“Eight-bell collaborations” are arrangements (or original works) for eight handbells and other instruments. Most of the time, the “other” is piano or organ, but we also have pieces such as “Heather’s Dance” that have a more unusual instrumentation (bells, harp, and other instrument). Some of these were created for a melody that didn’t… well, almost …
Category: Handbells
Silver and Bronze – Ensemble Piece for Flute and Eight Handbells
In May 2015, we (Larry and Carla) were in a concert with Philadelphia Bronze. While we were deciding on repertoire for the program, the idea of a collaboration between Martha (on flute) and us (on eight bells) arose. Here’s the result! We also have an adaptation of this original piece for handbells and organ. If …
May 29
Philly… Cheesesteak Time!
We’re in Philadelphia for the weekend. The reason is wonderful: Philadelphia Bronze has invited us to share a concert with them, so we’re getting share our eight-bell duets with friends who have been online, but who now will be “in real life” friends too! Today (Friday) is a sightseeing day. We’re going to make the …
May 17
Concerts with No Audience
What if you put on a handbell concert, and no one came to see it? We’ve played in some programs of this sort that had small audiences. It can be bit discouraging, because most of us would prefer to be performing to a full house at Carnegie Hall (and earning 50% of the gate receipts, …
America the Beautiful (AMERICA/MATERNA) – Eight handbells
I think of America the Beautiful as a “wannabe national anthem”, because it says so much about what matters in the country where I live. O beautiful for spacious skies / For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties / Above the fruited plain! America! America! / God shed his grace on thee And …
Masques – Handbell sextet
Claude Debussy’s Masques is an impressionistic piece about a dancer performing onstage with the “happy” and “sad” Venetian masks. She switches from a joyous, excited dance to a more solemn one, then back, switching faces to signal the mood. It was one of my favorites while I was taking piano lessons as a teenager. This …
Handbell – Small Ensemble
We have music for small ensembles as well! Take a look, and enjoy!
In the Garden (GARDEN) – Eight handbells
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! I come to the garden alone While …
Apr 19
Tico Tico!
We were privileged to have our arrangement of Zequinha Abreu’s Tico Tico no fubá selected for Distinctly Bronze West 2015, where nearly 120 ringers participated in its world premiere performance under the baton of Dr William Payn. Because DB is a high-level event, our friend Alex Guebert created some wonderful percussion parts for the occasion, …
Greensleeves/What Child is This? – Twelve handbells
There are many stories about Greensleeves. Some historical references say that Henry VIII wrote it… but it had to be someone else because it was written after he’d died. However, it was “on the charts” by Shakespeare’s time, so it’s been around for quite a while, and often appears during Christmas in the form of …
