The Golden Dance Store







The Golden Dance Store offers high-quality handbell sheet music for solo and ensemble ringers at a reasonable cost, as well as Michèle's CDs, DVDs, instructional videos, & accompaniment tracks.


Meditation on the First Piano Prelude by J. S. Bach
("Ave Maria")
by Charles Gounod
arr. by Michèle Sharik


In 1853, French composer Charles Gounod (1818-1893) had the audacity to think that he could fit a melody over the top of J. S. Bach’s masterpiece, the Prelude No. 1 from The Well-Tempered Clavier. By now it is probably safe to say that his experiment was successful.

Originally written for violin, piano and "various other instruments" and entitled Méditation sur le 1er Prélude de piano de S. Bach, Gounod later transcribed it for voices and in 1859, added the words of the Ave Maria prayer. It was in this form that the work received its most widespread attention and has been passed down as one of the great works of all time.

Meditation on the First Piano Prelude by J. S. Bach ("Ave Maria")


Note: This is PDF sheet music that you must download and print after purchasing.



Download or View the Locked PDF
File size 1,022 kb
Please review our License Agreement before downloading
  • Instrumentation: Solo handbells, instrument, and piano or harp
  • Key: G major
  • Bells Used: G4-B6
  • Price: $10.00
  • Date last updated: Feb 08, 2008
  • ASCAP Reference Number: 353636
  • ASCAP Title Code: 130077577
  • Catalog Number: TGD1005

Sheet Music
What do you get when you download this music?
  • a full score (showing all instrument parts and including pedal marks for both piano and harp);
  • a "clean" copy (ie. no choreography) of the solo handbell part;
  • a copy of the solo handbell part with suggested choreography written in;
  • a part for C instrument in treble clef (ie. flute or oboe);
  • ;a part for B-flat instrument in treble clef (ie. clarinet);
  • a part for F instrument in treble clef (ie. English Horn);
  • a part for C instrument in alto clef (ie. viola);
  • a part for C instrument in bass clef (ie. cello or bassoon); and
  • a copy of our License Terms.
Included on the CD Chimera
(solo handbells and harp)

Chimera CD

Listen to an excerpt! Listen to an excerpt!


Included on the CD
Bronzewood Paedeia: Sampler
(solo handbells, cello, and harp)

Sampler CD