Handbells 2/2+ or 3-5 Octaves)
By Kathleen Wissinger
Level: 2
A grand prelude for worship, concert or festival, "A Day to Celebrate" is bold and rhythmic –with strong chords and a bright melody. Add the optional trumpet to make this fanfare really sparkle! A calmer middle section is in the relative minor key. Two Level 2 settings in this original piece's folio allow for flexibility: "A" covers 2 oct. (G4-G6) or 2½ oct. (C4-G6) while "B" covers 3 to 5 octaves. Choose the setting that best fits your group – note they are in different keys ("A" is in C, "B" is in F), so they are not compatible. This fanfare has a recurring rhythmic pattern (dotted-8th/16th note pairs) played by every ringer somewhere in the piece, making it a great teaching piece for this rhythmic skill. Unison exercises (covering this skill and many other aspects of the music) and notes on how to use them are included. Three alternative titles are offered for wider liturgical use: "He Arose!," "Epiphany Procession," and "Wave the Palms." Optional trumpet scores are included, reproducible for your soloist. A bonus piece for playing chords to accompany the familiar hymn tune LLANFAIR (Praise the Lord, God's Glories Show) is also included. "A Day to Celebrate" is part of the "Class ring" series from ringTrue Handbell Music; pieces written with a focused pedagogical skill or aspect, worthy of classroom time and concert performance. The sound clip on www.handbellworld.com is played by The Massanutten Ringers, Massanutten Pres. Church, Penn Laird, Va. – Carol Lown, director.