Timbré Ensemble

 

Writing for

Timbré

Dear Composers,


We would love it if you would write for us!  Our founding vision is to focus on music written originally for handbells, especially music that is “outside the box” in some way.  Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when writing for us:


  1. 1.While we focus on original music, we do perform some transcriptions or arrangements. We prefer the transcriptions and arrangements we do to be somewhat musically challenging. (We’re music geeks! What can we say?)

  2. 2.The piece has to be playable by a maximum of 7 ringers using advanced solo/ensemble techniques.

  3. 3.We play on a "long set," which means we have more than one set of bells available to us. Most of the stuff we do wouldn't even be possible without using duplicates, triplicates, or more! We have access to bells G2-E8 and chimes G2-C8, too. So don’t let range or number of bells be a hindrance to you.

  4. 4.We recommend looking at some of the pieces we're already playing and seeing what they're like (most of them are available from any handbell retailer). In a nutshell:  big block chords are difficult for us, but independent lines and counterpoint work well. Our current repertoire includes:

  5. Prisms by William Payn (1975)
        4 octaves bells, Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press HP5030

  6. Chester Skies by Stan DeWitt (2004)
        5 octaves bells, Genesis Press GP3002

  7. Quietude by Michael Glasgow (2013)
        3-7 octaves bells, 3-6 octaves chimes, GIA Music G-8494

  8. Harmonic Convergence (trio) by Kevin McChesney (2007)
        3 octaves bells, STEP

  9. American Folk Hymn Suite by Dale Wood (with organ and piano) (1973)
        3-5 octaves bells, Harold Flammer/Shawnee Press HL-5023

  10. O God Beneath Your Guiding Hand by William Payn (1981)
        3-5 octaves bells, National Music Publisher NMP-118

  11. Minimal Rondeau by Thomas Parsons (with marimba) (1999)
        4-6 octaves bells, unpublished

  12. Children's Song # 4 by Chick Corea (1971)
        4 oct bells, 4 oct chimes, Schott ED7254 (piano music)

  13. Grace by Roger Weismeyer (with cello) (2002)
        6 octaves bells, 2 octaves chimes, Meredith Music Press MMP 1102

  14. Multnomah Falls by Matthew Prins (with marimba and cello) (2013)
        5 octaves bells, 5 octaves chimes, unpublished

  15. The Cold of Between (quartet) by Rima Greer (1997)
        2 octaves chimes, Above the Line Publishing

  16. Koinonia by Stan DeWitt (1998)
        3 octaves bells, Genesis Press GP1029


If you have specific questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our Artistic Director, Michèle Sharik.