The Shepherd’s Carol is one of my FAVORITE Primary Christmas songs in the Children’s Songbook. The melody is simple! Sing it in a round and it’s stunning! Add the handbell chart for an engaging The Shepherd’s Carol Primary singing time idea.
The Shepherd's Carol Printables
To teach The Shepherd’s Carol in singing time, you need this flip chart:
Then you also need The Shepherd’s Carol handbell chart. It plays the bottom hand of the accompaniment. This way, no matter what parts are being sung, the handbells always match!
Page 4 of the handbell chart is simply to end the bell choir. It’s not written in the accompaniment but it sounds better if you end with this last note, trust me ;). Only play it once, after you have repeated as many times as you need.
Download the Free The Shepherd's Carol Singing Time Printables
These printables are filed on the Resource Library page under Song Title > The Shepherd’s Carol.
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Print on white card stock and place in a sheet protectors.
How to Use Handbells in Singing time
If you are new to handbells make sure to check out my post for using handbells in Primary.
The Shepherd's Carol Singing Time Idea
To introduce the song, hang the flip chart pages on the board. Have the Primary listen to the piano as you point to each page. No singing.
The second time, you and the teachers sing it. Then the 3rd time ask the Primary to sing it with you. The real learning comes when you sing it over and over again using the handbells.
The Shepherd's Carol Handbell Chart
- 1st time – with the piano, no singing
- 2nd time – as the Primary sings the 1st verse
- 3rd time – as the Primary sings the 2nd verse
- 4th time – the first half of the Primary comes in while the other half of the Primary starts 5 measures later (the second line of the music singing in a round)
- 5th time – the first half the Primary comes in singing the 2nd verse,= while the other half of the Primary starts 5 measures later (the second line of the music singing in a round)
- 6th time – the second half of the Primary finishes the 2nd verse as the bells play alone the last 5 measures, ending with page 4 of the bell chart.
TIP: have a Primary teacher or presidency member lead each group while you lead the bell choir.
More Primary Christmas Singing Time Ideas
Make sure to scroll through all my other Christmas singing time ideas!
More Handbell Charts
I also have TONS of handbell charts for Christmas and other songs! Find my big list of handbell note charts.
Check out this quick tutorial video for accessing the Resource Library:
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Song Title > The Shepherd’s Carol.
10 thoughts on “The Shepherd’s Carol Singing Time Ideas”
i am so so so grateful i find you and your blog it have help me so many times over the last few months. so i keep on seeing hand bell idea in different music leader blog that i decided to jump in the water… i am excited and super scared…. our bells are arriving Wednesday…would it be to much to ask you if the words could be added to the shepherd s carol obbligato bell chard? just like the one you did for Christmas bell?
i think i get the picture (ah aha i get the picture) but it would help me so very much.
thank you so much for your kindness is sharing you time and talents with us.
never mind i realized there is no word for the obbligato in shepherd's carol… i do not see the part actually… so my question would rather be where does it fit? when do i start the bell choir? how do i know we are still together with the voice choir? i haven t got my bells quite yet and do not know mush about music … just learned what is an obbligato ……so i can not sing the bell melody in my head… i do know understand where is fits… it mite make more sense in a few day when i can play it out.
Hi Edith,
The bell chart I created is the bottom hand of the accomopaniment. Because this song can be sung in a round, there are multiple words that can be played. If you are unfamiliar with the bells, I probably wouldn't start with this arrangement. It's kind of techncal. I'd go for Christmas Bells to start as that is fairly simple.
Good luck with your bells, I hope you love them!
~Camille
ok, thanks for your answer and advice… i am excited i will get them today.
Thank you for all your hard work in you lesson and activity. I have loved all you post.
I have you Loaf attachment you posted it is great.
this year my goal is to make some Bell charts to the song we sing. that to your making bell chart post . I think I an do it.
Marry christmas
Jamie
THANK YOU FOR MAKING A FLIPCHART WITH SUCH GREAT PICTURES! A lot of the ones I have seen have clipart mixed with the pictures of Jesus, and I love just the pictures. YOU'RE AMAZING!
Hi Camille,
I’m also struggling to access your resources library, please help!
Many thanks,
Mila
Hi Mia!
I’ve emailed you.
~Camille
A video demonstration would be so helpful here. Or update the lines/numbers – most of the notes are 1, but all these notes don’t play on the first beat. The words help but I’d love the numbers to be correct for clarity.
Hi Veronika!
Thank you for the feedback – I agree that this handbell chart is quite confusing! I’ve updated it to reflect the counting in the lower righthand corner. I hope that clarifies some. Let me know if I can do anything else for you.
~Camille