Otsego Hometown Christmas 2025 will be on December 6th. Holland-based handbell duo Larry and Carla will once again be there to play Christmas carols to celebrate the festive season!
More about Otsego Hometown Christmas 2025
This annual community event will be fun for all the family! There will be a live Nativity, carol singing, a parade, and opportunities for children to show their creative talents. You can take a hayride along the riverfront, enjoy hot cocoa and cider, and enjoy a chat with Santa! There will be lots of entertainment, and the community tree-lighting will take place at the end of the day.
Larry and Carla’s handbell duet performance is sponsored by Otsego District Library.
Would you like to book a handbell group for your event?
Larry and Carla are available to play handbell duets for weddings, worship services, concerts, holiday events, and corporate and private events. If you’re looking to hire a handbell choir for your event in Michigan or beyond, please get in touch! A handbell duo takes up less room than a standard handbell choir, making Larry and Carla particularly suitable for smaller venues. Tell us what kind of event you’re planning, and what type of music you’re looking for.
Come and see us at Otsego Hometown Christmas 2025, and listen to the sound of Christmas bells at this special time of year!
(They Long to Be) Close to You is a popular song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach. It was first recorded by Richard Chamberlain in 1963, but was a huge success for The Carpenters in 1970, and their version is now the best-known.
“Why do birds suddenly appear Every time you are near? Just like me, they long to be Close to you
Why do stars fall down from the sky Every time you walk by? Just like me, they long to be Close to you
On the day that you were born, the angels got together And decided to create a dream come true So they sprinkled moondust in your hair of gold And starlight in your eyes of blue.
That is why all the girls in town (girls in town) Follow you (follow you) all around (all around). Just like me, they long to be Close to you.”
(They Long to Be) Close to You is now available for handbells! Here’s our demonstration video:
More information about (They Long to Be) Close to You
You can find out more about this arrangement on Choraegus, but if you want to play it, you’ll need to go to Sheet Music Plus to purchase the downloadable score. This site has been a huge help with publishing arrangements of music that’s still under copyright, especially when communicating directly with copyright holders proved to be less than successful.
We hope you’ll enjoy browsing our selection of handbell music on Sheet Music Plus. You’ll find more of Larry’s arrangements there soon! If there are any popular songs you’d like to see an arrangement for, you’re always welcome to contact us to suggest it. As always, if you have any questions, please let us know!
A note of gratitude from Larry Sue, to participants at the 2025 Bay View Week of Handbells
Last night 107 handbell musicians at the 2025 Bay View Week of Handbells performed my arrangement of Seiichi Kyoda’s Winter Dance. Maestro Fred Gramann led us in an amazing program, and it was a tremendous honor that he included this piece in the repertoire.
My gratitude goes to all of you who made this performance more than just a technical reality. There was an inescapable growing intensity throughout the music that you made. During our penultimate rehearsal, I made a video of part of Winter Dance. It was everything I could have imagined. The Thursday night concert performance was even better than that!
I put lots of dots and squiggles on the pages, and I hope they were true to Kyoda-san’s heart. You turned those dots and squiggles into a unified sound that drew our audience into the dance we were trying to imagine. I could envision the people from that small village in far northern Japan, their bonfire, and their celebration in its warmth. Thanks, from the bottom of my heart, to each of you for being part of this musical endeavor. I thank you for granting me the privilege of joining you in it. Thank you for giving our audience an experience that they can remember. Thank you for dancing (in 5/4, no less). Most of all, thank you for having fun! You all created magnificence, and I’m indebted to you all for the gift you’ve given me.
Deck the Halls is a traditional carol with a Welsh tune that dates back to the 16th century. The original Nos Galan drinking song was part of the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Wales, and the lyrics had nothing to do with Christmas, and more to do with drinking!
“Deck the hall with boughs of holly, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! ‘Tis the season to be jolly: Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! Fill the meadcup, drain the barrel, Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! Troul the ancient Christmas carol. Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!”
The English lyrics were written in 1862 by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant. Over the years, the words have changed even more, with the drinking references gone in the later versions.
In case you’re wondering about the “correctness” of the title, Deck the Hall (singular) was used in the original English version. Our late friend Tim Waugh was always insistent that only one hall should be involved. However, the plural “halls” has been widely used since the late 1800s, so we believe that either version is acceptable. Our 12-bell arrangement only has the melody and not the lyrics, so if you want to change the title and call it Deck the Hall, that’s no problem at all.
Here’s our demonstration video, recorded on a sunny afternoon in July:
More information about Deck the Halls
As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Deck the Halls is suitable for 3-6 ringers. Sheet music for this arrangement is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. Each arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells, so you can choose which you prefer. Please refer to 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!
We also have an 8-bell arrangement of Deck the Halls, available to download from Choraegus.
Important 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 group playing any of our pieces, 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!
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly is a traditional Polish Christmas carol. The song was originally titled W Żłobie Leży (In the Manger He Lies), and it was translated into English as Infant Holy, Infant Lowly in 1920. It’s thought that the melody could date back to the thirteenth century.
“Infant holy, infant lowly, For His bed a cattle stall. Oxen lowing, little knowing, Christ the Babe is Lord of all. Swift are winging, angels singing, Noels ringing, tidings bringing, Christ the babe is Lord of all.”
We recorded our demonstration video on a hot day in July. If you use your imagination, you might think that the harsh sunlight on the trees and grass behind us is soft, billowing snow. If not, it can just be a Christmas in July thing. After all, if we waited until December to publish new handbell music, no one would have time to learn it!
More information about Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Infant Holy, Infant Lowly is suitable for 3-6 ringers. Sheet music for this arrangement is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. Each arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells, so you can choose which you prefer. Please refer to 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!
We have other arrangements of Infant Holy, Infant Lowly, available to download from Choraegus. We have two 8-bell versions; one standard and one Surprisingly Easy™. We also have a Level 2 arrangement for 3 octaves.
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 any of our pieces, 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!
“Come, Thou Almighty King, Help us Thy name to sing; Help us to praise: Father, all glorious, O’er all victorious, Come, and reign over us, Ancient of Days.“
Come, Thou Almighty King is sung to the hymn tune ITALIAN HYMN. We’ve had an 8-bell arrangement of this for some years now, but this new arrangement is a “surprisingly easy” version. We recommend our Surprisingly Easy™ arrangements for quartets in particular. When there are four ringers, it helps when there are fewer sixteenth notes, and straightforward rhythms. These arrangements can also be helpful for groups of 2-4 ringers to put together without needing a lot of rehearsal time.
Here’s our demonstration video of Come, Thou Almighty King:
More information about this 8-bell arrangement
Sheet music for Come, Thou Almighty King is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.
Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (Come, Thou Almighty King) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.
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.
If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.
Other arrangements of Come, Thou Almighty King
As well as the two 8-bell arrangements (Standard and Surprisingly Easy), we also have a 16-bell arrangement of this hymn, available to download from Choraegus.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing has been one of our favorite 8-bell arrangements over the years, ever since we played it at an event in downtown Holland, and a group of local college students stopped to listen, and started singing along. This new arrangement of the NETTLETON hymn tune has fewer sixteenth notes than our standard version, and is more straightforward to play.
We recommend our Surprisingly Easy™ arrangements for quartets in particular. When there are four ringers, it helps when there are fewer sixteenth notes! These arrangements can also be helpful for groups of 2-4 ringers to put together without needing a lot of rehearsal time.
Sheet music for Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.
Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.
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.
If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a stress-free way.
Other arrangements of Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
As well as the two 8-bell arrangements (Standard and Surprisingly Easy), we also have a 12-bell arrangement of this hymn, and an arrangement for 2 octaves. All are available from Choraegus.
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, we recommend reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll be happy to help!
“All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give; I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live. I surrender all, I surrender all; All to Thee, my blessed Savior, I surrender all.”.
Our new arrangement of the popular hymn I Surrender All uses just 8 handbells, and can be played by 2-4 ringers. The tune is SURRENDER, a 19th-century melody composed by Winfield S. Weeden.
More information about this 8-bell arrangement
Sheet music for I Surrender All is available to purchase and download from Choraegus.
Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group. Please don’t pay for more copies than you need to! Purchase also gives you permission to use this piece in online and live-streamed worship services. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title (I Surrender All) and arranger of the piece (Larry Sue) on video-sharing sites and social media.
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.
If you haven’t purchased music online from Choraegus before, you might like to look at our step-by-step guide. We designed this with pictures, to help you navigate the purchase and download process in a 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 be happy to help!
Beloved Friend was written in memory of Bernie Foulk, who was a member of Kalamazoo Ringers from 2022 to 2025. We all loved Bernie, and his love for the earth, people, all of nature, music, and (of course) his wife Jackie, who joined Kalamazoo Ringers with him. We’d all hoped to have many more years of ringing with Bernie, but that was not to be. After a short illness, Bernie headed for the next life, and we started missing the kindness, personality and humor that he brought to rehearsals.
Larry wrote this original composition in memory of Bernie, and every note has a special meaning that he explains in the introduction to the score. This original composition came together in time for the Kalamazoo Ringers to play it for the first time in their 2025 spring concerts. The group only had a couple of rehearsals to read through it, but it turned out to be a very special (if emotional) tribute to Bernie.
In Bernie’s memory, all proceeds from sales of this work will be donated to the Kalamazoo Ringers.
More information about Beloved Friend
Beloved Friend is for 3-7 octaves of handbells. It’s a Level 3 arrangement, and the score is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. You can either purchase an individual copy (useful for massed ringing events, or for preview), or purchase the full choir license. Please note that Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a downloadable PDF file. 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, we recommend 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.
Your purchase of the full-choir license allows you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service. There’s no need for any additional license or fee. We askthat youcredit the composer (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). Please see our licensing agreement for full details.
We appreciate your help in spreading the word about Choraegus handbell music. If you record a video of your group playing any of our pieces, we’d love to see it. You’re welcome to share it with us by email or on our Facebook page!
Any questions?
If you have any questions about our music, please start by reading our Frequently-Asked Questions. If someone has asked us a question even once, it will be there, along with the answer. Please contact us if you don’t find the information you need, and we’ll be happy to help.
Every Time I Feel the Spirit is an African-American spiritual that was first published in 1907. It’s believed to have been sung several decades earlier than that, and many of these traditional songs were sung and passed down through generations long before being written down.
“O, ev’ry time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray. Yes, ev’ry time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray.”
Here’s our demonstration video:
More information about Every Time I Feel the Spirit
As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Every Time I Feel the Spirit can be played by 3-6 ringers. Sheet music for this arrangement is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. Each arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells, so you can choose which you prefer. Refer to 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!
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 any of our pieces, 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!
