Ring Out the Bells! is a fun and accessible Christmas carol which is suitable for most choirs and Christmas concerts. The music is evocative of all that is special about Christmas and the words and music happily celebrate the joy of the birth of Jesus. There are few challenges for any choir and it has an immediacy and communication which should prove popular with choirs and audiences alike. Enjoy!

Difficulty: Easy-Medium
16 Pages / A4 format / Paperback
Duration c.4'30

The composer writes: 'For me, there is something so special about Christmas that I can barely put it into words, and yet I hope it never slips from our grasp. Somewhere, beyond the fairy lights and Christmas decorations, there is something deeper. It is, somehow, the mixture of anticipation, sparkle and excitement, re-union with family and friends, walks in the snow, then back home for mulled wine by the fire - all laced with heart-warming music - which captures the senses, re-invogorates our spirit; and reminds us that, whilst disturbing events last but for a moment, ultimately Good will prevail.

The joyous Christmas carol 'Ring Out the Bells!' attempts to create and convey the essence of all that Christmas stands for, as we look back on our time-honoured traditions with fondness, but also look ahead to the future with renewed hope.'

Since leaving the Royal Academy of Music (London) with high honours and a recital diploma, in 1989, Richard Storry has pursued a busy and successful career.

Recent notable credits include the music for Anton Chekhov's Three Sisters, starring Kristin Scott Thomas, which was performed in London's West End and subsequently broadcast by the BBC. Richard's music for Rumplestiltskin received over 300 performances in its first year alone and the musical, Kennedy, was nominated three times for the RUTAC Drama Awards.

In addition to being in demand as a teacher and adjudicator, Richard Storry's work as a composer is recognised both nationally and internationally, including two commissions for the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. His musical play The Brothers Lionheart was voted best children's show in the 2009 Edinburgh Festival, and his first novel The Cryptic Lines has been adapted for the stage.

Richard Storry travels worldwide as an examiner for the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) and was recently elected Associate of the Royal Academy of Music (ARAM).