Mar 02

Flower Drum Song (凤阳花鼓) (for handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, Level 4)

Flower Drum Song Feng Yang Hua Gu (凤阳花鼓) may have been composed as far back as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.). It comes from Fengyang County in Anhui Province, and is said to have been sung by people affected by floods in that region as part of asking for donations to recover their living. Here’s our arrangement for three or five octaves of handbells!

左手锣右手鼓手拿着锣鼓
来唱歌
别的歌儿我也不会唱
只会唱个凤阳歌
凤阳歌来咿哟嘿
得儿铃咚 飘一飘
得儿铃咚 飘一飘
得儿～ 飘 得儿～飘
得儿飘得儿 飘飘一得儿
飘飘飘一飘 		Left hand, right hand drummer, holding a gong
To sing
I can’t sing other songs.
I can only sing a Fengyang song.
Fengyang Songlai
Get a bell
Get a bell
Get it
It’s got a little fluttering
Fluttering

(Lyrics from Beth’s Notes Plus)

Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble; purchasing the single copy version grants permission to print and maintain one copy. 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.

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.

Feb 27

Simple Gifts (six handbells and piano)

Our six-bell arrangement of Simple Gifts has a contemporary twist which gives the pianist a fun part to play. It’s fairly easy for the ringers as well, and the ensemble combines to produce a nicely syncopated version of what usually is presented as a rather straightforward tune.

Purchasing this 6-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score) – 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.

Feb 17

Barcarolle (for twelve handbells)

Barcarolle is a well-known boating song. To me, it’s reminiscent of a tour of the canals of Venice via gondola. The gondolier propels the boat with a long pole; some of them even sing as you float along. And all the while, the history of the city and its beauty encircles you. Our arrangement for twelve handbells is fairly easy to play, and will be a welcome addition to your repertoire!

Purchasing this 12-bell 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.

Feb 08

Jasmine Flower (茉莉花) (handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, plus handchimes, 2 octaves, Level 4-)

The Chinese folk song Mo Li Hua (茉莉花) dates back to the 18th century, and is one of the most popular Chinese tunes of all time. The title translates “jasmine flower”.

Your ensemble will have a great time playing our arrangement of Jasmine Flower. It’s a great selection for concert repertoire, or for a cultural presentation, and will charm your audience.

Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble; purchasing the single copy version grants permission to print and maintain one copy. 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.

Feb 05

The Bass Ringer’s Notebook

Front Cover
We have one book in the Choraegus store. It’s the Bass Ringer’s Notebook (Second Edition). This work of just over 100 pages contains information that will make your bass ringing more efficient and more effective. It’s recommended reading by the Handbell Musicians of America, and more than a few folks tell us they’ve benefited from having it in their library.

Here’s a sampling of topics:

  • Gloves, tape, and preparation for ringing
  • Lifting bass handbells
  • Ringing bass handbells
  • Bass chimes
  • Assignments for bass handbell teams
  • Ideas for managing table layout

Do take a look!

Feb 01

His Eye is on the Sparrow (for handbell choir)

At the end of this month, the Handbell Musicians of America is holding their annual Distinctly Bronze East in New Bern, North Carolina. It’s an event for advanced handbell musicians, and celebrates our art by preparing and presenting a concert of exciting and techically challenging works for handbells.

We’re honored that for the 2023 event, conductor Fred Gramann has selected our handbell choir arrangement of His Eye is on the Sparrow!

If you’re in the New Bern area on February 26th, the concert will be at the Riverfront Convention Center at 4:00 p.m. And if you can’t be there in person, the program will be livestreamed!

Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble; purchasing the single copy version grants permission to print and maintain one copy. 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.

Jan 26

Oh, How I Love Jesus – for six handbells and piano

The tune OH, HOW I LOVE JESUS is a simple one; its composer is unknown. It’s been sung for quite a long time as a gentle expression of faith in Christ for young children and mature adults. Our arrangement for six handbells and piano is fairly easy to play, and emphasizes the simple directness of the hymn.

There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth;
it sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.
Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus, because he first loved me!

It tells me of a Savior’s love, who died to set me free;
it tells me of his precious blood, the sinner’s perfect plea.
Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus, because he first loved me!

It tells of one whose loving heart can feel my deepest woe;
who in each sorrow bears a part that none can bear below.
Oh, how I love Jesus, Oh, how I love Jesus,
Oh, how I love Jesus, because he first loved me!

This piano-accompanied six-handbell arrangement provides an opportunity to play as a two-bells-each trio. Another possibility is to play as a duet where one ringer plays four bells and the other (perhaps a younger/newer player!) plays two bells.

The six bells in the score are accompanied by piano; if you don’t happen to have an accompanist available, we also have an accompaniment MP3 available for purchase.

Purchasing this 6-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score) – 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.

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Jan 23

Hyfrydol for six accompanied handbells

Our very first arrangement for six handbells and piano was Hyfrydol. True to form, it starts easily enough, but becomes more and more involved. If you like roller coasters, this piece is for you!

Purchasing this 6-bell arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain up to three copies for your handbell group (plus the accompaniment score) – 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.

Jan 20

It Is Well With My Soul (VILLE DU HAVRE)(Handbells, 3-5 octaves, plus handchimes, 1 octave, Level 3)

Trusting God for everything – and knowing that God can be trusted in every circumstance – is a linchpin of the Christian faith. And because our salvation is guaranteed through faith in Jesus Christ, the storms of life become a training ground to make our faith stronger.

Here is our new arrangement of It Is Well with My Soul, for three to five octaves of handbells plus three octaves of handchimes. It was commissioned by the First United Methodist Church of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania in honor of the music ministry of their handbell director.

Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen copies for your handbell ensemble; purchasing the single copy version grants permission to print and maintain one copy. 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.

Jan 17

Dance of the Sugar Plum Sumo Fairy (bass handbell trio)

From 2005 to 2013, I founded and led Low Ding Zone, the World’s First Bass-Only Handbell Ensemble. Well, at any rate we think we had a solid claim to the title, since it was never contested. The name itself sparked a lot of fun; once I had the strange joy of watching a friend explain our group name to someone else… in Finnish. And we were honored to be in Overtones with a cover photo and an article entitled Low Ding Zone: How Low Can You Go?

Our purpose was to create and perform handbell music for bass ringers. I like to think that our actual mission was to create a new kind of strange chaos in the handbell world, especially because we had the not-completely-tongue-in-check motto “impossible is only the beginning”. So that meant that some significant proportion of our scores poked a bit of fun at the establishment, just because it could be done.

One of those pieces came from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcraker Suite”. The ballet dancers do so many agile and delightfully airborne moves; what if we created a bit of satire just by adding one word to the title, and went with the implications? Thus, the Dance of the Sugar Plum Sumo Fairy.

Purchasing this arrangement gives you permission to print and maintain the number of copies needed your handbell ensemble (plus the accompaniment score) – 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.