We’ve arranged a number of classical works for handbells. Some are relatively straightforward, while others present a fun challenge. One of the latter is our arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty Waltz for sixteen handbells. Your four-in-hand quartet will have a great time with this nineteenth-century piece… but if you might also give it a go …
Tag: classical
Classical pieces are the source material for many incredible handbell pieces. They come with technical and expressive challenges which are augmented by the need to negotiate playing the handbell techniques written to go with content from the original work.
Jan 05
Merry Twelfth Day of Christmas!
For the twelfth day of Christmas, I’ve decided to take a slightly different tack in this post. In 1892, Tchaikovsky was commissioned to write a series of twelve pieces for a music magazine. The collection is called The Seasons. Sometime ago, I arranged The Seasons for two octaves of handbells. When Carla and I recorded …
Jun 14
Tchaikovsky – The Seasons (handbells, two octaves, Level 3 to 5+)
In 2013, we published eight eight-handbell arrangements of selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. That was an exciting time for us, because we were preparing to do preshow for a local ballet company, and wanted to give them a nice surprise. Yes… they were surprised! This time, we have a surprise for you! Nikolay Bernard, the …
Aug 09
Dance of the Sugar Plum Sumo Fairy – for bass handbell trio
Tchaikovsky created one of the all-time holiday season favorites when he wrote the Nutcracker Suite in 1892. There’s a good chance you’ve seen more than just a small part of it at a December ballet presentation. The Dance of the Candy Fairy (or Sugar Plum Fairy) was a sensation at its premiere, because Tchaikovsky chose …
Apr 12
Twinkle – for eight handbells
Today’s a twofer day. First off, we have a free eight-bell arrangement of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. We’re certain you’ll enjoy playing this very familiar children’s song! The other part of today’s double feature is the “Twinkle Samba”, an arrangement of the same song in Latin American style. It has some fun challenges, and will …
Nov 19
St. Anthony Chorale – for eight handbells
Joseph Haydn wrote this chorale in the 18th century. Our arrangement for eight handbells is quite accessible, and will be a welcome addition to any church service.
Jan 02
Rhapsody in Blue (Handbells, 5-8 octaves, plus handchimes, 5 octaves, Level 6+)
Rhapsody in Blue, the iconic work by George Gershwin, entered the public domain as of 2020. It’s our distinct pleasure and privilege to present this new arrangement for handbells! While none of the sections of this arrangement are of an AGEHR Level higher than 5, playing this arrangement in its entirety would be a tremendous …
Apr 26
Finlandia
There seems to be no end to the repertoire that can be put into eight handbells. That’s good – we wouldn’t want to run out of possibilities! This time, we have a classical piece to share. Jean Sibelius wrote his Finlandia as a protest against the Russian Empire that wanted to take over Finland in …
Mar 29
The “Sleeping Beauty Waltz” for Sixteen Handbells
In February, we made a trip to England to see friends and family. Alan and Gay Cooper were a couple of those friends; in fact, the four of us together comprise the Pizzazz Handbell Quartet. We spent an evening together, and managed to make a rehearsal video of our new sixteen-handbell arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping …
Jul 13
To a Wild Rose
We have a new eight-bell arrangement! It’s Edward MacDowell’s “To A Wild Rose”, and it’s perfect for that one-minute spot that you have in your service or program. We have a feeling that many of you have played this on the piano… have fun!
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