As of this writing, Dorico doesn’t have the handbell community’s selective damp symbol. However, there’s a way to add one. Thanks to Dan Kreider at Dorico for showing me how! How to Add a Selective Damp to Dorico
Tag: handbells
Handbells were invented in 17-century England as a practice tool for tower bell ringers. They could then rehearse in warmer and cheerier places than belfries - to wit, the local pubs. At some point, someone noticed that it was possible to play tunes (rather than just "changes") on handbells, and so "tune ringing" began. The music available from Choraegus followed the tune ringing tradition as practiced and performed in the modern era,
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 …
Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow (Handbells, 3/5 octaves, Level 3)
Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow is an African-American Christmas spiritual. It’s about the message that drew the shepherds (well, at least one shepherd) to follow the Christmas star to find the Christ Child. The spiritual is a “call and response” song – one way it’s been done in many Black churches is to have the …
Sep 08
My Lord, What a Morning (BURLEIGH) – Sixteen handbells
The spiritual My Lord, What a Morning reflects on the glory and power of God. Although the lyrics have been explained in different ways, the conclusion remains the same: God still maintains control over the universe, and Christians have deep reasons for rejoicing in that fact. Our new arrangement for sixteen handbells will be a …
My Lord, What a Morning (BURLEIGH) – Sixteen handbells
The spiritual My Lord, What a Morning reflects on the glory and power of God. Although the lyrics have been explained in different ways, the conclusion remains the same: God still maintains control over the universe, and Christians have deep reasons for rejoicing in that fact. Refrain: My Lord, what a morning; My Lord, what …
Sep 05
New video for “Ding Dong, Merrily on High” for sixteen handbells!
We promised a video of our sixteen-bell arrangement of the Christmas carol “Ding Dong, Merrily on High”, and here it is! We hope you enjoy it!
Dorico project template
If you haven’t seen the news (as of August 2024), the FinaleMusic team has decided to sunset their music notation application. Don’t worry, it’ll work properly for a while yet; they just aren’t going to make more updates, and at some point will also end tech support. As I write this, a rather mad panic …
How to make a Dorico BUC
Last updated: 18 Feb 2025 – PDF procedure Long ago, Finale didn’t have a plugin for generating a BUC (Bells Used Chart, also HUC = Handbells Used Chart). That meant we quasi-prehistoric users typically made a spreadsheet on which to track the bells in the score and built the BUC by hand. Then along came …
Dorico
The projected end of Finale has caused many of us to contemplate switching to Dorico. Here are a few freebies that you might find helpful.
Aug 30
The Star-Spangled Banner – Twelve handbells
Francis Scott Key wrote the words for “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814 after seeing the American flag raised over Fort McHenry in celebration of victory. The modern rendition (most often at patriotic and sports events, with biennial playings at the Olympics) usually consists of just Key’s first verse. All four of his verses, as kept …
