A California couple commissioned A Celebration of Our Life for their 30th wedding anniversary, and had their church’s handbell choir premiere it when they renewed their vows. We’re pleased to share our new video of this piece, and hope that you’ll have something to celebrate when you play it! Purchasing the handbell choir version of …
Tag: 5+ octaves
The current production range of handbells is seven-and-a-half octaves (G1 through C9). It's an amount of equipment to which many groups aspire, though the cost of all those bells is a major hurdle to cross.
Music for more than five octaves of bells (and chimes) can be orchestral in feeling, but often requires some rather specialized skills on the part of those playing the highest or lowest bells.
Coronation and Triumphant Exultation / Crunadh agus Iolach (handbells, 5 to 8 octaves, plus handchimes, 5 octaves, Level 4)
The Bay View Week of Handbells was founded by Don Allured in 1978 as an opportunity for directors to learn more about their instrument. Over the years since then, it grew from classes and a modest-sized ensemble to a concert event with over 100 ringers in the Bay View Association auditorium. The Week of Handbells …
Let All Things Now Living (handbells, 5 to 7 octaves, plus handchimes, 3 octaves, Level 5+)
The Welsh tune ASH GROVE is most frequently associated with the text Let All Things Now Living. It can be used as service music throughout the year, but for some has a favorite place on World Communion Sunday and at Thanksgiving. Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving to God the Creator triumphantly …
Crush Collision March (handbells, 3 to 6 octaves, Level 4)
Scott Joplin’s genius as the King of Rag shines in this arrangement of his Crush Collision March. The music depicts a long railroad track with two steam locomotives and the cars they’re pulling. The problem is that the two trains are headed toward each other at full tilt, and are unaware of each other until …
Feb 21
We have a new video for Rescue (for handbell choir, 3 to 7 octaves)!
We published Rescue, an original handbell piece for three to seven octaves, some time ago. Now we’ve made a new video! Rescue draws a picture of a bit of the composer’s own life story… but while the details aren’t shared here, perhaps you can think of a time when your own path was dark and …
Those Were the Days (Handbells, five to seven octaves, Level 3+)
We’re excited to have permission to arrange the Gene Raskin song Those Were the Days which was recorded by Mary Hopkin in 1968. It’s based on the Russian song “Дорогой длинною” (Dorogoi dlinnoyu, literally “by the long road”). In today’s popular music framework, it’s about youth and celebrating great times. Handbells (five to seven octaves), …
Feb 17
Those Were the Days by Gene Raskin – new video!
We released our five-octave handbell arrangement of Gene Raskin’s Those Were the Days a little while ago, and now we’re pleased to share our new video, complete with tambourine, flute, wood block, and kazoos. We hope you enjoy watching it! Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up …
Gaudete! (Handbells, 3-8 octaves, plus handchimes, 3-4 octaves, Level 4+)
Gaudete! is a Christmas song dating back to at least the sixteenth century. You’ll find this arrangement (with optional cajón part!) exciting and fun to play! (For those of you participating in Coppers Classic in March 2023, this is the one you need!) Gaudete, gaudete! Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaudete! Tempus adest gratiæ …
Jan 10
Gaudete! (Handbells, 3-8 octaves, plus handchimes, 3-4 octaves, Level 4+)
Here’s our new arrangement of this sixteenth-century Christmas song! It’s scored for three to eight octaves of handbells plus three or four octaves of handchimes – and if you have a percussionist, there also is a cajón part! Purchasing the handbell choir version of this arrangement grants permission to print and maintain up to fifteen …
Aug 30
Somebody Loves Me (Handbells, 5-7 octaves, Level 5)
This joyous song by Buddy DeSylva, Ballard MacDonald, and George Gershwin entered the public domain in 2020. It’s our pleasure to bring our handbell arrangement of it to you! Somebody loves me, I wonder who, I wonder who she can be, Somebody needs me, I wish that I knew Who she can be worries me. …
