September 25, 2022

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise – New 12-Bell Music

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is our latest handbell arrangement, available from Choraegus. The tune, ST. DENIO, is a traditional Welsh melody, first published in the 1830s.

“Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, thy great name we praise.”

More about Immortal, Invisible, 12-bell version

As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Immortal, Invisible is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate our 12-bell arrangements 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. This arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells – one version using C5-G6, another for Bb4-F6, and another for F5-C7. Be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and be sure to purchase the right version.

A discount coupon, and an arrangement for just 8 bells

Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise is also available from Choraegus as an arrangement for just eight handbells. There’s a list of all our 8-bell hymn arrangements on the Choraegus website.

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 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!

Immortal, Invisible - 12 bell handbell arrangement

July 4, 2022

Be Thou My Vision – 12-Bell Music from Choraegus

Our latest 12-bell arrangement is the hymn Be Thou My Vision. SLANE is a traditional Irish folk tune first published in 1909. It’s also used as the setting for Lord of All Hopefulness.

More about Be Thou My Vision, 12-bell version

As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Be Thou My Vision is suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate our 12-bell arrangements 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. This arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells – one version using C5-G6, another for Bb4-F6, and another for F5-C7. Be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and be sure to purchase the right version.

Other arrangements of these hymn tunes available from Choraegus

You’ll find both of these hymns also available as arrangements for just eight handbells. There’s a list of all our 8-bell hymn arrangements on the Choraegus website. Please note that our 8-bell arrangements and 12-bell arrangements aren’t designed to be played together. Each piece is a completely different arrangement. There’s also a Level 3 arrangement of this tune for 3-5 octaves with organ, which was included in the Michigan AGO’s gift to their conference participants in July 201

Important 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 29, 2022

Doxology for Handbells (3-5 Octaves)

We recently offered a free 8-bell arrangement of the Doxology (OLD HUNDREDTH) – the setting for the hymns Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow and All People That on Earth Do Dwell.

We had a request for an arrangement for full handbell choir… so here’s the 3-5 octave version!

More information about this arrangement

Doxology is for 3-5 octaves of handbells. It’s a Level 1 arrangement; very straightforward to play. The downloadable score gives two versions, so that you can choose the one that works for your worship service. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus, for the low price of just $3 for the full choir license. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

Your purchase of the full-choir license also grants permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we do ask you to credit the arranger (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media and online (in video descriptions) where possible. 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!

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. 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.

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.

June 27, 2022

New 12-Bell Music – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

We’re happy to present some more new 12-bell music – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing; a popular hymn for worship services and weddings. The NETTLETON hymn tune can also be used as the setting for Come, Ye Sinners Poor and Needy, As We Gather at Your Table, and Praise the God of All Creation, among others.

Here’s our demonstration video!

If you missed last week’s announcement on our Facebook page, we also have a new 12-bell arrangement of the hymn Children of the Heavenly Father. This arrangement is a very straightforward choice for a small handbell choir.

More about these 12-bell arrangements

As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing and Children of the Heavenly Father are suitable for 3-6 ringers. We demonstrate our 12-bell arrangements 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. These arrangements are available in two ranges of handbells – one version using C5-G6 and another for D5-A6. There are a couple of accidentals involved, so be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and be sure to purchase the right version.

Other arrangements of these hymn tunes available from Choraegus

Important 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 23, 2022

Smiles – for Handbells, 4 or 5 octaves

Our latest handbell piece is a lively arrangement of the 1917 song Smiles!

“Dearie, now I know
Just what makes me love you so,
Just what holds me and enfolds me
In its golden glow;
Dearie, now I see
‘Tis each smile so bright and free,
For life’s sadness turns to gladness when you smile on me.”

Smiles is a popular song, featured in The Passing Show, a Broadway musical review, in 1918. The music was written by Lee S. Roberts, and the lyrics by J. Will Callahan. This song is particularly interesting to us because Callahan wrote the lyrics in a cottage at Bay View, Michigan – the place where we have a summer cottage of our own!

Here’s our demonstration video of Smiles – arranged for handbells. If you keep watching after we’ve finished playing on the video, you’ll see a picture of the sign at the Bay View Association, marking the place where the lyrics were written.

More information about Smiles

Smiles is for 4-5 octaves of handbells, with an optional 2 octaves of handchimes. It’s a Level 3+ arrangement. Sheet music 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. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

Your purchase of the full-choir license also grants permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we do ask you to credit the arranger (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). See our licensing agreement for full details.

Any questions?

June 16, 2022

Free Handbell Music for 8 Bells – Doxology

It’s been a while since we offered some free handbell music – so here’s an arrangement of the Doxology (Old Hundredth). This tune was first published in the 16th century, and has been attributed to Louis Bourgeois. It’s used as the setting for Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow and All People That on Earth Do Dwell.

Our score package contains two transpositions. The first is in G5-G6, our usual eight-bell range. The second is D5-D6, which accommodates space-line assignments (for a quartet). This is the traditional singing key in most hymnals. There are also two ways of playing this piece, so you can pick the rhythm that feels more familiar to you. We demonstrate both in our video.

This arrangement is offered to you free of charge, as a thank you to everyone who’s supported Choraegus over the years. You’ll find it in the Freebies section of our music site. There’s also free music for Happy Birthday, Dona Nobis Pacem, Auld Lang Syne and several other pieces.

There’s no obligation to make any other purchase from Choraegus to get the free handbell music. Of course, we hope you’ll take a look at other titles we have to offer, but if you want to grab the free music and go, we don’t mind at all. It’s a good way to try our 8-bell music without having to spend any money! Our 8-bell music is designed to be played by 2-4 ringers. If you wanted to play this piece with more than 4 ringers, you could double the notes an octave lower, or add some handchimes.

Instructions for downloading the free handbell music

To get your free sheet music, add it to your cart on the Choraegus site, and click on the yellow “Check out with PayPal” button. Enter your details, and click “Confirm Order” (there’s no need to click on the PayPal button a second time). Then check your email inbox. If the download link doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder, and it might be there.

As always, we recommend that you read the licensing agreement before buying music from us (or claiming your free music), especially if this is your first time downloading music from Choraegus. You won’t receive anything in the mail, and will be responsible for printing your own music.

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!

Free handbell music for 8 bells Doxology

May 9, 2022

Handbells on Mackinac Island, Spring 2022

This spring we were excited to have the opportunity to play handbells on Mackinac Island again! Mackinac Island is situated between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, and it’s a beautiful place to visit. Cars are not allowed on the island, so it really is like stepping back in time. Horses are brought to the island every spring, and they spend the summer pulling carriages, carrying freight around the island, and giving rides to visitors.

Before this year’s event, the most recent Handbell Musicians of America Area 5 spring conference on the island took place in 2018. We were the featured artists for that event. We had such an enjoyable time there, and we were happy that the event could finally go ahead this spring. This time, we didn’t have the pressure of preparing the opening concert, or teaching classes (although we’d have been happy to teach if we’d been asked). It meant that we were able to do more tourist-things and treat it as a much needed mini-vacation!

The conference started on the Friday, with registration beginning on the Thursday evening. We decided to go across to the island on Wednesday, to give ourselves time to settle in and enjoy some of the sights while it was quiet. This turned out to be a really good idea!

Spring takes a long time to arrive in northern Michigan. On our way to the ferry in Mackinac City, we stopped to look at this huge tower of ice. A nearby signed called it the Ice Tree. The ice had started melting away – but there was still a lot left. This gave us a clue that the temperature on Mackinac Island might be a little chillier than at home in Holland.

Arriving on Mackinac Island

We took the Shepler’s ferry from Mackinac City to the island, and had a short and uneventful journey there. We arrived on the island, and decided we could manage to carry our stuff up the hill to Grand Hotel. The wind was blowing fiercely and it was a lot colder than we’d anticipated. Still, we coped, and soon reached the hotel, where we checked in and settled into our room.

Larry Sue at Grand Hotel Mackinac Island

Each of the guest rooms at Grand Hotel is individually decorated. We were there before the hotel officially opened for the season, so we could peek inside unoccupied rooms! The one in the photo above was ours; below are a couple of others:

Time to explore the island!

We spent Wednesday evening, and most of the day on Thursday, exploring the island. The handbell conference was being held before the hotel (and the island) officially opened for summer visitors. That meant that a lot of the shops and restaurants weren’t open yet. There was a fair amount of activity downtown, though, as the shops and hotels prepared for the influx of guests. We enjoyed walking along the uncrowded streets and beaches, and admiring some of the beautiful houses… and the horses! It’s always fun to play the “which house would you choose?” game. We can all dream, right?

We wouldn’t like to give the impression that this trip was more about a vacation than handbells… but we did have a lot of fun before the event started. There’s so much to see in this part of Michigan! We walked around 15 miles during the first couple of days on the island.

Rehearsing our 8-bell duets at Grand Hotel

We decided to play through some of our 8-bell duets on the Wednesday. We’re thankful to Grand Hotel for allowing us to rehearse in their Cupola Bar, on the top floor of the hotel. It was a lovely place to practise, with views across the lake. Here’s a video of our 8-bell arrangement of Amazing Grace:

If you’d like to see all the videos we recorded at the hotel, you can see them in a showcase on our Vimeo channel.

The handbell conference started on Friday, with the first massed ringing rehearsal and an excellent concert by Quadrants Handbell Quartet. We didn’t count how many handbell choirs were at the event, but the auditorium was full. There were classes on various topics too. We attended one about handbell music for small groups, featuring some of our 8-, 12- and 16-bell music, along with music by other arrangers. It’s wonderful to know that there’s so much music available for small groups now. Fred Gramann was the director for the event, and we had a surprisingly large number of people in the audience for the final concert on Saturday afternoon. We performed pieces by Fred Gramann, Linda Lamb, Sandra Eithun, Jason Krug and Dan Edwards, and all were well received.

Thanks to HMA Area 5!

After the pandemic-related delay, it was wonderful to gather and play handbells on Mackinac Island again! Our thanks go to all at Area 5 of the Handbell Musicians of America – for all the hard work that went into organising this year’s spring conference. It takes a lot of time and effort to create an event like this, and we appreciate everyone who worked so hard to make it a success.

So, when will we get to play handbells on Mackinac Island again? That’s a good question. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we won’t have to wait too long!

May 9, 2022

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime – for Handbells, 3 or 5 Octaves

“‘Twas in the moon of wintertime
When all the birds had fled
That mighty Gitchi Manitou
Sent angel choirs instead
Before their light the stars grew dim
And wond’ring hunters heard the hymn:

Jesus, your King, is born;
Jesus is born!
In excelsis gloria!”

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime, also known as the Huron Carol, is thought to be Canada’s oldest Christmas Carol. It was written in around 1642 by Jean de Brébeuf, a Jesuit missionary in Canada. The tune is based on a traditional French song.

More information about ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime

‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells, with optional handchimes. It’s an exciting arrangement with a touch of mystery! There’s lots of activity for the bass bells, and the handchimes add a shimmer of magic.

Sheet music for this arrangement 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. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

More information about Choraegus handbell music

Your purchase of the full-choir license also gives permission for you to perform, broadcast and live-stream this piece as part of a concert or worship service without the need for any additional license or fee, although we ask you to credit the composer (Larry Sue) and publisher (Choraegus) in any printed media such as concert programs, and online (in video descriptions). 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 on our Facebook page too!

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. 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.

Any questions?

Twas in the Moon of Wintertime Huron Handbells

April 18, 2022

Home at Last – an Original Composition for Handbells

Home at Last is an original composition with a history! It started life several decades ago as a song for SATB choir; part of Larry’s Living Water Composition Project. You can read more about that project on our Choraegus website, and find the choral scores for all the songs. Home at Last is the 54th composition in that project – and it works really well as a handbell piece too!

Here’s our demonstration video, with thanks to Kalamazoo Ringers for letting us borrow their B2 bass handbell. Keep watching, and you’ll see it!

More information about Home at Last

Home at Last is for 5-8 octaves of handbells, Level 4+. Probably the biggest challenges in the piece are the fast glissando-style runs, but they’re not actually as difficult as they look on paper (as long as you don’t over-think them). Advanced handbell choirs will enjoy this piece!

Sheet music for this original composition 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. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

Any questions?

Home at Last original handbell composition

April 4, 2022

A Celebration of Our Life – for Handbells

Larry wrote A Celebration of Our Life for a California couple, in celebration of their 30th wedding anniversary in 2008. Their church’s handbell choir played it when they renewed their vows. As we didn’t have a video, we thought it was about time we made one!

About A Celebration of Our Life

(From Choraegus): Fun abounds in this piece, as it describes parts of their story. For instance:

The introductory melody is both thirty beats long and thirty notes long (not counting ties), and it also has three tenuti (three ten.’s = 30!)
Three children are represented as the lines in a three-voice fugue. This fugal melody also appears in the last section as a countermelody.
There’s a bit of theory geek stuff in the final chord sequences:
– In bars 87 and 88: VII + vi + VII + VII + ii + I = 30
– In bars 89 and 90: ii * iii * V * I = 30
– and in bars 91 and 92 (not counting the suspended 4th): VI * V * I = 30

Apart from all that “fun”, the piece is a challenging Level 4, written for 5 octaves of handbells and 3 octaves of handchimes. Sheet music for this arrangement 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. Purchase of the full choir license gives you our no-fuss permission to print up to 15 copies for your group.

How to get the music

Choraegus handbell music is designed to come to you as a PDF file, which you’ll need to download. You’ll be responsible for printing your own music, and you won’t receive anything in the mail.

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 need, and we’ll be happy to help.