Larry’s shoulder is making a good recovery since he had extensive surgery on it in May. He doesn’t need to wear a sling any more, and is gradually building up more strength. Since his shoulder surgery, we’ve still been enjoying putting together new music that only needs six bells. Today, we’re pleased to bring you our latest arrangement – Angels We Have Heard on High.
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. The GLORIA hymn tune is also used in the UK as the setting for the carol Angels from the Realms of Glory.
If you’d like to play Angels We Have Heard on High, 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.
We have other versions of this piece!
We have several other arrangements of this carol. All are available from Choraegus, and all are suitable for socially-distanced handbell groups:
Please note that sheet music from Choraegus 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. 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, 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. Please contact us, and we’ll do what we can to help!
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. If you’re part of a duo, trio or quartet, or you’re looking for music that your handbell choir can play while social distancing, these hymns could be what you’re looking for. These simple 8-bell arrangements are also ideal for holiday gigs! They’re great for playing at Salvation Army Red Kettles, or in places where space is limited. Forget tables and foam pads; simply take along your bells, sheet music, and music stands, and you’re all set!
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.
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, so 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, and also gives you permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing online.
Other hymn collections and Christmas collections are also available from Choraegus, as well as our standard eight-bell arrangements – some more challenging than others.
Any questions?
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.
Wow! Where did the last month go? Maybe it was because Thanksgiving was late this year, or maybe we didn’t plan ahead enough. It seemed as if November was here one minute, then December was going by, faster than we could keep up with it!
We had a fun and interesting holiday performance season, and managed to escape without having to make any long trips in bad weather. That’s no mean feat in Michigan winters! Many of our Christmas performances are booked months ahead. That makes it impossible to predict if the weather’s going to be cooperative or not.
Our 2019 holiday performances
Our 2019 holiday performance season began the day after Thanksgiving, with our first of two performances at the Kerstmarkt. This annual Christmas market in Downtown Holland is a definite highlight of our holiday season. The bells seem to add something magical to the atmosphere at an outdoor holiday market. We hope to be back again in 2020!
Our handbells at the 2019 Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland
An exciting new event for us was the Santa and Reindeer event at the Otsego District Public Library. We met Felix the Fox there!
With Felix the Fox at the Otsego Library “Santa and Reindeer” event
We were pleased to present another holiday performance at the Gary Byker Memorial Library in Hudsonville. This was our second time at the Christmas program there, and we hope to return in December 2020. It’s always a popular, entertaining and educational Christmas event, run by the Friends of the Library.
A holiday handbell program at the GRAM
We had an exciting opportunity to present a handbell duet concert at the Grand Rapids Art Museum, as part of their Light the Night event. The audience was small but appreciative, and had not been expecting us, since the event had been given an air of mystery and advertised only as a “holiday bell music performance”. People were pleasantly surprised at the amount of music that can be made with only eight bells at a time, and we chatted with audience members afterwards and explained more about the history and techniques used in playing our instruments.
A “holiday bell music performance” at the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Another performance with the Zeeland Community Band
We presented several handbell duet programs to residents at senior living communities again this year, and also joined the Zeeland Community Band for their annual Christmas concert.
With director Rose Wiersma after the annual Zeeland Community Band Christmas concert
Our handbell ministry activities
We continued our handbell ministry through Advent and Christmas, and shared our music with churches in Holland and Grand Rapids. We also went on a road-trip to Glenview, Illinois. It was a new experience for us to do fierce battle with Chicago traffic!
Handbells at a Christmas worship service in IllinoisChristmas Eve at Christ Memorial Church, Holland MI
Playing Christmas music for the Salvation Army
We gave ten hours to help raise funds for the Salvation Army of Holland, MI, and enjoyed playing Christmas music at D&W Fresh Market – our fourth year there! In recent years, some of our friends have questioned our decision to support the Salvation Army. However, we are always encouraged to hear from people who have received invaluable help from the organization here in West Michigan. This happens every year; people stop by the Red Kettle to tell us that the Salvation Army was there to support them at a time when they most needed it. We are constantly reassured that the local organization is doing amazing work in this community.
Volunteering at the Salvation Army Red Kettle at D&W Fresh Market in Holland
The New Year has arrived, and as we look back at the 2019 holiday season, we’re looking forward to the new adventures 2020 will bring.
We’d like to thank the following people and organizations:
The Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland, MI Cherry Republic of Holland, MI D&W Fresh Market, Holland, MI The Salvation Army of Holland, MI Otsego District Public Library, MI Zeeland Community Band Waterford Place Assisted Living, Jenison, MI Friends of the Gary Byker Library, Hudsonville, MI Sunset Retirement Communities, Jenison, MI Grand Rapids Art Museum, MI Third Reformed Church of Holland, MI The Village at the Pines, Grand Haven, MI Wespath Benefits and Investments, Glenview, IL Christ Memorial Church, Holland, MI North Park Presbyterian Church, Grand Rapids, MI
We’d like to thank everyone who helped to make this holiday season bright for us. If you booked us for a performance or Christmas program or wrote a review of our performance – thank you. To all those who offered us coffee or a meal, chatted with us, or prayed for our safe travels – thank you. If you took the time to say thank you or send us a card – we appreciate you. If you liked our Facebook page, emailed us, bought and downloaded sheet music from our music site, or purchased a copy of The Bass Ringer’s Notebook – we appreciate you too!
We hope 2020 will be a happy and healthy year for you all!
"Christmas at Our House" event in California – December 2013
Michigan handbell duo Larry and Carla will be welcoming the Christmas season at Otsego District Library’s Santa and Reindeer Day! There will be popcorn, donuts, hot chocolate, an opportunity to meet Santa and his reindeer, ODL’s own Felix the Fox, crafts, and beautiful handbell music all morning. Don’t miss this exciting family event!
Otsego District Public Library
401 Dix St Otsego,
Michigan
49078United States+ Google Map
Michigan handbell duo Larry and Carla will be ringing in the Christmas season at Cherry Republic of Holland. Shop for holiday treats as you listen to Christmas bells!
The holiday season tends to start early in the handbell world. We’ve been rehearsing Christmas music with the Kalamazoo Ringers for a number of weeks now. However, we put off starting our own Christmas duet practising until after our Be Still, My Soul concert in Gregory.
The time is now here, and we’re starting to work on Christmas music. We’re getting ready for the first of our holiday performances, at the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland, on Friday, November 29th. This European-style market is an annual event here in Holland, and this will be our third year there. It’s always a fun and festive shopping opportunity, and a chance to enjoy delicious food and watch interesting demonstrations by local craftspeople.
We still have some limited availability for holiday handbell performances in December – so if you’d like West Michigan’s smallest handbell choir to come and play at your event, worship service or holiday party, please get in touch. If we can’t fit you into our schedule for this year, let’s plan early for 2020!
West Michigan handbell duo Larry and Carla will present a program of Christmas handbell music for residents and guests at a senior living community in Jenison. This is a private event.
D&W Fresh Market
50 Douglas Ave Holland,
MI
49424United States+ Google Map
