommend our Surprisingly Easy™ arrangements for quartets in particular. When there are four ringers, it helps when there are fewer sixteenth notes! These arrangements can also be helpful for groups of 2-4 ringers to put together without needing a lot of rehearsal time.
Sheet music for Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.
Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.
Please note that our music is designed to be downloaded as PDFs, so 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. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.
Other arrangements of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
As well as the two 8-bell arrangements (Standard and Surprisingly Easy), we also have a 12-bell arrangement of this hymn, and an arrangement for 2 octaves. All are available from Choraegus.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!
Asturias(Leyenda) was written by Spanish composer and pianist Isaac Albéniz in 1892. At the time it was written, it was simply called Prelude, as the first movement of a three-movement suite Chants d-Espagne. It was written for piano, but became one of the most important works in the classical guitar repertoire, and we recommend listening to Andrés Segovia’s transcription, if you haven’t already!
Asturias is full of drama, with intricate melodies and sudden dynamic changes. It presents an exciting challenge for the solo handbell ringer!
The first performance of this arrangement of Asturias (Leyenda) was by internationally acclaimed handbell soloist Emily Li, at the 2025 Handbell Musicians of America Pinnacle event in Wichita, Kansas. We’re looking forward to receiving a video of Emily’s performance to share here, but in the meantime, here’s an mp3 to give you an idea:
Some of the challenges involved in this arrangement
This handbell solo arrangement is a challenging one! The tempo is 132, so there’s the raw speed to consider. You could slow it down slightly, of course, and it would still be an impressive piece. Combined techniques are needed, played simultaneously at high tempo. Emily played double mallets with one hand, and switched between one pair of bells and another, in the other hand, at the same time:
There are extensive legato passages requiring traveling four-in-hand:
The piano accompaniment is a challenge too! Lois Leong played beautifully for Emily Li’s solo concert, but (in case you don’t have a Lois of your own) an mp3 piano accompaniment track is available. This can be used for rehearsal or as a backing track for a performance.
We’ve included two versions of the arrangement in the score package. One is the original version, as performed by Emily Li at Pinnacle. The other is a slightly modified version that’s had a few of the challenges removed and is perhaps slightly easier to play. It still has plenty of challenges for the advanced soloist, though!
The bells needed for this arrangement are: A4-G7 for the original version, and A4-D7 for the slightly modified version.
If you’d like to play Asturias…
The score for Asturias (Leyenda) is available to download from Choraegus.
If you have questions…
If there’s anything more you’d like to know about this handbell solo, you’re welcome to contact us. Larry will be happy to answer your questions!
Emily Li performing Asturias at Pinnacle 2025 (you’ll have to trust us, as there’s no audio here)
