Enjoy the traditional sounds of Christmas at Hudsonville Library! Michigan handbell duo Larry and Carla will be back for the third time with a program of handbell duets. Ringing in the Holidays will be the season finale of the library’s Friends Present series for 2021.
Larry and Carla are West Michigan’s smallest handbell choir. They met on a website for handbell musicians when Larry lived in California and Carla lived in England. Their shared love of handbells led to a 3-year long-distance relationship, and eventually to a visa process and marriage. They moved from California to Holland in the summer of 2016.
Larry and Carla will again be demonstrating the art of playing handbells using the traditional “four in hand” technique. Their program will include some well-known carols, as well as some less-familiar holiday tunes from around the world. You’ll hear music played on a set of of handchimes, and a restored set of antique Taylor bells from England. Larry and Carla will talk about the history of these beautiful instruments, and the techniques involved in playing them. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.
You’ll be able to enjoy refreshments and social time as we celebrate Christmas at Hudsonville Library. We look forward to welcoming you to this popular annual event, presented by the Friends of the Gary Byker Memorial Library.
Free Free to attend; a donation to the Friends of the Library is appreciated
Have you ever heard the hymn When a Knight Won his Spurs, in the Stories of Old? People who grew up in England in decades past will remember it from school assemblies. Jan Struther wrote the lyrics for the hymn first published in 1931. However, the original tune is STOWEY, so named because it was collected by Cecil Sharp from a man near the village of Nether Stowey in Somerset.
The STOWEY tune is also used as the setting for the Christmas song How Far is it to Bethlehem?, and also for Praise God for the Harvest, with words by Brian Wren. It’s quite a versatile tune!
Here’s our 3-5 octave arrangement, put together in our basement during the pandemic! It’s another sight-read, so it’s a little under-polished, but you’ll get the idea.
More information about Stowey
Stowey is a Level 2+ arrangement for 3-5 octaves of handbells. If you’d like to play it, the sheet music is available to download from Choraegus.
When you buy Choraegus handbell music, the music score will come to you as a PDF file. That means you’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. When you’ve downloaded your music, your one-time payment (for the full-choir licence) entitles you to print up to 15 copies for your group. The arrangement is also available as an individual score, but you’ll need to purchase the full choir version if you want to print enough copies for your whole group. Please read our licensing agreement for full information. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide, which we designed to take you through the process in a stress-free way!
Purchase of the full-choir copy gives you the benefit of our fuss-free permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing – so you won’t need to worry about purchasing any kind of performance licence. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music, and ask us if you have any questions!
If you have questions…
If you have any questions about buying or playing our music, please look at the Frequently-Asked Questions first. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll be happy to help.
It’s the time of year when we like to look back at our handbell performances during the busy run-up to Christmas. We’re talking about a very different kind of holiday season!
Our busiest time of the year usually begins in late November and continues all through December. In past years, there have been weeks when we’ve felt as though we hardly seen our home during the run-up to Christmas! However, in recent months, churches have been holding services online, and community groups have been unable to meet in person. Senior communities have been closed to visitors, and company Christmas events were canceled. It seemed that no one was having holiday parties or booking musicians for performances this winter.
So, what did we do during this unusually quiet holiday season?
We are very fortunate to have been able to make handbell music together in recent months. It’s true that the COVID-19 situation had a dramatic effect on our handbell performance opportunities. However, we were still able to write and play music as a handbell duo, and we’re thankful for that. We took the opportunity to play and record some of our 12- and 16-bell music. It was a new adventure for us, and we were pleased with how several of the videos turned out. Here’s The First Nowell:
Continuing a holiday tradition
One of our favorite regular holiday performance venues is the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland. It’s an outdoor, European-style Christmas market, and we were happy that the event could still take place this year. We gave two evening performances at the Kerstmarkt, and enjoyed it as much as ever, in spite of the chilly weather!
Virtual performances
For one of our performances this December, we took a virtual trip to Colorado! A Denver-based community group asked us to prepare an online handbell program for their holiday gathering. We gave this event a lot of thought, and decided that it would be too risky to give a “live” performance on Zoom. We occasionally have issues with our internet connection, and couldn’t be certain how well the tone of our handbells would come across online.
To solve this problem, we recorded the program beforehand and uploaded it as a YouTube video for the group to watch. We soon discovered how much more stressful it is to introduce a handbell performance when you’re talking to a camera instead of a real audience! Here we are, by the Christmas tree, trying failing to talk without looking awkward:
On the evening of the virtual performance, we joined the group in a Zoom question-and-answer session. It was a good way to share our music with a far-away group, and we’d definitely consider doing something similar again.
Christmas concerts
We had fun putting together some online performances for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ Home for Christmas virtual concert. Carla produced the video for the group, combining recordings from last year’s Christmas Traditions concert with some new performances. These new performances were by several small ensembles and a soloist. Here’s our lively arrangement of Ding Dong, Merrily on High, with Martha and Gary Matthews on flute and piano:
We also spent some time putting together our own Christmas handbell duet concert. We’d recorded the 6- and 8-bell music in late October, at our summer cottage at Bay View in northern Michigan. The cottage was seriously cold at the time! We showed some photos taken during the snowy months, when the Victorian cottages at Bay View are closed up for the winter. Lake Michigan is breathtakingly beautiful when it’s covered in ice!
In-person performances
We received a fairly last-minute invitation to play at the Burcham Hills Festival of Lights in East Lansing. This it turned out to be a very festive evening! The event was totally contactless, with families driving through in their cars, stopping to meet Santa and listen to our Christmas music. The organizers had made great efforts to keep this community event safe for everyone. We played our handbell duets on two consecutive evenings – and yes, it was cold! The Christmas lights twinkled in the darkness, and people seemed to enjoy the festivities.
A busy month at church
While Carla was busy editing concert videos, Larry had a busy month as a cantor/music mixer for our church’s online worship services. We made videos of our handbell duets for Advent and Christmas services, and took part in an online Christmas Eve concert with other musicians from the church. Just before Christmas, we recorded a brand-new arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing with Linda Strouf. Linda mastered the interesting piano part after a very short rehearsal time! You can find the video on our Facebook page.
On the Sunday after Christmas Day, we went to South Haven First United Methodist Church to play some carols there. We recorded some handbell music in the sanctuary, ready for the service to be broadcast later in the day. We appreciated this final opportunity to share some of our Christmas music before putting away the carols for a while.
All in all, it was a very quiet holiday season for us. In some ways, we missed the usual flurry of activity. However, we did enjoy the opportunity to take December a little more calmly. A huge bonus was being able to enjoy so many of the online handbell concerts posted by groups across the world. We watched handbell performances by groups we’d never usually have the opportunity to see. Many small ensembles performed Choraegus handbell music this holiday season, and we were thankful for that too.
Looking ahead to 2021
What will 2021 look like for handbell performances and live music events? It’s too early to say! We hope that at some point in the coming months, we’ll be able to share our music with in-person audiences again. In the meantime, our thanks go to everyone who invited us to be part of their masked-and-socially-distant 2020 holiday events!
Our latest handbell title for Christmas is this different and fun arrangement of Once in Royal David’s City – because, seriously, who doesn’t need another Christmas carol in 7/8?
As with all our 6-bell arrangements, this piece involves no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals, and no shared bells. There are no techniques that require tables or foam pads. The arrangement would be suitable for 3 people to play, holding just two bells each.
Interested in playing this piece?
If you’d like to play Once in Royal David’s City, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately. This can be useful if you don’t have an accompanist available, or for rehearsal purposes.
If you’re looking for an arrangement of this carol that doesn’t need piano accompaniment, we also have an 8-bell arrangement, in two different bell ranges.
Important information to note:
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. Purchasing a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. Please see our licensing agreement for full details. Remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials.
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 do what we can to help!
Our latest handbell arrangement for Christmas is the traditional German carol How Great Our Joy, also known by the title While by the Sheep. It’s a fun and cheery arrangement for just 6 handbells that will give your small handbell ensemble a great opportunity to practise dynamics!
“While by the sheep we watched at night, glad tidings brought an angel bright. How great our joy! Great our joy! Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy! Praise we the Lord in heaven on high! Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!”
As with all our 6-bell arrangements, this piece involves no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals, and no shared bells. There are no techniques that require tables or foam pads, and it could also be played by three people without needing to use 4-in-hand.
Would you like to play this arrangement?
If you’d like to play How Great Our Joy, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately; useful if you don’t have an available accompanist, or for rehearsal purposes.
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. Purchasing a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials.
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 do what we can to help!
Handbell duo Larry and Carla will be playing handbell duets as part of this Christmas worship service. Please note that this service will take place ONLINE ONLY.
First United Methodist Church
429 Michigan Ave South Haven,
Michigan
49090United States+ Google Map
We’re pleased to introduce some new Advent music for handbells and piano. This Advent hymn from England was written by Charles Edward Oakley. The words are most often set to the tune Little Cornard, written by Martin Shaw. Hills of the North, Rejoice is our latest 8-bell arrangement for handbells with piano accompaniment. We recorded our demonstration video at our Victorian summer cottage in Bay View, Petoskey. If you listen carefully, you might hear the heavy rain falling outside!
“Hills of the North, rejoice, river and mountain-spring, hark to the advent voice; valley and lowland, sing. Christ comes in righteousness and love, he brings salvation from above.”
As with all our 8-bell arrangements, there are no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals, and no shared bells. There are no stopped-sound techniques, and no need for tables or foam pads. This makes it particularly suitable for a socially-distanced handbell duo, trio or quartet, playing from music stands.
If you’d like to play Hills of the North, Rejoice, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately. This can be useful if you don’t have an available accompanist, or for rehearsal purposes.
Important information about buying Choraegus handbell music
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. Purchasing an 8-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials.
If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide 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 do what we can to help!
Now the Green Blade Riseth is our latest 6-bell arrangement. We’ve been arranging and publishing small-group music since 2012 – i.e. before it was cool! One of our goals has always been to write music that’s challenging and interesting enough for skilled handbell musicians to want to play, even when only a very limited range of bells is used. When Larry had shoulder surgery and we started arranging music for just six bells, we wanted to continue this goal. Our latest 6-bell arrangement turned out to be one of the more-challenging pieces in that range. If you’re looking for something different and fun for Christmas or Easter, this piece might work for your group! After all, who doesn’t appreciate a 7/8 time signature? Wait. Don’t answer that.
A versatile arrangement – for Easter and Christmas!
The arrangement was originally written as Now the Green Blade Riseth, but we recorded it with a batch of Christmas music, with a red poinsettia on the music stand. Thus, it became Sing We Now of Christmas as well. One arrangement for two occasions!
As with all our 6-, 8-, 12- and 16-bell arrangements, there are no bell changes and no shared bells. There are no techniques that require tables or foam pads, so any of these arrangements could work for a socially-distant handbell ensemble. They’re also useful for performances where space is limited. Four-in-hand technique is not required; this 6-bell arrangement could also be played as a trio, with each ringer holding two bells.
If you’d like to play this piece, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately, for anyone who doesn’t have a pianist available, or wants to practise at home.
Please note that sheet music from Choraegus 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. Purchase of a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score), and also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. See our licensing agreement for full details. Please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials.
If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this guide 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 do what we can to help!
“On Christmas night all Christians sing To hear the news the angels bring. News of great joy, news of great mirth, News of our merciful King’s birth.”
Our latest handbell arrangement needs just six bells and a piano. It’s the popular English Sussex Carol, sometimes known by its first line “On Christmas Night All Christians Sing”. As with all our 6- and 8-bell arrangements, there are no bell changes and no shared bells. There are no techniques that require tables or foam pads, so any of these arrangements could work for a socially-distant handbell ensemble, or in places where space is limited.
We started writing and playing 6-bell music after Larry had shoulder surgery, but the sling is not a requirement (obviously!), and neither is 4-in-hand ringing. Three people could play this arrangement, holding only two bells each.
If you’d like to play Sussex Carol, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately, for anyone who doesn’t have a pianist available, or wants to practise at home.
More information about downloadable handbell music from Choraegus
Please note that sheet music from Choraegus 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. Purchase of a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score), and also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials such as church service bulletins.
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 information you’re looking for, and we’ll do what we can to help!
Larry is originally from California, and Carla is from England. In the last ten years, it’s been fascinating to discover how we each use different words and phrases. We still occasionally exchange puzzled looks when one of us says something that seems to make no sense. “More bang for your buck”… “Bob’s your uncle” – we’re still finding phrases that cause confusion, even after so many years together! Another fun discovery has been that some of the hymns and Christmas carols that are so familiar here are sung to completely different tunes in the UK. One of these is O Little Town of Bethlehem. Here, we sing it to the tune ST. LOUIS, whereas in the UK this carol is sung to FOREST GREEN. That’s the tune used for our latest arrangement of O Little Town of Bethlehem, for six bells and piano.
As with all our 6- and 8-bell arrangements, there are no bell changes and no shared bells. No tables are required, so this music works well for socially-distant handbell performances.
How to get the sheet music
If you’d like to play O Little Town of Bethlehem, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. An mp3 accompaniment track is also available to purchase separately, for anyone who doesn’t have a pianist available, or wants to practise at home.
Please note that sheet music from Choraegus 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. Purchase of a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score), and also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites, church websites and social media. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites and social media, and in any printed materials such as church service bulletins.
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 all the answers, and we’ll do what we can to help!
