The XY approach will get a natural stereo like sound, but distance micing will make it difficult to get high levels of amplified audio. If your stuck distance micing I have found that less is more. You lose 3db for every doubling of microphones in potential gain, so you can see how going form 1 to 4 mics can eat up PAG.
I used to do a yearly gig where I had a choir set up in front of the stage and therefore also the mains. I tried doing it with 4 mics only to find that not only was there plenty of combing, but it just didn't get me anywhere. I went to using two and panned each one to the opposite side, To try and keep the mic as far away from the amplified source as possible and although it was minimal in gains, there were gains that had been made!
It may be worth trying to get a hold of a couple, just for testing. The shotgun mics are very narrow in coverage and if you get them pointed just right, you can get the quiet bells to get closer to the louder ones.