October 20, 2022

Gaudete – for 16 Handbells

Gaudete – for 16 handbells – is the latest arrangement from Choraegus. This arrangement is part of our continuing effort to show that music for small handbell choirs doesn’t have to be boring, and doesn’t necessary have to be easy to play. Our 16-bell music is designed for 2-3 octave groups looking for something interesting and challenging for 4-8 ringers. This new arrangement of this 16th century sacred Christmas carol is one that we’d be tempted to describe as “fiendish”, but in a good way, of course.

More information about Gaudete – for 16 handbells

This arrangement is available from Choraegus in two handbell ranges – C5 to C7 and G4-G6. Please check the bells-used charts on the Choraegus page for this piece. Our video shows the C5-C7 version, because that’s easier for 4-in-hand. If you have more than four ringers, you can pick whichever version you prefer. There are no bell changes, and no techniques that require tables or foam pads.

Click here to find out more, or purchase sheet music (digital download) on our Choraegus site.

There is also an arrangement of Gaudete! for 3-8 octaves of handbells.

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 arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) and the publisher (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, and we’d love to see a video if you record one with your ensemble!

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 what you’re looking for, please ask us!

October 5, 2022

Ring in the Season with Christmas Handbells!

December 6 at 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST

Ring in the season with Holland-based handbell duo Larry and Carla!

We’ll be returning to the Georgetown Connections Senior Center in Jenison, to play a selection of Christmas handbell duets to welcome the holiday season. We’ll talk about the history of our instruments, and how we play them, and will share traditional music from around the world. Audience members will also have the chance to ask all their burning questions about handbells!

What better way to ring in the Christmas season than by listening to carols played with bells? This is a private event for patrons of this senior community.

Ring in the season - handbells in Jenison, MI

If you’d like to book Larry and Carla to play handbell duets for your event, you can find lots more information on our website. The traditional sound of handbell music is perfect for creating a festive atmosphere at a Christmas or holiday event. We can also play beautiful music for worship services during Advent and Christmas, and for winter wedding ceremonies. As a handbell duo, we take up less room than a traditional handbell choir, which makes our performances ideal for venues where space is limited. We always recommend early booking for the Christmas and holiday season, but can sometimes accommodate last-minute requests too. If you need more information, or have any questions about our availability, please get in touch!

Free Private event

Larry and Carla

View Organizer Website

Georgetown Connections

7100 8th Ave
Jenison, Michigan 49428 United States + Google Map

(616) 457-1170
View Venue Website

September 29, 2022

Christmas Bells at the Kerstmarkt in Holland, MI

December 9 at 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm EST

Christmas bells will be ringing at the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland! Local handbell duo Larry and Carla will be playing traditional Christmas handbell music at the event in 2022.

The Kerstmarkt is an annual open-air European-style Christmas market located at the 8th Street Marketplace in Downtown Holland. Come and listen to beautiful festive music as you shop for unique handcrafted gifts, and locally-made holiday treats. Coffee and hot cider will be available to help you stay warm!

Christmas bells at the Holland Kerstmarkt

We’ve been fortunate that the weather has been kind to us every time we’ve played handbells at the Kerstmarkt. Handbells generally don’t appreciate cold temperatures! We notice the change in the sound of the bells when we play outdoors in winter, but the worst of the weather generally seems to wait until after Christmas! Most of the Kerstmarkt is under cover, so you can shop for gifts comfortably there. The market is located in downtown Holland, so there are plenty of shops and restaurants close by. There’s enough to do in the town, that you could easily turn a visit to the Kerstmarkt into a day trip. The market will give you a taste of a traditional European Christmas market, without having to fly to Europe.

Here’s a video of one of our performances from the 2021 Kerstmarkt:

Free Admission is free, but tips for the musicians are appreciated!

Kerstmarkt-Holland

View Organizer Website

Kerstmarkt – Holland

150 W 8th St
Holland, MI 49423 United States + Google Map

September 29, 2022

Handbell Duets at the Kerstmarkt-Holland

November 25 at 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm EST

Handbell duets at the Kerstmarkt! Local handbell duo Larry and Carla will again be playing traditional Christmas handbell music at this popular annual event.

If you missed our performance at the Kerstmarkt in Holland on the opening day last Saturday… here’s how it looked:

Handbells generally don’t appreciate cold temperatures! We notice the change in the sound of the bells when we play outdoors in winter, but the worst of the weather usually seems to wait until after Christmas. Thankfully, most of the Kerstmarkt is under cover, so you can shop for gifts comfortably there, even if it rains or snows. It’s a great way to soak up a little of the magic of a traditional European Christmas market, without having book a flight! The market is located in Downtown Holland, so there are plenty of shops and restaurants close by. If you’re traveling from outside Holland, you can arrive early and make a day off it!

Here’s a video of one of our performances from the 2021 Kerstmarkt:

Free Admission is free, but tips for performers are appreciated!

Kerstmarkt-Holland

View Organizer Website

Kerstmarkt – Holland

150 W 8th St
Holland, MI 49423 United States + Google Map

https://kerstmarkt.wordpress.com/

September 29, 2022

Handbells at the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland

November 19 at 10:00 am – 12:00 pm EST

Handbells are coming back to the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland! Local handbell duo Larry and Carla will again be playing traditional Christmas handbell music at the event in 2022. Saturday, November 19 marks the start of the 2022 event!

We’ve been fortunate that the weather has been kind to us every time we’ve played at this annual event. Thankfully, we haven’t had to cope with the kind of extreme cold that would make what we do impossible. Handbells generally don’t appreciate cold temperatures. We notice the change in the sound of the bells when we play outdoors in winter, but the worst of the weather generally seems to wait until after Christmas! Most of the Kerstmarkt is under cover, so you can shop for gifts comfortably there. The market is located in Downtown Holland, so there are plenty of shops and restaurants close by. Here’s a video of one of our performances from the 2021 Kerstmarkt:

If you miss seeing us on the opening day of the Kerstmarkt, we’ll also be there on the evenings of Friday, December 2 and Friday, December 9.

Kerstmarkt – Holland

150 W 8th St
Holland, MI 49423 United States + Google Map

Free The event is free to attend, but tips for the musicians are always appreciated!

September 8, 2022

Book a Handbell Performance for the 2022 Holiday Season!

It’s only September, and technically not even fall/autumn yet, but we’re already scheduling bookings and events for the 2022 holiday season. Christmas is always our busiest time of year. If you’d like to book a handbell performance for the Christmas season, now is the time!

Why book a handbell performance for Christmas?

Everybody knows that bells and Christmas go together perfectly! Think of all the Christmas songs about bells; I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Jingle Bells, Silver Bells, Christmas Bells are Ringing, Ding Dong, Merrily on High… and the list goes on. Handbell music can give a special festive atmosphere to any Christmas or holiday event. As a handbell duo, we can give a seasonal performance of carols and holiday music, or provide background music to add a special, welcoming touch to your holiday event.

If you’re organizing a corporate event, a community group holiday celebration, winter wedding, or Christmas gathering, you should consider adding handbell music! Our duet performances can bring the sounds of the season to hotel lobbies, department stores, shopping boutiques, community groups and private house parties alike. Handbells can be an unusual alternative to carol singers too!

As the 2022 holiday season approaches, we’re already looking forward to local Christmas performances in Holland, Zeeland and Grand Rapids. Look out for us again at the annual Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland! We’ll be taking our Christmas handbell program to community groups, and performing with the Zeeland Community Band. Of course, we’ll also be involved in performances by the Kalamazoo Ringers. We’re excited that the group will be performing one of Larry’s recent handbell arrangements for full choir in their concert!

The advantages of a (very) small handbell choir

We often refer to ourselves as West Michigan’s Smallest Handbell Choir. There are only two of us, so when we give a performance, we won’t arrive at your venue with a trailer packed with tables, foam pads, and dozens of cases of handbells! We also won’t need a huge space for our performance. We take up far less room than a traditional handbell choir would – approximately the space of half a car-parking spot. It makes us ideal for venues where space is limited, such as small church sanctuaries, senior communities, community halls, hotel lobbies, and private homes. We bring our own table, music stand, bells and music with us. We’ll work with you to provide the kind of entertainment you need, whether it’s background music, an educational program, or a concert-style performance.

A note about COVID-19

Sadly, COVID-19 is still around, and we make every effort to keep our audiences safe and healthy. We’re fully vaccinated, and will take note of any COVID-19 protocols you’re observing for your event. We do our best to maintain social distancing wherever possible, especially around elderly or vulnerable people. Still, every “in-person” event carries some risk. If you’d like us to prepare an online performance video for you to play at your event instead, please ask.

Would you like to book a handbell performance for Christmas?

A handbell performance could be exactly what your event needs for the 2022 Christmas and holiday season. Contact us to request our current performance fees, ask questions, or find out more. In order for us to give you the most accurate quote, please give us as much detail as possible. Let us know what kind of event you’re planning. Is it a worship service, a corporate party, a community event, or entertainment for a senior community? Let us know the date of the event, the location, and the type of performance you’re looking for.

We’re based in Holland, Michigan, but can travel (please enquire as early as possible, and allow for additional costs). We always recommend booking early (don’t wait until December!), but we can sometimes accommodate last-minute requests too. If in doubt, please ask.

We look forward to sharing our handbell music with you!

Christmas entertainment - handbells — Christmas – our favorite time of year!

August 28, 2022

Away in a Manger – 12-Bell Music for Christmas

Away in a Manger is this week’s new 12-bell piece for Christmas. The tune is CRADLE SONG, written by the American composer William J. Kirkpatrick and most commonly used in the United Kingdom. Don’t be confused if this is an unfamiliar tune; in the USA, the tune used most often is MUELLER, written by James R. Murray. We have arrangements of that tune too; keep reading and you’ll find more information!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

Away in a Manger is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G6) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to refer 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.

Other arrangements of this carol

There are more versions of this carol available from Choraegus:

An accompanied arrangement for 6 handbells and piano (the CRADLE SONG tune)

Arranged for 8 handbells, unaccompanied (the CRADLE SONG tune)

For 8 handbells, unaccompanied (the MUELLER tune) – available in two versions

Another 12-bell arrangement, unaccompanied (the MUELLER tune)

A full-choir arrangement for 3-5 octaves (the MUELLER tune)

An accompanied handbell duet arrangement (the NORMANDY tune)

Did you miss Go, Tell it on the Mountain?

Our 12-bell arrangement of Go, Tell it on the Mountain has been available since last week. This laid-back arrangement is another one suitable for 3-6 ringers. Again, there’s a choice of two handbell ranges, and you can download the sheet music from Choraegus.

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 this piece, 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!

June 26, 2022

New Handbell Music for Christmas 2022 – from Choraegus

In the handbell world, we get accustomed to thinking ahead when preparing for concerts, worship services and seasonal performances! It’s not the holiday season yet, but we’ve already introduced some new handbell music for Christmas 2022 – available to download from Choraegus. If you’re interested in playing any of these pieces, please click on the title to find out more.

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime is the oldest-known Canadian carol, also known as the Huron Carol. Our arrangement is for 3 or 5 octaves, and also uses optional handchimes, giving a slightly mysterious feel to the piece. After playing our 8-bell arrangement of this carol for so many years, we enjoyed putting together this demonstration video!

Of the Father’s Love Begotten

We prepared this video of Of the Father’s Love Begotten for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Christmas concert last year, but it was too late for us to make the arrangement available in time for Christmas. So here it is, ready for 2022! It’s arranged for 3 or 5 octaves, with handchimes – and the introduction gives you an (optional) opportunity to use Silver Melody Bells (as we did), or handchimes, or Petit & Fritsen or Whitechapel/Taylor bells – if any of those are available to you. The cajón part adds to the fun, and is available separately.

Gaudete!

Gaudete! is a Christmas song dating back to at least the sixteenth century. This arrangement is for 3-8 octaves of handbells, plus handchimes. It’s a lively Level 4+ piece that’s exciting to play! The optional cajón part is fun too!

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

This exciting new arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is a wild, mixed-meter ride that advanced handbell choirs will enjoy. The optional (but worthwhile) flute part adds some extra sparkle! Level 5, for 3 or 5 octaves.

If you want to play the same piece with fewer bells, here’s an arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing that has piano accompaniment – and, again, an optional flute part. We made this video for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ online Christmas concert last year.

In addition to our new handbell music for Christmas 2022, we also have a couple of newish full-choir arrangements that were available last year, but slipped through the cracks a little during the pandemic, when fewer groups were able to give live performances:

Gesu Bambino

Gesu Bambino (“the Christ Child”) is a Nativity song from 1917. Our piano-accompanied arrangement for 3 or 5 octaves is Level 3. The score package includes a full score for the pianist to use, and a separate handbell part for the bell choir.

Away in a Manger

Our handbell choir arrangement of James Murray’s Away in a Manger is written for three octaves of handbells and two octaves of handchimes (you can add doublings for your bells beyond C4-C7, of course). Its gentle feel will add a reflective touch to your Christmas Eve service.

Choraegus handbell music for smaller ensembles

As well as our exciting arrangements for 6- and 8-bell ensembles, we’ve recently added several new Christmas arrangements for 12-bell ensembles. More are on the way!

Any questions? Suggestions? Requests?

If you have any questions about Choraegus handbell music, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help. If you’re looking for a piece of Christmas music that you can’t find on the Choraegus site, you’re always welcome to get in touch and put in a request, particularly if the music is in the public domain (i.e. not under copyright) – and we’ll see if we can add it to our catalog!

June 9, 2022

I Saw Three Ships – a New 12-Bell Arrangement

Continuing our little series of new 12-bell pieces for Christmas, here’s a new arrangement of the English carol I Saw Three Ships – also known as I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In or On Christmas Day in the Morning. This traditional carol has been around since the 17th century!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

I Saw Three Ships is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G6) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to refer 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.

Other arrangements of this carol

This carol is also available for 8 handbells. Two different arrangements are available from Choraegus – a standard version and a “surprisingly easy” version.

Things to know about Choraegus handbell music

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!

June 6, 2022

An Italian Christmas Carol – New 12-bell Music

For anyone looking for something unusual for a small group to play at Christmas – here’s a new 12-bell arrangement of the popular Italian Christmas carol From Starry Skies Descending (original title: Tu Scendi dalle Stelle). Alternative translations are: You Came a Star from Heaven and From Starry Skies Thou Comest. The carol was written in Alphonsus Liguori in 1732.

Here’s our 12-bell version!

More about this 12-bell arrangement

From Starry Skies Descending is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate it using 4-in-hand, but if you have six ringers, they’ll only need two bells each. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. The arrangement is available in two versions – in Bb major (C5-G5) and C major (D5-A6), so be sure to use the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all of the bells you need.

If you’re a fan of this unusual Italian Christmas carol… we also have an arrangement that uses just 8 handbells, available to download from Choraegus. This arrangement is available in two versions – one standard and one “surprisingly easy.” Here’s the standard 8-bell version, performed during our 2019 trip to California:

If you haven’t bought music from Choraegus before…

Choraegus handbell music is designed to be downloaded as a PDF file. That means 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 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.

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!