“Humid Heat & Splash” was commissioned by Tasting Notes for the concert “Bells Beyond - New Music for Handbells” - featuring all new music for handbells.

I wrote these pieces in an effort to offer something new to the existing handbell repertoire, while remaining true to my personal compositional style. These were written during a particularly humid heat wave in NYC this past July.

Humid Heat reflects the thickness of the air, the stagnation and doldrums of the heat wave. Splash is meant to feel like the relief of jumping into a refreshing swimming pool on one of those days.

Humid Heat is slow and all about the sound of different bell techniques, different types of ringing, echo, gyro, and swings - I was fascinated by the many types of sounds the bells can make, and how their overtones interact with each other and with the air. It’s a twelve tone piece, which seemed both conceptually suited to the bells and less common in the existing repertoire. Splash is more groove oriented and fun, and more indicative of my typical compositional style. Here I wanted to explore what different grooves can sound and feel like in an energetic setting. It is harmonically very tonal, the opposite of the first part.

I also tried to incorporate a range of techniques and variety of sonic information, while remaining fun and visually stimulating for the ensemble.

Splash intro starts at 59:49, music is 1:02:00 until 1:05:15

INSTRUMENTATION: 5-octave handbell choir, with optional handchimes

COMPOSER: Stephanie Chou

DURATION: 6.5 minutes

PREMIERE: October 3, 2025 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Chandler, AZ | part of “Bells Beyond - New Music for Handbells” concert featuring all new music for handbells

ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES: tba

To request a copy of the score or purchase score/parts, please contact Steph. Humid Heat and Splash are published by Steph Chou Music (ASCAP)

Composer's Note, Aug 2025 “Humid Heat & Splash”

Writing this piece was such a joy and one of the most fun composing experiences I’ve had in a long time. It was awesome to learn about - and write for - this unique and niche instrument.

I first encountered handchimes in middle school, as a 6th or 7th grader in Irvington Public Schools in NY. I immediately loved the sound of the chimes, and also found it to be so fun that each person only controlled two notes. What a quirky way to make music! I also loved the team effort and ensemble element - it felt like a level playing field and very democratic: kids with very limited or no musical background could play alongside those with more advanced musical knowledge. Years passed, and my musical life deepened - first classical piano, then saxophone, songwriting, jazz, and eventually composition, singing, and bandleading. But I never forgot that early experience with chimes, however, I could not figure out what they were called in subsequent years. When I described the instrument to colleagues, no one seemed to know what I was talking about. Friends from middle school remembered the experience but not what they were called. Searching online led nowhere (probably because I was not describing the instruments correctly) - and certainly I had not come across a handbell ensemble ever before. I did not go to church growing up and was not exposed that way.

It was only a few months before the Tasting Notes Commission occurred that I finally figured out that the instruments I was introduced to in my childhood and occasionally wondered about were handchimes. I longed to find a way to incorporate them into my current musical life. So it felt serendipitous to come across this Commissioning opportunity. It has allowed me to deepen my exploration of one of my early childhood memories of group music-making.

Charles gave a fantastic workshop, where I learned so much about the capabilities of this instrument. Before that, like most people, I was only familiar with the typical ringing sound. Through the workshop and example pieces, I was quickly introduced to a vast world of other sounds, particularly plucked, muted, and other techniques which opened my ears immediately to what the instrument can do. It has been amazing to discover a whole world of repertoire, a singular musical community, and years of history behind the instrument.

I wrote these pieces in an effort to offer something new to the existing handbell repertoire, while remaining true to my personal compositional style. These were written during a particularly humid heat wave in NYC this past July.

Part 1, Humid Heat reflects the thickness of the air, the stagnation and doldrums of the heat waves.

Part 2, Splash is meant to feel like the relief of jumping into a refreshing swimming pool on one of those days.

I wanted to have Humid Heat be slow and all about the sound of different bell techniques, different types of ringing, echo, gyro, and swings as I was fascinated by the many different types of sounds the bells can make, and how their overtones interact with each other and with the air. It’s also a twelve tone piece, which seemed both conceptually suited to the bells and less common in the existing repertoire.

Splash is more groove oriented and fun, quite different from the first piece, and more indicative of my typical compositional style. Here I wanted to explore what different grooves can sound and feel like in a fun and energetic piece. I also kept it harmonically very tonal, the opposite of the first part.

I also tried to incorporate a wide range of techniques to see how much I could vary the range of sonic information presented in a given piece, while remaining fun and visually stimulating for the ensemble.

Through this commission I have learned so much about handbells, and I look forward to exploring this fascinating and fun instrument more in the future!

Thank you so much to Charles Zoll, for the wonderful workshop, tips, and guidance along the way.