Tag Archives: holiday music

White Christmas, for Handbells and Flute

White Christmas has been a holiday classic for many years! Irving Berlin wrote the song in 1940, and the first performance was by Bing Crosby on Christmas Day, 1941. Since then, the song has been covered by many people, including Frank Sinatra, Andy Williams, Bette Midler, and Lady Gaga!

Larry’s new arrangement of White Christmas will bring joy, and perhaps a touch of nostalgia, to your audience! It’s for handbells, handchimes, and flute. Thanks to Rose Wiersma for joining us to play the flute part on our demonstration video. Rose is a talented musician, who not only plays a variety of instruments professionally, but also directs the Zeeland Community Band. Rose is based in Holland, Michigan, and we’ve been privileged to be friends for some years now. We hope you’ll enjoy our video!

More information about this arrangement

White Christmas is for 5-7 octaves of handbells, with 2 octaves of handchimes, and an optional flute part that really adds something special!

If you’d like to find out more about this arrangement, and other arrangements and original compositions for handbell choir, visit our Choraegus website. Alternatively, click below to go directly to Sheet Music Plus!

Take me to Sheet Music Plus!

Other holiday handbell arrangements from Choraegus

We have lots of Christmas and holiday music available from Choraegus (and Sheet Music Plus). Options include some fun-to-play secular arrangements. Click on the titles to find out more!

  • Ukrainian Bell Carol: A fun Level 4 arrangement for 5-7 octaves that makes a great concert-closer!
  • Winter Wonderland: A sparkling Level 5 arrangement, for 5-7 octaves of handbells and 3 octaves of handchimes
Show me more full-choir handbell arrangements!

Any questions? Ideas and suggestions?

If you have any suggestions for more holiday tunes you’d like to see arranged for handbells, you’re always welcome to contact us and let us know!

White Christmas, for handbells, arranged by Larry Sue

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas – handbells

“I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
Only a hippopotamus will do
I don’t want a doll, no dinky Tinkertoy
I want a hippopotamus to play with and enjoy.“

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas is a song from 1950 by John Rox. In 1953, Gayla Peevey, a ten-year old from Oklahoma City, OK, recorded it with Mitch Miller’s orchestra as the supporting cast. It’s been a holiday classic ever since – and now it’s available for 3 octaves of handbells (plus optional D7).

Here’s our demonstration video. We had so much fun recording this!

More information about I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

You can find out more about this arrangement on our Choraegus music site, 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 songs that are still under copyright, especially when communicating directly with copyright holders proved to be less than successful. We hope you’ll want to put I Want a Hippopotamus on your Christmas wishlist!

Click here to read about I Want a Hippopotamus on the Choraegus website

Other music available on Sheet Music Plus/Sheet Music Direct

We have more arrangements available from Sheet Music Plus, and we hope you’ll enjoy browsing there!

Winter Wonderland – a 5-octave, Level 5 arrangement.

Silver Bells – a 3-7 octave, Level 4 arrangement of this holiday classic.

I Wonder as I Wander – an 8-bell arrangement of this beautiful Christmas song.

Carol of the Drum – often known as The Little Drummer Boy, this is one of our most popular 8-bell Christmas arrangements.

Bring Me Sunshine – This is a fun Level 3 arrangement for 3 octaves, of a song that was used as the theme for the UK series Morecambe & Wise.

Cavatina – This beautiful classical guitar piece was written by Stanley Myers. Larry’s arrangement is for 3 or 5 octaves of handbells.

Click here to see Choraegus music on Sheet Music Plus

Any questions?

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!

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas - handbell arrangement by Larry Sue, Choraegus

Handbell Music for Hanukkah

Hanukkah (also Chanukah) is the Jewish festival of lights; an 8-day celebration that’s widely observed throughout the world. We’ve had several requests for handbell music for Hanukkah, and we’re pleased to be able to offer four new 12-bell pieces, available from Choraegus.

The Dreidel Song

Also known as I Have a Little Dreidel, this traditional song describes the creation of the four-sided spinning top that is used to play the game of dreidel during Hanukkah.

“I have a little dreidel, I made it out of clay.
And when it’s dry and ready, oh dreidel I shall play.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.
Oh dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, oh dreidel I shall play.“

Sevivon Sov Sov Sov

Sevivon Sov Sov Sov is also known as “The Other Dreidel Song”. Dreidel, spin, spin, spin!

Ma’oz Tzur

Ma’oz Tzur is a Jewish liturgical poem, written in the 12th or 13th century and sung during Hanukkah.

“My Refuge, my Rock of Salvation! ‘Tis pleasant to sing Your praises.
Let our house of prayer be restored. And there we will offer You our thanks.
When You will have slaughtered the barking foe.
Then we will celebrate with song and psalm the altar’s dedication.“

Hanukkah, O Hanukkah

Written by Mordkhe Rivesman and first published in 1912, Hanukkah, O Hanukkah is a popular song of celebration.

“Hanukkah, O Hanukkah,
Come light the menorah,
Come to our party,
We’ll all dance the hora.
Gather ’round the table,
We’ll give you a great,
Dreidels to play with
and latkes to eat.”

More information about this handbell music for Hanukkah

As with all Choraegus 12-bell pieces, these Hanukkah arrangements are suitable for 3-6 ringers. Sheet music is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. Click on the titles above to be taken to the Choraegus site to make your purchase, or find them all listed together with other 12-bell traditional songs. Each arrangement is available for three different ranges of handbells, so you can choose which you prefer. Be sure to refer the bells-used charts on the Choraegus webpage to make sure you have all the bells you need, and be certain to purchase the right version.

Things to know about Choraegus handbell music

Choraegus handbell music scores are designed to be downloaded as a 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!

handbell music hanukkah

The Twelve Days of Christmas – Handbell Trio

The Twelve Days of Christmas is a holiday favorite, and now it’s available for handbell trio!

The twelve days are there in full, and we’ve included some musical surprises in the score. You should be able to hear the swans-a-swimming, some hints of farm animals, some dancing, and some drumming! We put together an audio file in a short time last year, and it’s not rehearsed or polished, but you should get the idea. We had plans to record a video, and we still have those plans, so we’ll see how the next few months go!

This arrangement was commissioned by St. Andrew United Methodist Church of Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Their intrepid trio performed it last year for the church’s Christmas concert, again without a lot of time to prepare. They did a great job, and the piece was a definite audience-pleaser!

More information about the sheet music

Sheet music for The Twelve Days of Christmas – Handbell Trio is available to purchase and download from Choraegus. 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 entitles you to print sufficient copies for your group. For your convenience, the score package for this arrangement comes with a complete three-staff score, plus separate parts for each ringer. If you need more than three people to play it, that’s okay; you don’t need to pay for extra copies.

Please read our licensing agreement for full information about this. If you’re new to buying music from Choraegus, we recommend our step-by-step guide. We designed this to take you through the process in a (we hope) stress-free way!

Purchasing this arrangement gives you no-fuss permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and online video-sharing. Please take some time to read about what you’re allowed to do with Choraegus handbell music. In these times of live-streaming and online concerts, it’s particularly important that we all understand and follow the laws concerning performance licensing and copyright.

Any questions?

If you have any questions about buying or playing Choraegus handbell music, please look at our Frequently-Asked Questions. If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Need a Handbell Performance for Christmas? Book Soon!

If you need a handbell performance for Christmas 2021, it might be a good idea to book soon! After last year’s very quiet holiday season, it’s encouraging to see Christmas events and worship services being planned. Our calendar is filling up fast!

Our holiday performance season will start on November 26, at the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland. We always look forward to this festive outdoor event, where we’ll be braving the chilly weather to play Christmas carols outdoors. It’s a great way to start the holiday season, and a wonderful place to shop for locally-made gifts, crafts and food.

Handbell performance for Christmas - Kerstmarkt

Handbells are perfect for the holidays!

We’ll be back at the Kerstmarkt on December 10th. This year we’re also looking forward to performing with the Zeeland Community Band at their Christmas concert, as well as giving another handbell duet program at Hudsonville Library, and some private events throughout December. We’ll share more details about our public performances soon.

Handbell music can bring a magical and festive atmosphere to any Christmas or holiday event. We can give a seasonal performance of carols and holiday music. We can provide background music to add that special welcoming touch to your corporate event, community group celebration, winter wedding, or holiday gathering. Nothing says Christmas quite as well as the traditional sound of English handbells. Our duet performances can bring the sounds of the season to community events, hotel lobbies, department stores, airports, shopping boutiques, social groups and private house parties alike.

Thinking of booking a handbell performance for Christmas?

As a handbell duo, we take up far less room than a traditional bell choir would. That makes us ideal for venues where space is limited, or where social distancing is still being observed. We still have a few dates available for 2021 (including some Sundays during Advent), so if you need handbells for your Christmas event or worship service, you’re welcome to get in touch with us. If we can fit your event into our schedule, we will.

Contact us with some details about your event, and we’ll check our availability and provide a quote for you. Handbells are the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season!

Handbell performance for Christmas - Larry and Carla

Away in a Manger – 12-bell Arrangement Played as a Duet

Here’s another demonstration video of a 12-bell piece – Away in a Manger.

We recorded this video in the same way as we made our other recent 12- and 16-bell projects – in two separate parts. This arrangement has no bell-sharing, no accidentals, and no need for tables, which makes it particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians. It could be played by 3-6 ringers, using spaced-apart music stands, and two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

Would you like to play this piece?

If you’d like to play Away in a Manger, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to six copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. Your purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.

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, 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 if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll do what we can to help!

Christmas Handbell Duets in Hudsonville

December 12 at 1:45 pm – 2:30 pm EST

Michigan handbell duo Larry and Carla will be back for the second time with a program of Christmas handbell duets, presented by Friends of the Gary Byker Memorial Library. Exact time and further details will be confirmed closer to the date!

Details

Gary Byker Memorial Library of Hudsonville

3338 Van Buren St
Hudsonville, MI 49426 United States + Google Map

Need Handbells for a Christmas Event?

Are you looking for handbells for a Christmas event? West Michigan’s smallest handbell choir is here to help. We don’t have a lot of availability left for December, but we’re still open to last-minute bookings!

Handbells are perfect for the holidays!

Handbell music can bring a magical and festive atmosphere to any Christmas or holiday event. We can give a seasonal performance of carols and holiday music. We can provide background music to add that special welcoming touch to your corporate event, community group celebration, winter wedding, or holiday gathering. Nothing says Christmas quite as well as the traditional sound of English handbells. Our duet performances can bring the sounds of the season to hotel lobbies, department stores, airports, shopping boutiques, community groups and private house parties alike.

The 2018 holiday season is fast approaching, and we’re looking forward to some festive performances around West Michigan. We’ll be playing our handbell duets at “Christmas by Candlelight” events, corporate holiday parties, Christmas luncheons, and worship services, as well as performing with the Zeeland Community Band in their Christmas concert on December 10th. We’ll be welcoming in the season at the Holiday Open House event at Ditto Upscale Resale on November 16th, and we’ll be celebrating the return of the annual Kerstmarkt (Christmas Market) in Downtown Holland on Friday, November 23rd and Friday, November 30th.

Book a handbell duo for your holiday event!

As a handbell duo, we take up far less room than a traditional bell choir would. That makes us ideal for venues where space is limited! Our holiday schedule is busy this year, but we still have a few dates available, so if you’ need handbells for your Christmas event, you’re welcome to get in touch with us. If we can fit your event into our schedule, we will. If we can’t, let’s plan early for next year!

Contact us with some details about your event, and we’ll check our availability and provide a quote for you. Handbells are the perfect way to celebrate the holiday season!

handbells for a Christmas event - Michigan handbell duo

Ringing in the Holiday Season – in Holland, Michigan

November 16 at 11:00 am – 2:00 pm EST

Handbell duo Larry and Carla will be Ringing in the Holiday Season at Ditto Upscale Resale on Friday, November 16th, as part of the store’s annual Holiday Open House event. Come and welcome the holiday season with cookies, coffee and giveaways! Larry and Carla will be performing handbell duets from 11:00am to 2:00pm.

Details

Ditto Upscale Resale

571 E 8th St
Holland, MI 49423, MI 49423 United States + Google Map
View Venue Website