April 15, 2020

FREE Handbell Music – Alouette – for 8 Bells

While we’ve been under Michigan’s “stay home” order, we’ve enjoyed working on lots of new music to be published on Choraegus. We’ve been disappointed not to be able to give any performances this spring, but thankful that we have bells at home and plenty of music to play! Our most recent piece is a fun little arrangement of the traditional French tune Alouette – for 8 bells.

You can get the sheet music completely free!

We’re pleased to offer Alouette – for 8 bells – for free, as a thank-you to everyone who’s been playing our music during this time of social distancing. You can find it in the Freebies section of our music site, where there’s also free music for Happy Birthday, Auld Lang Syne and Dona Nobis Pacem. If you need them, there are also printable covers for anyone 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’d rather just grab the free music and go, we don’t mind at all. It’s a good way to try our 8-bell music without having to spend any money! Alouette could be a good piece for practising 4-in-hand as a duet, but could also be played by a (socially-distant?) quartet group.

How to get the music

To get your free sheet music, add it to your cart on the Choraegus site. Next, click on the yellow “Check out with PayPal” button (don’t worry; PayPal won’t ask you to make any payment). 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. If anything goes wrong, please let us know, and we’ll find another way to get your music to you.

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 be happy to help!

April 1, 2020

New Handbell Music – My Song is Love Unknown

Our 8-bell music has recently been described as “perfect arrangements for these weird times”. That made us smile! We’re thankful to everyone who’s continued to purchase music from us at a time when many handbell groups are unable to rehearse.

We recently shared a rehearsal video of My Song is Love Unknown on our Facebook page. Several people asked if the arrangement would soon be published – so here it is!

More information about Choraegus handbell music

Sheet music for My Song is Love Unknown is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us, especially if this is your first time downloading music from Choraegus. Please also 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. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group, with permission for performance and live-streaming as part of a worship service.

More Lent and Easter handbell music

If you’re interested in other 8-bell music suitable for Lent, Easter and Holy Week, we have a list of other hymn suggestions, and many of these pieces are also available on Choraegus.

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!

March 25, 2020

New Handbell Music – Go to Dark Gethsemane – for 8 Bells

Thank you to everyone who’s been playing our music in these recent weeks of social distancing. We know that many churches have been busy preparing for online services during Holy Week and Easter! Here’s our new 8-bell arrangement of the hymn Go to Dark Gethsemane.

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play Go To Dark Gethsemane, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus.

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us. If this is your first time downloading music from Choraegus, you might like to look at our step by step guide.

Choraegus handbell music will come to you as a PDF file in a download link. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please mention the title and arranger in your video description and on any printed materials.

If you’re interested in other 8-bell music for Lent, Easter and Holy Week, you might also like to look at our list of hymn suggestions. Many of these pieces are available to purchase and download from Choraegus.

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!

March 23, 2020

Choraegus Handbell Music in a Time of Social Distancing

These are challenging times for musicians, as we practise social distancing to help slow down the spread of COVID-19. As members of Kalamazoo Ringers, we were disappointed when the decision was made to stop rehearsing for the season. We were all sorry to have to cancel our spring concerts and mini-tour to Ohio. Yes, it was the right decision, but wow, we’d worked hard on all that concert repertoire. We’d really been looking forward to sharing it!

Painful times indeed. However, we still have to do the responsible thing and take care of the health of our family, friends and wider community. So, social distancing it is. Add to that – plenty of hand-washing, catching up with our to-do list, and a bit of rest and relaxation!

Keeping busy as a handbell duo

As a handbell duo, we’re in the fortunate position of being able to continue our own handbell rehearsals as usual. We have bells in our home, and many hours’ worth of 8-bell music. We definitely don’t expect to be bored! We’re working on more 8- and 12-bell music, and will continue making new arrangements available from Choraegus.

We’re happy to find that many people are finding our 8- and 12-bell music useful, at a time when many groups can’t get together to rehearse and perform. Churches are increasingly holding services online. Live-streaming is becoming the new way for people to gather in worship together. For handbell choirs that can’t get together to rehearse, 8-bell music could be the answer! We have an extensive selection of hymns, in both standard and surprisingly-easy versions. There’s still time to purchase and download music to share online for Holy Week, Easter, or during the summer months. This could also be a great opportunity to work on 4-in-hand skills!

Music in a time of social distancing — An example of an 8-bell hymn arrangement – Just As I Am (standard version)

The answers to some of your questions

People have been asking us additional questions about playing our music during this time of social distancing, so we’ll answer some of them here:

YES — If you purchased music from Choraegus, you have permission to play the music as part of an online worship service or online performance. Please see the licensing agreement for a few exceptions where additional permission may be necessary.

YES — We give permission for you to live-stream music purchased from Choraegus during a worship service, or to record it as part of the service, for sharing on church websites and/or social media.

YES – If you can’t get together with other musicians to play our music, and you’d like to play all the parts yourself and edit them together, you have permission to do this.

YES – You are allowed to upload any video you make to YouTube or another video-sharing site for the purposes of sharing with others online (see requirement below about crediting the source of the music).

YES — If you can’t get together with a fellow musician to rehearse music, and need to use pre-existing recordings, you are welcome to use our own YouTube videos as part of your worship service, or share our videos on social media or by email.

Things you need to do

Please give the title of the piece, and credit the arranger in your church bulletin or online recording, under the terms of our published licensing agreement. If you post/share a video on YouTube or other video-sharing/social media site, please include a link to www.choraegus.com in the video description.

Questions for us?

If you have any other questions, check our our list of frequently-asked questions. If you don’t find the answer you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help.

We hope you enjoy playing our music, and we thank you all for your support at this time. Take care, and stay healthy!

handbell music in COVID-19 times — At Los Altos Lutheran Church, CA (Photo: Carl S. Gutekunst) – May 2018

March 18, 2020

New Handbell Music – Song of Hope (Canto de Esperanza)

Here’s our latest arrangement for 8 handbells – the popular hymn Song of Hope. The lyrics to this hymn were written by Alvin L. Schutmaat, a Michigan-born missionary to Latin America, and the melody (hymn tune ARGENTINA) is a traditional folk tune.

Song of Hope – recorded when we still had snow on the ground!

“¡Dios de la esperanza, danos gozo y paz!
May the God of hope go with us every day,
Al mundo en crisis, habla tu verdad.
Filling all our lives with love and joy and peace.
Dios de la justicia, mándanos tu luz,
May the God of justice speed us on our way,
Luz y esperanza en la oscuridad.
Bringing light and hope to every land and race.”

Larry wrote this 8-bell arrangement for the TRC Ringers at Third Reformed Church here in Holland.

Would you like to play this piece?

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

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us, especially if this is your first time downloading music from Choraegus. If you’re new to Choraegus handbell music, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

Please also 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. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group.

Any questions for us?

If you have any questions about purchasing or playing 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. We hope you’ll enjoy playing our music!

February 27, 2020

Our 4th Surprisingly-Easy 8-Bell Hymn Collection

Some of our most popular 8-bell titles are the Surprisingly-Easy hymn arrangements. We’re pleased to announce the arrival of our 4th Surprisingly-Easy 8-Bell Hymn Collection!

We refer to our Surprisingly-Easy arrangements as “All of the music, but without the twiddly bits” If you’re looking for some new handbell pieces to enhance your worship service, but you don’t want them to take too long to learn, this collection could be the answer. When you’re part of a duo, trio or quartet, or your handbell choir is enthusiastic but small in number, these hymns could be what you’re looking for. If your handbell ensemble takes a break during the summer, but there are people who say that they wish they could keep going – these arrangements will help to keep even the most overenthusiastic musicians occupied!

What’s included in this 8-bell hymn collection?

The hymns included in this fourth collection are:

Abide with Me
Come, Christians, Join to Sing
I Sing the Mighty Power of God
In the Garden
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
We Gather Together
What a Friend We Have in Jesus

If you’d like to play any of these arrangements, sheet music for the collection and each individual title is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site.

More information about Choraegus downloadable handbell music

As always, we strongly recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us. Please also 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. Purchasing an eight-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before, we recommend our step-by-step guide!

There are more Surprisingly-Easy 8-Bell Collections available from Choraegus, as well as our standard eight-bell arrangements – some more challenging than others.

Do you have questions for us?

If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, please check our Frequently-Asked Questions first. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, please get in touch with us, and we’ll be happy to help.

8-bell hymn collection — Also available from Choraegus – binder covers for our eight-bell music!

February 13, 2020

New Handbell Music – Nearer, My God, to Thee

Here’s the latest addition to our 8-bell repertoire; the beautiful 19-century hymn Nearer, My God, to Thee (hymn tune BETHANY).

This arrangement is suitable for 2-4 ringers. We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand duet, but four ringers could also play it holding two bells each.

Where to find the sheet music

If you’d like to play Nearer, My God, to Thee, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site.

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us. If this is your first time making a purchase from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide! We designed this guide with pictures, to make the purchase and download process (we hope) a stress-free experience.

Choraegus 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. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about purchasing or playing 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 be happy to help. We hope you’ll enjoy playing our music!

January 22, 2020

New 8-Bell Music – Mfurahini, Haleluya

Mfurahini, Haleluya is the traditional Swahili title for the popular hymn most commonly sung as Christ Has Arisen, Alleluia. This lively tune is from Tanzania, and is particularly suitable for Easter! We recorded the video a couple of weeks ago, before the snow arrived here in West Michigan.

For extra entertainment value, watch the video carefully. You might notice a black squirrel running across the garden behind us. It’s not the first time one of our rehearsal videos has featured a squirrel!

How to get the sheet music for Mfurahini, Haleluya

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

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us. If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed the guide in an attempt to make the purchasing process stress-free!

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. A single purchase of this 8-bell title gives you permission to print up to 4 copies for your group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need!

If you’re interested in other 8-bell music suitable for Lent, Easter and Holy Week, we have a list of other hymn suggestions. Many of these titles are available from Choraegus.

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!

Mfurahini, Haleluya - Easter handbell music

January 16, 2020

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!

March 28, 2019

New 12-Bell Music – All Things Bright and Beautiful

Spring has arrived! Here in Holland, Michigan we must admit that we’re sorry to say goodbye to those snowy winter days. However, we’re looking forward to our city’s annual Tulip Time festival in May!

To put us in the mood for spring, our latest 12-bell arrangement is the popular hymn All Things Bright and Beautiful. This hymn is sung to several different tunes, and the one in our arrangement is the seventeenth-century English melody ROYAL OAK.

Sight-reading on video!

Our thanks go to J.C. for being willing to help us play through some of our recent 12-bell titles during his recent visit to Michigan. We recorded this video on our first read-through, so absolutely no rehearsal went into this, but you’ll get the idea.

Playing this arrangement

As with all our 12-bell pieces, this arrangement is available in two versions. We played C5 to G6 in our video, but there’s also a version for F5 to C7.

If you’d like to play All Things Bright and Beautiful, you can purchase, download and print the sheet music from Choraegus. You need only pay once, and print out up to 6 copies of this 12-bell piece for your handbell choir.

If you haven’t bought music from us before, we’d recommend that you take a look at the licensing agreement and our step-by-step guide. We designed the guide to help you purchase and download our music in a stress-free way!

Looking for music for a full handbell choir?

If you look on the Choraegus site, you’ll also find our arrangement of All Things Bright and Beautiful for 3-5 octave handbell choir.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about our music, please check our frequently-asked questions first. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!