THE FREE HANDBELL HYMNAL
Ready to print, Easy to Play, Free to share
What is the Free Handbell Hymnal?
The Free Handbell Hymnal is a collaborative effort of church musicians everywhere who want to expand their ministries.
So many of us arrange our congregational songs for our bell choirs to play. This is a platform to share that work. It is free to use, and absolutely no money changes hands.
It is simply colleagues easing each other’s burden.
How is The Free Handbell Hymnal Organized??
Primarily, the hymnal is alphabetized by hymn tune, but at the bottom of the table, you have the option to filter the size of your ensemble as indicated by the number of octaves.
Wait… what’s a hymn tune?
Church music nerds like me differentiate between “hymns” and “tunes.” Technically, hymn refers specifically to the words we sing while tune refers to the (unharmonized) music. You can usually find the name of a tune at the bottom of a page in your hymnal.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, for the moment we have no plans on expanding to include material meant as anything other than accompaniments to congregational song.
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There are two possible answers. First, this website is staffed by a single person (a volunteer at that!), and sometimes he gets buried in other responsibilities.
However, it’s also possible that the tune you’ve submitted isn’t in the public domain yet. If that is the case, expect an email of explanation. You can check on whether your content is in the public domain here. -
XML is a file format that works across music composition platforms including Dorico, Finale and Musescore.
If there is an XML file available on your selections, you are free to tweak it and call it your own. -
You can email questions or submissions to thefreehandbellhymnal@gmail.com.
Alternatively, you can use use my contact information on my website here.
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You can use the submission form on this very website here.
Alternatively, you can email them to me at thefreehandbellhymnal@gmail.com.
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Really, really not. If you are lucky enough to be at a church that has a large budget, and you can purchase the resources that mirror this project, I encourage you to do so.
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When you buy from a publisher, you are paying for the professional engraving and editing process.
This resource functions less like a publisher and more like a communal bookshelf.
Also, most of the arrangements available on this website focus on requiring minimal rehearsal rather than being musically impressive.
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The primary ways you can support this website is to use its arrangements, to tell your colleagues that it exists, and to submit your own work (if you have that skillset).
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No. I am committed to colleagues sharing their work and easing each other’s burdens. If you have funds that you’d like to dedicate to our work, I encourage you to invest it in published music and living composers.
I promise you, we’re all on the same side.