Catholic sources for handbell choirs?
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 685
    Does anyone know of any Catholic sources of music for hand bell choirs? I really don't want to hear "Jesus Loves Me this I know for the bible tells me so" again during Adoration. This is for Ordinary Form. Please tell me there are sources.
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,372
    I can tell you there are things that claim to be sources - https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/handbells-in-catholic-liturgy-sheet-music/3879255
    https://www.ashleydanyew.com/posts/how-to-start-a-handbell-choir-with-zero-experience has pointers to a few resources : 10 Creative Ways to Use Handbells in Worship; Ideas for introits, responses, transitions, and underscoring
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • davido
    Posts: 874
    GIA publishes a book by Proulx about liturgical use of handbells ?”Liturgical Tintinabulation”? Something like that. It demonstrates how to use handbells with chant, psalm tones, etc. All examples were from the old missal translation.

    Beyond that, I have just sorted through resources to find appropriate hymn arrangements. Saint James Music Press has several things for small handbell choir, some of which are arrangements of classical music pieces (ie a Saraband by Handel) or are original works. These are nice for preludes/postludes
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • a_f_hawkins
    Posts: 3,372
    Tinitabulum
    and other GIA+Proulx works with sound samples https://www.giamusic.com/store/resource/three-processional-for-four-bells-and-voices-print-g4982
    Thanked by 1Don9of11
  • davido
    Posts: 874
    Yep, that’s it. Lol, where did I come up with tintinabulation?!
  • Don9of11Don9of11
    Posts: 685
    Thank you. Our music director does a great job with our hand bell choir and perhaps I'm being over sensitive to non Catholic music even bell music being used in Catholic liturgy. Probably too, I'm the only one who recognized the tune but I was seriously distracted by it.

    So, I thought if I could find some sources for hand bells in the Catholic liturgy it would appear as though I was interested in helping and not trying to tell her what to program.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,160
    "tintinabulation" : I think Arvo Pärt has used that word to describe something about the silences between the notes in his music.
  • francis
    Posts: 10,668
    o jeez... i had ten thousand dollars worth of handbells at my last post as a DoM and attempted to HIDE them in the recesses of the church basement... started an adult and childrens schola instead, and then... it's all up to your imagination!
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