As many of you already know, Larry is recovering from shoulder surgery. It’s going to be a while before he’s able to lift anything (including handbells) using his right arm. We couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to play duets together! In recent weeks, Larry’s been having fun arranging music for six bells with piano accompaniment. Our first 6-bell arrangement was the traditional Scottish Gaelic tune BUNESSAN… and now we’re pleased to bring you a new arrangement of Holy Manna – for six handbells, piano, and optional sling.
How to get the sheet music for Holy Manna
If you’d like to play this arrangement, 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.
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 this 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. 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.
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. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll do what we can to help!
Continued thanks to everyone who’s been playing our music in this time of lockdowns and social distancing! Our latest eight-bell arrangement is When Johnny Comes Marching Home. If you’re planning a socially-distant Flag Day or Fourth of July celebration, this arrangement could be a good choice!
Making this demonstration video was an interesting experience for us, because it was the last piece we recorded before Larry’s shoulder surgery. Time was running out, and we’d be the first to admit that this arrangement is not necessarily an easy sight-read. We posted a video on our Facebook page a few weeks ago, showing how many tries it took us to get through the introduction!
We got there eventually (just about), and managed to make a demonstration video to give you an idea of how the piece is meant to sound:
If you’d like to play this arrangement, the sheet music is available from Choraegus, our music site.
Free handbell music!
We’ve also added another free download to the Freebies section of our music site: a little 8-bell arrangement of The Ants Go Marching, or The Animals Went in Two By Two. This one is easier than When Johnny Comes Marching Home, although the tune is the same. If you need something less challenging, you could start with that. You could even call it When Johnny Comes Marching Home when you perform it!
More information about Choraegus handbell music
Please note that our music will come to you as a PDF file to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail. Purchasing this 8-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing. 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.
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. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll do what we can to help!
Handbell music for 16 bells can be a worthwhile thing to think about. During this time of social distancing, people have been finding creative ways to keep handbell music in worship services. Larry has been busy writing lots more handbell arrangements, including some that use as few as six bells.
Getting back to handbell rehearsals… cautiously
As people start to venture out more, and limited gatherings are allowed, we’re still conscious of the need to maintain physical distance. Handbell groups are still looking for ways to be able to get back to making music. However, they don’t want ringers to stand close together, or to share bells or equipment. For groups with more than two or three ringers who want to get together, 16-bell music could be be a useful addition to your handbell ensemble’s repertoire.
16-bell music can be played by a quartet, with each person playing four bells each, or by eight people with two bells each, or anything in between. If you have extra people, you can always add some handchimes or percussion! Our sixteen-bell arrangements have no bell changes, so they can be played with a socially-distanced group using music stands, without the need for tables or bell-sharing.
Here are a couple of examples of what’s available:
Our 16-bell arrangements have plenty of challenges, to keep them interesting to play. If you’ve ever tried our 8-bell or 12-bell arrangements, you’ll know that having fewer bells doesn’t necessarily mean the music’s going to be simple! The bells used for each piece are shown on the score, and also on each relevant page on our music site, so you can make sure that you have the necessary bells before you make your purchase. Some arrangements are trickier than others, some are more straightforward – but none are boring!
Wonderful Grace of Jesus – 16-bell arrangement
More information about buying music from Choraegus
Our 16-bell titles are available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. As always, we strongly 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 a 16-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to eight copies for your handbell group. Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing. 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.
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? Please ask!
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 16-bell music!
Those Were the Days is a song made popular by Mary Hopkin in 1968. It reached No. 1 in the UK Top 100 Singles Chart, and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
“Once upon a time there was a tavern Where we used to raise a glass or two Remember how we laughed away the hours And think of all the great things we would do
Those were the days my friend We thought they’d never end We’d sing and dance forever and a day We’d live the life we choose, we’d fight and never lose For we were young and sure to have our way.“
Interestingly, the song dates back much further than 1968. Boris Fomin composed the original melody in the 1920s, with words by the poet Konstantin Podrevsky. The title was Dorogoi Dlinnoyu (Дорогой длинною) – which translates as By the Long Road. In 1968, Gene Raskin wrote new lyrics to the traditional melody, adapting the music slightly to match the words. The number one hit song was born!
Those Were the Daysis now available for handbell choir. This lively Level 3+ arrangement is guaranteed to have your audiences singing and dancing in the aisles! It’s for 5-7 octaves of handbells, with optional mandolin, tambourine, flute, wood block and… yes, kazoo. What’s not to love?
Here’s an excerpt from the handbell music, showing evidence of kazoo involvement:
Okay, maybe you’ve never particularly yearned to add kazoo to your handbell pieces. Still, if you’d like to play this arrangement, either with or without the optional instruments, the sheet music is available from Choraegus.
More information about buying Choraegus handbell music
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. As with our other full-choir handbell arrangements, the sheet music is available to purchase as an individual copy or as a full-choir version. Purchasing the full-choir version allows you to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell group.
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 for us?
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!
“You’re a grand old flag You’re a high-flying flag And forever in peace may you wave. You’re the emblem of The land I love The home of the free and the brave. Ev’ry heart beats true Under red, white and blue Where there’s never a boast or brag, But should old acquaintance be forgot Keep your eye on the grand old flag!”
Thank you to everyone who’s been playing our music in this time of lockdowns and social distancing! Our latest eight-bell arrangement is You’re a Grand Old Flag – a patriotic song written by George M Cohan in 1906. If you’re planning a socially-distant Flag Day or Fourth of July celebration, this arrangement would fun to play! The beginning and end sections are straightforward, with a more-challenging middle section to keep you on your toes.
Download the sheet music from Choraegus!
Sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. 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 this arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing. 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.
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. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll do what we can to help!
Surprisingly-Easy 8-Bell Hymn Arrangements from Choraegus
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 your handbell choir is unable to play together because of social distancing, these hymns could be what you’re looking for.
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 buying music online from Choraegus
As always, we strongly 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. For more information, we have a step-by-step guide to purchasing music from Choraegus. This music also comes with permission to broadcast and/or livestream and share online as part of a worship service.
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.
Also available from Choraegus – binder covers for our eight-bell music!
Our continued thanks to everyone who’s been playing our music. We appreciate you all so much! Our latest eight-bell arrangement is the hymn How Firm a Foundation. This hymn was published in 1787 and has remained popular through the centuries. The words remind us that no matter what we’re going through, God is with us, and we can rely on the solid foundation of His strength and support.
“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed, for I am thy God and will still give thee aid. I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.”
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go, the rivers of sorrow shall not overflow; for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.”
If you’d like to play How Firm a Foundation, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site.
Information about Choraegus handbell music
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, and to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services.
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.
Questions about our music?
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
At Los Altos Lutheran Church, CA (Photo: Carl S. Gutekunst) – May 2018
