Handbell music requiring just eight bells – surprisingly, perhaps, can be exciting and expressive as well as remarkably challenging. Choraegus is proud to present pieces in this genre for your listening and performing enjoyment!
Eight-bell music is more versatile than you might think! Here are some possible ways to play it:
- … as a two-bells-each quartet, a four-in-hand duet, or a trio.
- … as a double-ensemble piece with one ensemble on bells and the other on chimes.
- … as a two-octave piece by doubling the octave below (it’ll work best if you can obtain a duplicate G5 so that someone will be doubling both G5 and G6).
- … or even as an octet where each person playing one bell.
And if you have a suggestion for a piece that might be great with just eight bells, please suggest it below and we’ll think about it!
16 comments
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Are your arrangements for sale? I’d love to purchase some of them!
Author
Hello, Irene!
Yes, our arrangements are indeed for sale. Just surf to https://www.choraegus.com/wordpress/ring/eight-bell-music/, select a piece, and click on the “Add to Cart” button. When you’ve selected all the pieces you’d like to buy, then click on the “Check Out” button on the cart on the right!
Thank you for asking, and happy ringing to you!
Larry Sue
I’m looking for some SIMPLE (think beginning ringer who has limited music reading experiece) for some new ringers I’m starting at my church. What do you have available?
Thanks,
Jim Rossetti
Area 2 Past Chair
Author
Hi Jim,
I have more music to put into the store, of course… I do have some L1/L2 music that would work well. Would you be able to give me a few days to prepare and post it?
Larry
Hi
I need some fairly simple eight bell Christmas music for use in shopping centres, nursing homes, Christmas events etc where we will only have a limited amount of space available to us. The pieces need to be well known to the English public! I would be grateful for anything you have.
Thanks
Jane
Author
Hi Jane,
We just put this collection of simple Christmas pieces together to day! Do take a look.
Larry :)…
Author
Hi Jim,
Here are some simple eight-bell Christmas arrangements for you to check out!
Larry :)…
I have purchased several of your 8 bell arrangements. We have enjoyed playing them. Just wondering if you have 8 bell arrangement for In the Garden, or they that wait upon theLord. Thanks
Author
Hi Janice!
Thank you so much for purchasing and playing our music. It’s great to hear that you’ve enjoyed the pieces we’ve arranged!
And thank you, also, for asking whether we have “In the Garden” and “They That Wait Upon the Lord”. Sorry to say, we don’t have either of those – yet – and we’ll take your inquiry as a suggestion, and will hope to have one or both of them available soon!
Update! We now have an eight-handbell arrangement of “In the Garden” – do take a look!
What happened to the “Surprisingly Easy” category for 8 bells? I have 4 ringers, plus me, in our church handbell choir right now (a couple are snowbirds and will be back when the weather warms up). One ringer has problems with 8th notes, especially when there are a lot of them. We currently have “Kingsfold,” “Let All Mortal Flesh,” and “All creatures…” Can you suggest a couple more?
Author
Hi Judy!
Our “Surprisingly Easy”™ eight-handbell pieces are found alongside their corresponding “standard” scores. Thanks for pointing out that organizing that part of our site in that fashion makes it harder to spot them just by looking at a directory.
To make it easier, we’ve now added a page of links to our “Surprisingly Easy”™ eight-bell music which is accessible from the pulldown menu at Ring -> Eight-Bell Music -> “Surprisingly Easy”™ Eight-Handbell Pieces.
Have a great 2019!
Larry
Found it! Thanks!
Hi, looking for easy Christmas music for 8 bells in the key of C, for children, Sunday School related songs. What would you suggest from your collection?
Thanx. Art
Author
Hi Art,
(I’ve sent this reply by email as well…)
I’d suggest you look in a couple of places on our site:
Eight-bell Christmas music (https://www.choraegus.com/ring/eight-bell-music/eight-bell-christmas/). Although our eight-bell music spans many different musical keys, there are a fair number in C major/A minor that might work for you. The usually-American version of Away in a Manger composed by Murray, and O Come, O Come Emmanuel might work for you.
Eight bell “Surprisingly Easy”™ Christmas collections (https://www.choraegus.com/ring/eight-bell-music/eight-bell-collections/eight-handbell-collections-surprisingly-easy/).In each one, you’d get an extra piece for the price you pay.
The videos we attach to each arrangement’s page should give you an idea as to whether your young musicians will be able to handle the music.
If you need more accessible music, there’s some amount of eight-bell music available. Also, our eight-bell music typically uses the range G5-G6, so you’ll want to compare that to the range of bells that you have.
Please feel free to write back if you have more questions!
Larry
Thanks
Author
Hi Jerry,
You’re welcome! We hope you enjoy playing our music!
Larry