It can be challenging to find good quality handbell repertoire for a small bell choir.
It’s even more difficult to find music for a small, but intermediate-level group. Add to that the expense of buying new handbell music ($5 per copy, on average), which could cost you $50, or so, for one new piece in your library.
If your bell choir plays several times per year, as most bell choirs do, this adds up quickly.
A solution? Reproducible collections.
When you purchase a single copy of a reproducible collection, it includes a license to reproduce as many copies of the collection as you need for your ensemble. Most of these collections run around $50, but they include 6-8 pieces for your bell choir to play. This is a significant amount of savings!
Reproducible collections are available from a variety of publishers and distributors. Some are even available as digital downloads (marked with an asterisk below), meaning you can purchase the collection, download it to your computer, and print it immediately without waiting for a book to arrive in the mail. This is a great time-saver if you’re shopping for new music just a few days before your next rehearsal!
Today, I pulled together a list of reproducible collections for small bell choirs (2-3 octaves), Level 2, and up. I recently purchased two of these (nos. 14 and 15) for our bell choir of nine players. I copied the full collections for their notebooks to save me from having to copy individual pieces later on.
*Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
25 Reproducible Collections for the Small Handbell Choir
1 | Reproducible Rings*
Music for All Saints' Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and General
arr. Lloyd Larson
8 pieces / $49.95
2 | Reproducible Rings II*
Music for Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Patriotic
arr. Lloyd Larson
8 pieces / $49.95
3 | Reproducible Rings III*
Music for General, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
arr. Lloyd Larson
8 pieces / $49.95
4 | Reproducible Rings IV
Music for General, Christ the King, and Christmas
arr. Lloyd Larson
8 pieces / $49.95
5 | Carols for the Christ-Child*
Music for Advent and Christmas
arr. Linda R. Lamb
7 pieces / $44.95
6 | Times and Seasons*
Music for All Saints' Day, Thanksgiving, Holy Communion, Trinity, and Patriotic
arr. Douglas Wagner
6 pieces / $29.95
7 | Tidings Ringing!
Music for Advent and Christmas
ed. Douglas Wagner
9 pieces / $44.95
8 | All Things Bright and Beautiful
Music for General, Palm Sunday, and Easter
arr. Cathy Moklebust
9 pieces / $49.95
9 | And All the Bells On Earth Shall Ring!
Music for Christmas
ed. Douglas Wagner
8 pieces / $44.95
10 | Christmas Carols for Three to Six Ringers
Music for Advent and Christmas
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $44.95
11 | Hymns for Three to Six Ringers
Music for General
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $44.95
12 | More Hymns for Three to Six Ringers
Music for General and Holy Communion
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $44.95
13 | Lent and Easter for Three to Six Ringers
Music for Lent and Easter
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $44.95
14 | Hymns for the Church Year
Music for Advent, Christmas, General, Lent, Palm Sunday, and Easter
arr. Michael Helman
6 pieces / $44.95
15 | From the Cross to the Crown
Music for Lent and Easter
arr. Lloyd Larson
8 pieces / $44.95
16 | Bells and Keys… More or Less
Music for General
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $49.95
17 | Bells and Keys… More or Less, Volume 2
Music for General
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $59.95
18 | From the Cross to the Resurrection*
Music for Lent and Easter
arr. Anna Laura Page
7 pieces / $44.95
19 | Celebrating the Seasons*
Music for All Saints' Day, Advent, Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter
arr. Jason W. Krug
7 pieces / $44.95
20 | Standing On the Promises*
Music for General
arr. James Gilbert
7 pieces / $14.99
21 | In Glad Adoration!
Music for General
arr. Anna Laura Page
7 pieces / $44.95
22 | All Glory and Praise
Music for Lent, Palm Sunday, Easter, Pentecost, and General
arr. Dan Edwards
5 pieces / $39.95
23 | Celebrate the Season
Music for Advent and Christmas
arr. Cathy Moklebust
8 pieces / $49.95
24 | 2-3 Octave Classics
Music for General, Christmas, Palm Sunday, and Easter
arr. David L. Weck
9 pieces / $49.95
25 | Handbell Praise
Music for General
arr. Sandra Eithun
6 pieces / $30.00
* = This collection is available as a digital download
Have you played from any of these collections before? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
