I was asked last Sunday to put together a children’s bell choir for our ward Christmas party. So I’ve been busy creating some handbell charts to some secular and religious Christmas songs. I’ve never done a bell choir with multiple songs so I haven’t quite worked out logistics of having the kids use the various bells needed for each song – so we’ll see how it goes. I have decided to only have the Sr. primary (8 years and older) play in the choir (but for singing time, Jr. primary will be playing all these songs). If you have more suggestions, I’d love to hear!!
- Jingle Bells
- Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus
- Carol of the Bells
- The Shepherd’s Carol
- Mary’s Lullaby
- Christmas Bells
I wrote up little introductions to each song that I’ll have 6 older kids read before we play each song. As they read, the bell choir will be swapping out handbells to the ones that are to be used for that particular song.
Jr. primary will also remain on the stage when we sing Samuel Tells of the Baby Jesus. My bell chart is only for the chorus so I will have all the primary sing the verses. Then on the chorus, Jr. primary will sing while Sr. plays the handbells (I will work on learning the words to the chorus in Jr. primary over the next 2 Sundays). I’ll make sure to post the words like I do HERE and have a primary presidency member help lead singing with her own music stand.
After that song is finished, the little kids can sit back down with their families.
Then I asked the activity day girls if they would sing Mary’s Lullaby. So those girls will step forward to sing, again being directed by a primary presidency member who will have the words posted.
To set up the stage, I’ll have 2 rows of chairs. One row with the bigger chairs and a row in front with the smaller chairs. But when Jr. primary comes for Jingle Bells, they will simply sit in a row on the floor. I’m going to print this banner and hang it on the stage somewhere:
It prints as a 42×26 inch poster. If I get really ambitious, I’ll add some Christmas greenery. I may pass off decorating the stage to the primary presidency ;).
Bell charts will either hang off the back of my music stand or I’ll put them on the magnetic white board that will be on the gym floor, in front of the stage – still thinking this one through.
It’s kind of a lot of moving parts but we’ll see how we do over the next few weeks in primary.
Check out this quick tutorial video for accessing the Resource Library:
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Category Title > Children’s Bell Choir.
4 thoughts on “Ward Christmas Party – Children’s Bell Choir”
Thanks for the great help you're giving us. Where did you get the "Carol of the Bells" piano music that goes with your Bell Chart for that song? That would be awesome!!
Hi Kristen D,
I've got it linked at the very bottom of this post here:
http://camillesprimaryideas.com/2018/11/carol-of-bells-bells.html
When I try to pull up your hand bell chord charts so I can make my own charts, it says this page doesn’t seem to exist. There might be a link problem. I am working on some songs for Christmas using chords and would love to use what you have already created I some cases, I might need to make my own chords. Can I use the colored circles with the note notation in the middle that you have already developed?
Thank you for all the work you do on your blog, you are amazing.
Becky Sims
Hi Becky!
Thank you for letting me know about the link – I’ve updated it!
~Camille