Waltz Of The Bells
by Teresa Jennings
You wanted a bells feature for your next performance, right? Okay, then! This one is in 3/4 time, which officially makes it waltz-like, if not an actual waltz. After all, as the lyrics explain, despite the title, bells cannot actually waltz. But that shouldn't stop you from letting your singers or players engage in the effort.
The tempo is deliberately a bit slower to accommodate your bells, giving them time to consider who is playing and when. Sometimes, there is only one note to play, sometimes two, and during the chorus, there are three. Use all the notes as indicated, or alter them as you need. For example, thin out the chords to just one note or two. Or skip beats or measures if it's a little too challenging for some players.
Vocally, you'll want to keep it light and lighthearted. The lyrics are slightly humorous, so that should help. Even the "la's" can be presented with a touch of silliness. Just be sure not to upstage the bells.
On our web site we have provided an optional accompaniment track for this that does not include our usual bell guide. There is also an extracted PDF of the bells part you can download and duplicate as needed.
Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.