Jun 06

Friskin’ the Whiskers

Jazz great Cab Calloway had an expression “friskin’ the whiskers”. It’s a reference to the idea of “just gettin’ started”, and is draws a picture of a highly-skilled performer who starts on his set by smoothing his mustache. “Okay, now I’m ready to play.”
Friskin’ the Whiskers, a new Level 5 work for five to seven octaves of handbells was commissioned by RiverBells of Sacramento, California with the following requirements:

  • Original (that is, not an arrangement).
  • Level 3+ or higher.
  • Three to fifteen minutes in length (it’s just about exactly 4:00).
  • Swing style.

Here’s to hoping that you’ll find this one fun to play!

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.

Jun 01

A Little Bird Sang to Me…

We’re getting more music out so that you can play it. Klein vogelijn is a Dutch song about a little bird singing in a tree, sharing its God-given gift of music with the world around it. We hope you’ll enjoy playing it!

May 09

Botany Bay

Sorry, no… we’re not taking a trip to Australia at the moment (we’d love to, one day). But we do have some music that’s played in Australia. Today’s new release is Botany Bay, a song that refers to the penal colony Down Under by that name (you might also remember something from one of the Star Trek movies…).

The precise origins of the song are a bit unclear, but it’s known that it became popular in nineteenth-century London as one of the selections in the musicals of that time.

May 02

Morning Song

We had the privilege of playing the opening concert at an event sponsored by  Handbell Musicians of America’s Area 5 on Mackinac Island in April 2018. It was an opportunity for us to get to know and to share with our fellow handbell musicians from the northern Midwest

Our arrangement of MORNING SONG was one of the pieces we premiered that evening. We hope you’ll enjoy playing it!

Feb 13

Thou Hidden Source of Calm Repose

We all go through difficult, unsettling circumstances from time to time. The hymn Thou Hidden Source of Calm Repose is one of those reminders that God is in control, and that He can make sense of life when it seems scrambled.

Here’s our new twelve-bell arrangement of this hymn!

Jan 22

How Great Thou Art – Twelve Handbells

After a great Christmas season (and a very, very busy December), we’re heading into 2018 with lots of music. Today we’re leading off with our new twelve-bell arrangement of How Great Thou Art. We think you’ll enjoy playing it, and that your church families will love hearing it.

It’s available in two versions, one for the traditional twelve-bell range C5-G6, and one based on “normal bell choir assignments” for F5-C7.

Happy ringing!

Oct 27

Five (5 octaves of handbells)

Our fifth anniversary was approaching, so I wanted to give Carla something special. This original composition was the result, and the handbell choir at our church in Holland, Michigan premiered it as the prelude in the services on our anniversary weekend.

It’s entitled Five, and can be a treasure hunt for you and your ringers as you look for where that number appears in the score. For instance, the two key signatures are B major (five sharps) and Db major (five flats).

It’s AGEHR level 2+. Enjoy!

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.

Oct 23

Accompanied twelve-bell music for Christmas!

We usually play unaccompanied eight-handbell music. Maybe that’s because it’s easier to get together to practice; only two of us have to head to the rehearsal room.

However, we do realize that many of you may have larger groups, or might want to include a pianist. So we have a couple of new Christmas arrangements for twelve bells plus piano. They’ve arrived just in time for you to prepare them for your holiday services!

In the Bleak Midwinter – Purchase it here!

Still, Still, Still – Purchase it here!

Sep 06

Elysium

Elysium was commissioned from our friend Susan Nelson by Laurie and Rusty Sanders. It’s a thoughtful, pensive piece for three to five octaves of handbells plus optional flute descant. After a very brief time on “out of print” status, we’ve brought it back in the Choraegus catalog.

Do check it out!

Jul 24

The Bass Ringer’s Notebook, Second Edition

Exciting news! When Above the Line Publishing decided to ride off into the sunset, it took the original Bass Ringer’s Notebook with it. Quite a few bass handbell ringers already had copies, but there were those who still were looking for a copy of their own. The need still existed!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve added the Bass Ringer’s Notebook, Second Edition to our catalog. The material therein has been augmented with more ideas for making your bass ringing technically precise, musically expressive, and physically safe.

There’s a new YouTube playlist of the techniques described. These videos provide a dynamic presentation of the skills every bass ringer should understand. They’re also the basis for the illustrations in the book, because the printed stop-action sequences are frames from those videos.

This book isn’t about a single way to “sling the buckets”. Rather, it provides practical options that give you the choice of how you approach the instrument, and that means you can use the ones that best fit you personally.

It may have taken a few years to get to this new edition, but in the words of Low Ding Zone, the World’s First Bass Handbell Ensemble, it’s been “Worth the Weight”. We anticipate that the second edition of the Bass Ringer’s Notebook will be an important resource in your quest to “Support Low Standards”. 🙂

Bass Ringer's Notebook, Front Cover