Hal David and Burt Bacharach teamed up to write (They Long to Be) Close to You, a gentle, plaintive song about romances that ended up being daydreams. Although hundreds of artists have recorded this song, most of us remember it as the Carpenters’ big hit of 1970. Our arrangement is scored for three to seven …
Tag: 3-5 octaves
With the passage of time, handbell choirs have grown in size and acquire more and more octaves of bells. Sets of three to five octaves are pretty typical as of the 21st century. Four-octave sets, strangely, are relatively uncommon.
Note that some pieces in the Choraegus catalog are for three or five octaves.
Jul 09
Beloved Friend (Handbells, 3-7 octaves, plus handchimes, 2 octaves, Level 3)
Bernie Foulk rang with the Kalamazoo Ringers from 2022 to 2025. I and the rest of the ensemble had hoped to have many more years of ringing with him, but that was not to be. After a short illness, Bernie headed for the next life, and we started missing his wit, charm, enthusiasm, and especially …
Jun 25
Silver Bells (Handbells, 3 to 7 octaves, Level 4)
The film Lemon Drop Kid from 1951 has a scene with a grumpy, unhappy Santa standing by a donation kettle. The impression he presents is completed with a gruff singing voice and a clanky bell. He’s, shall we say, doing poorly at generating donations. Along come Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell. They straighten him out …
Apr 04
Cavatina (Handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, Level 3)
Stanley Myers’ Cavatina, brings a thoughtful air to the listener. Our arrangement for three or five octaves of handbells imitates the openness and simplicity of the original classical guitar score. Your ensemble will find it quite accessible in terms of the written notes, but will also experience tremendous scope for development of expression as they …
Mar 28
In the Garden (GARDEN) (Handbells, 3 to 5 octaves, Level 3-)
In the Garden is an early twentieth-century Gospel song by C. Austin Miles. It’s about those solitary times when we find the Savior waiting for us in a peaceful place, and spend time rejoicing in His presence. This is one of the most popular hymns of all time! We have a new arrangement of In …
Feb 15
Winter Wonderland (Handbells, 5 octaves, plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 5)
According to Wikipedia, Richard Bernhard Smith wrote the lyrics for “Winter Wonderland” while recovering from tuberculosis in 1934. That same year, Felix Bernard added the tune that has now been covered over 200 times! This song speaks fun and romance during the cold season, about playing in the snow, and planning for great time ahead, …
Sep 11
Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow (Handbells, 3/5 octaves, Level 3)
We have a new arrangement of the spiritual Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow for three or five octaves of handbells today! Your handbell choir will have a blast playing it; you can enhance the fun by adding a cajón to the mix! CALL RESPONSE Oh, there’s a star in the East on Christmas morn It …
Aug 09
Nocturne (Handbells, 3 or 5 octaves, plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 2+)
Nocturne is an original work for three or five octaves of handbells (and three octaves of handchimes). I composed it as an entry in a composition contest, with the conditions being that it had to be Level 2 or 3, and be less than 4’30” in duration. I think you’ll like – or maybe love! …
Aug 05
A new video for “Meditation”!
Meditation, an original composition, has been in our catalog for some time. In case you haven’t gotten familiar with it, we have versions for 2-3 octaves and 3-5 octaves of handbells. Tintabulations Handbell Ensemble of Nevada made the handbell video which we have on our site. Carla wanted to know how Meditation would sound on …
Aug 01
Greet the Morning (Handbells, 3-5 octaves, plus handchimes, 1 octave, Level 3-)
Greet the Morning, an original work for three to five octaves of handbells, draws a picture of waiting for the sun to rise. The night vanishes gradually as the light of dawn overcomes the darkness. It increases in brightness until all of a sudden, the sun peeks over the horizon and starts the day. This …