December 28, 2020

Handbell Performances in a Quiet Holiday Season

It’s the time of year when we like to look back at our handbell performances during the busy run-up to Christmas. We’re talking about a very different kind of holiday season!

Our busiest time of the year usually begins in late November and continues all through December. In past years, there have been weeks when we’ve felt as though we hardly seen our home during the run-up to Christmas! However, in recent months, churches have been holding services online, and community groups have been unable to meet in person. Senior communities have been closed to visitors, and company Christmas events were canceled. It seemed that no one was having holiday parties or booking musicians for performances this winter.

So, what did we do during this unusually quiet holiday season?

We are very fortunate to have been able to make handbell music together in recent months. It’s true that the COVID-19 situation had a dramatic effect on our handbell performance opportunities. However, we were still able to write and play music as a handbell duo, and we’re thankful for that. We took the opportunity to play and record some of our 12- and 16-bell music. It was a new adventure for us, and we were pleased with how several of the videos turned out. Here’s The First Nowell:

Continuing a holiday tradition

One of our favorite regular holiday performance venues is the Kerstmarkt in Downtown Holland. It’s an outdoor, European-style Christmas market, and we were happy that the event could still take place this year. We gave two evening performances at the Kerstmarkt, and enjoyed it as much as ever, in spite of the chilly weather!

Handbell performances in Downtown Holland

Virtual performances

For one of our performances this December, we took a virtual trip to Colorado! A Denver-based community group asked us to prepare an online handbell program for their holiday gathering. We gave this event a lot of thought, and decided that it would be too risky to give a “live” performance on Zoom. We occasionally have issues with our internet connection, and couldn’t be certain how well the tone of our handbells would come across online.

To solve this problem, we recorded the program beforehand and uploaded it as a YouTube video for the group to watch. We soon discovered how much more stressful it is to introduce a handbell performance when you’re talking to a camera instead of a real audience! Here we are, by the Christmas tree, ~~trying~~ failing to talk without looking awkward:

On the evening of the virtual performance, we joined the group in a Zoom question-and-answer session. It was a good way to share our music with a far-away group, and we’d definitely consider doing something similar again.

Christmas concerts

We had fun putting together some online performances for the Kalamazoo Ringers’ Home for Christmas virtual concert. Carla produced the video for the group, combining recordings from last year’s Christmas Traditions concert with some new performances. These new performances were by several small ensembles and a soloist. Here’s our lively arrangement of Ding Dong, Merrily on High, with Martha and Gary Matthews on flute and piano:

We also spent some time putting together our own Christmas handbell duet concert. We’d recorded the 6- and 8-bell music in late October, at our summer cottage at Bay View in northern Michigan. The cottage was seriously cold at the time! We showed some photos taken during the snowy months, when the Victorian cottages at Bay View are closed up for the winter. Lake Michigan is breathtakingly beautiful when it’s covered in ice!

In-person performances

We received a fairly last-minute invitation to play at the Burcham Hills Festival of Lights in East Lansing. This it turned out to be a very festive evening! The event was totally contactless, with families driving through in their cars, stopping to meet Santa and listen to our Christmas music. The organizers had made great efforts to keep this community event safe for everyone. We played our handbell duets on two consecutive evenings – and yes, it was cold! The Christmas lights twinkled in the darkness, and people seemed to enjoy the festivities.

Holiday handbells at Burcham Hills Lights

A busy month at church

While Carla was busy editing concert videos, Larry had a busy month as a cantor/music mixer for our church’s online worship services. We made videos of our handbell duets for Advent and Christmas services, and took part in an online Christmas Eve concert with other musicians from the church. Just before Christmas, we recorded a brand-new arrangement of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing with Linda Strouf. Linda mastered the interesting piano part after a very short rehearsal time! You can find the video on our Facebook page.

On the Sunday after Christmas Day, we went to South Haven First United Methodist Church to play some carols there. We recorded some handbell music in the sanctuary, ready for the service to be broadcast later in the day. We appreciated this final opportunity to share some of our Christmas music before putting away the carols for a while.

All in all, it was a very quiet holiday season for us. In some ways, we missed the usual flurry of activity. However, we did enjoy the opportunity to take December a little more calmly. A huge bonus was being able to enjoy so many of the online handbell concerts posted by groups across the world. We watched handbell performances by groups we’d never usually have the opportunity to see. Many small ensembles performed Choraegus handbell music this holiday season, and we were thankful for that too.

Looking ahead to 2021

What will 2021 look like for handbell performances and live music events? It’s too early to say! We hope that at some point in the coming months, we’ll be able to share our music with in-person audiences again. In the meantime, our thanks go to everyone who invited us to be part of their masked-and-socially-distant 2020 holiday events!

December 16, 2020

Our Online Christmas Handbell Concert

Our online Christmas handbell concert is ready to watch! We’re happy to bring you our 2020 concert – recorded at our summer cottage in Bay View, Michigan. Watch the concert to see and hear some of our favorite holiday 8-bell duets, enjoy some photos of Bay View in the winter, and grab the opportunity to download a brand-new Christmas carol for 8 bells and piano – free of charge until Christmas Day 2020!

The following handbell duets are featured in this concert:

Creator of the Stars of Night
Hills of the North, Rejoice
The Cherry Tree Carol
Angels from the Realms of Glory
Silent Night
‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime
The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
I Saw Three Ships
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
De Zak van Sinterklaas
Away in a Manger (Cradle Song)
Away in a Manger (Murray)
In the Bleak Midwinter
Angels We Have Heard on High
Hoe Leit dit Kindeke
Jingle Bells and FREE MUSIC OPPORTUNITY!

All of the 6- and 8-bell pieces featured in our concert are available to purchase and download from Choraegus, our music site. If you enjoyed our Christmas concert, please feel welcome to share the video with your family and friends as we celebrate the Christmas season with handbell music!

If you have any questions for us, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help!

Christmas handbell concert - Larry and Carla

December 2, 2020

Angels from the Realms of Glory – 12-Bell Music Played as a Duet

Here’s another demonstration video of a 12-bell piece – Angels from the Realms of Glory.

This video was recorded in the same way as our other recent 12- and 16-bell projects – in two separate parts. We recorded this video in the evening – half just before dark, and half just after, as you can see from the two sides of the recording!

This arrangement has no bell-sharing and no accidentals, making it particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians. There’s no need for tables, so the arrangement can be played by 3-6 ringers using spaced-apart music stands. Two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

If you’d like to play Angels from the Realms of Glory, 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. 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. 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.

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!

Angels from the Realms of Glory - 12-bell Christmas

November 27, 2020

New 12-Bell Christmas Music – As With Gladness Men of Old

Here’s a 12-bell Christmas carol arrangement of As With Gladness Men of Old. The hymn tune DIX is also used as one of the settings for For the Beauty of the Earth.

Recording a 12-bell piece with just the two of us

Our demonstration video was our first attempt at recording a 12-bell piece during a time of COVID-19 and social distancing. We didn’t have a third person to join us for a trio, so our best option was to play all the bells ourselves, and put two videos together. It’s not perfect (and we hope to improve as we get used to doing this!), but you’ll get the idea of how the music should sound.

Information about playing this piece

This arrangement is straightforward to play, and has no bell-sharing, no accidentals, and no need for tables. It’s particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians, and can be played by 3-6 ringers. Two versions are available – either using bells C5-G6 (as in our demo video), or using F5-C7.

If you’d like to play As With Gladness Men of Old, 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. 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.

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!

As With Gladness Men of Old - 12-bell Christmas

November 19, 2020

New 8-Bell Music for Worship and Weddings – St. Anthony Chorale

As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ve been thinking about hymns suitable for worship services at this time of year. Our latest 8-bell arrangement, the St Anthony Chorale, is mostly known as a classical piece. It’s perfect for wedding ceremonies, and for use in worship. It’s the setting for the hymn We, Thy People, Praise Thee, with lyrics by Kate Stearn Page.

We recorded our demonstration video of St. Anthony Chorale in October, in our chilly summer cottage near Petoskey. This arrangement is straightforward to play, and has no bell-sharing, no picking-up of accidentals during the piece, and no need for tables, which makes it particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians. It could be played by two, three or four ringers.

If you’d like to play St Anthony Chorale, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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 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. 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. Please contact us if you don’t find the answers you need, and we’ll do what we can to help!

November 16, 2020

New Accompanied 6-Bell Music – Marvelous Grace

Since Larry had his shoulder surgery in May, his recovery has been going well. He still occasionally feels the need to put the sling back on, but only to demonstrate a new 6-bell arrangement. The newest title available from Choraegus is the hymn Marvelous Grace, also known as Grace Greater Than Our Sin. We recorded this demonstration video at the end of a very long day, and we’d have liked another try at the tricky section – but we hope you’ll get the idea of how it should sound with a little more practice.

This arrangement works well as a duet, but a trio could also play it, with social distancing as required. There are no techniques that need tables or foam, and no bell-sharing between ringers. If you’d like to play Marvelous Grace, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus, our music site. We also have an mp3 piano accompaniment track available to purchase separately; useful if you don’t have a willing accompanist, or want to rehearse at home.

More information about our 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. Purchasing a 6-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Your purchase 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.

You might like to look at our step-by-step guide to buying music from Choraegus, especially if you’re new to purchasing music online. 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 you don’t find the answers you need, please contact us, and we’ll do what we can to help!

November 12, 2020

New 8-Bell Music for Worship Services – Somos del Señor

Our latest hymn arrangement is an 8-bell arrangement of Somos del Señor – a traditional melody often used nowadays as the setting for a popular hymn Pues si vivimos (When We Are Living).

This arrangement has no bell-sharing, no picking-up of accidentals during the piece, and no need for tables. We demonstrate it as a 4-in-hand duet, but there are no special techniques written into the score, so it could also be suitable for a trio or quartet to play.

How to purchase the sheet music

If you’d like to play Somos del Señor, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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 title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials.

Please also note that our music is designed as downloadable PDFs. 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 answers you need, and we’ll do what we can to help!

Somos del Señor 8-bell music for worship — At Los Altos Lutheran Church, CA (Photo: Carl S. Gutekunst)

November 9, 2020

New Accompanied 8-Bell Music – The Skye Boat Song

Our latest 8-bell arrangement is from 19th-century Scotland – The Skye Boat Song. This is a very straightforward arrangement, suitable for a handbell duo, trio or quartet – even if there isn’t a lot of rehearsal time available. If you need a “pick up and play” piece for your group to perform at short notice, this could be the one!

The tune is also used as the setting for the hymn Spirit of God, Unseen as the Wind, so it’s versatile enough to be suitable for worship services as well as any other performances. We’ve also been told that it was used as the theme song for the popular historical drama Outlander. We’ll have to put that on our “must-watch TV shows” list!

“Speed, bonnie boat, like a bird on the wing,
Onward! the sailors cry;
Carry the lad that’s born to be king
Over the sea to Skye.”

As with all our 8-bell arrangements, this piece involves no bell changes, no picking-up of accidentals mid-piece, and no shared bells. It can be played from just music stands, making it suitable even for socially-distanced handbell groups.

Would you like to play this arrangement?

If you’d like to play The Skye Boat Song, 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; useful if you don’t have a willing accompanist, or if you want to rehearse at home.

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 an 8-bell arrangement allows you to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score). Purchase also gives permission for recording, broadcasting, live-streaming and sharing on video-sharing sites and social media. 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, 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. 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 do what we can to help!

November 8, 2020

Woohoo! We Played Handbell Duets in Muskegon!

Yay for handbell duets! 2020 has been a challenging year for us, as far as handbell performances are concerned. Larry had shoulder surgery in May, so we initially couldn’t accept any performance bookings for the spring or summer months. Larry eventually recovered enough for us to start playing duets again. However, all the events where we might have played had been cancelled by then! Our summer duet “performances” mostly took place on the porch at our summer cottage in Bay View. Instead, we focused mainly on writing and rehearsing new music.

We eventually had an opportunity to give a duet performance in September. We presented an outdoor handbell program for members of the local branch of the American Guild of Organists. Since then, our booking calendar has been a bleak wasteland… until today, a long-awaited Sunday, when we took our bells to Muskegon for our second visit to Central United Methodist Church.

Playing for an online worship service

This is such a beautiful church to play handbells in! We were initially planning for a socially-distanced in-person worship service today. However, COVID-19 cases have been increasing here in Michigan, so the church wisely made the decision to broadcast the service online instead.

We played To God Be the Glory and I Stand Amazed for the Prelude today, followed by Beach Spring and Great Is Thy Faithfulness later in the service.

Even though the congregation was an online one this morning, we enjoyed being able to share our music during worship again. Our thanks go to all at Central United Methodist church for the warm welcome we received. We hope it won’t be too long before we’ll be able to go back and play handbells again for an in-person congregation!

Do you need handbell music in your church?

If you’d like us to come to your church and share our handbell music in worship, please get in touch with us!

November 5, 2020

New 8-Bell Music – O Give the Lord Wholehearted Praise

As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ve been thinking about 8-bell music, and hymns suitable for worship services at this time of year.

Our latest hymn arrangement is an eight-bell arrangement of O Give the Lord Wholehearted Praise – the hymn tune GERMANY. We recorded the video earlier this month, at our summer cottage near Petoskey. This arrangement is straightforward to play, and suitable for a trio or duet. There’s no bell-sharing, no picking-up of accidentals during the piece, and no need for tables, which makes this arrangement particularly suitable for a small group of socially-distanced musicians.

How to get the sheet music

If you’d like to play O Give the Lord Wholehearted Praise, the sheet music is available to purchase, download and print from Choraegus. Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to four copies for your handbell group – so you only need to pay once. 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 title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials.

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.

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!