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I hope everyone’s fall season has rung off to a great start! I know mine has. So far, my school ensembles have participated in one workshop and two concerts. My church group just played for the first time in church this season. It is a fantastic feeling to be back in the swing of things. How do you include brand new ringers into your ensembles? I know this can be a challenge. My middle school group has five returning ringers and nine new ringers. Of the nine new ones, five had never picked up a handbell before. The other four played in elementary school. We are fortunate to have a second set of handbells at our disposal, so we doubled up new ringers with experienced ringers. This allowed the new ringers to play with a level of confidence knowing that they were supported by an experienced ringer. The experienced ringers felt special because they were able to mentor the new ringers. In my church group, we had one new person join who had never played bells and had never read music before. She started playing just one bell. This allowed her to feel like an important part of the group. Her biggest fear was holding the group back, but she found out that she didn’t hold us back and the group played beautifully in church on their scheduled Sunday. Sometimes finding that balance is very difficult. I hope you all are finding similar balances in your groups as you move into the holiday season. Remember, your regional coordinators are here to support you. If you need suggestions, or you want to run an idea off of another director, send your regional coordinator an email. They would love to hear from you and know what is going on in your ensembles. Happy Ringing!
Marci
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Next Area 12 Board Meeting: January 21, 2023 (virtual)
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to submit your event
for listing! (and get a social media push!)
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The National Guild has changed the way they do renewals, so be sure to check out all the membership options and benefits HERE.
Current Area 12
Member Count:
199
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Order through Amazon? Make your purchases count when you shop AmazonSmile and select Area 12 as your nonprofit. |
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For information on Northern Nevada concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here.
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Most groups are back to ringing again - hallelujah! After more than two years of not ringing together, though, it can be hard to get revved up for rehearsals and even remember what we did before to get ready to perform a piece. Hopefully, this list will help jog our memories about how to get focused and have fun making music together during our rehearsals!
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Rehearsal Goals for the Ringer
- Use correct ringing stroke, posture, whole body movement. Stand up straight and use your core. Consider style, volume, length. Be open and available physically. Make sure you can see your music, including measure numbers. If you can't, find a solution such as writing in the measure numbers or wearing appropriate glasses.
- Know your set up. This is especially important for groups that switch positions and play more than one piece in a service or for a concert. Write on your music or a Post It Note how you need to set up all your equipment – bells, chimes, music, page turns, mallets, etc. – for each piece.
- Understand and use all markings on your music, both printed and handwritten.
- Know what the song sounds like. It doesn’t have to be just the melody, but the parts that are important to what you’re playing. What’s the tempo? What’s the style? Form?
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Figure out what’s most important in the piece; not only what, but who are the “cornerstones” of the song? There will be a learning curve, so what do you absolutely have to get? How can you build on that for each rehearsal?
- Be musical from the very beginning. Be open, receptive, and responsive to the ensemble as a whole, including the conductor. Be aware of how your individual bells and conveyance affect the group.
- Right time is paramount – subdivide and be on the front side of the beat (there are some exceptions). Prepare your ringing stroke. Breathe.
- Right rhythm.
- Right note.
- Right technique/articulation.
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Plan and practice looking up. Ideally, look down no more than every 2 measures for the majority of the song. Memorize the beginning and the end and tempo change measures.
- Respond to conductor’s and ensemble’s cues. This is where the music happens!
Barb
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For information on Southern Nevada concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here.
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The 12th Night Handbell Festival is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America, dedicated to uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing. www.handbellmusicians.org
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12th Night Handbell Festival |
There's still time to register for the Las Vegas 12th Night Handbell Festival! This year we have the fabulous Cathy Moklebust coming as our guest clinician. If you haven't been to 12th Night before, we have a challenge piece rehearsal on Friday evening (January 6) and then a full day of rehearsal wrapped up with a concert on Saturday, January 7. We repeat half our repertoire from the previous year, so, if you come for consecutive years, you only have to purchase a couple of pieces to participate. That being said, no one is required to play every piece. Just participate in what you want to! We keep things flexible. We also welcome individual ringers in addition to full choirs. All details are available at www.harmonyhandbells.com/festival. Just download the registration package. If you have any questions about this endorsed event, don't hesitate to reach out to me!
Alison
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For information on Northern California concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here.
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Redding Handbell Festival
October 15, 2022 was a beautiful fall day for the Redding Handbell Festival. There were 70 ringers who attended the festival to do massed ringing, take classes, and perform as a massed group or by playing a solo or a quartet and even a quintet at the final concert with an audience of 186 people. Guest director Barb Walsh kept the energy going as she led the massed choir as well as the Ringing in the Red Zone Bronze choir. Great class clinicians, Ben Brown, Julie Hunziker, Mary Balkow, Keith Mockford, Diane Bell, Melanie Grabor , and Lois Nichols taught a variety of things from drumming and games to bell trees, weaving, handchimes, sight reading, and small ensemble ringing. Barb Walsh brought her patience and expertise to those ringers wanting to challenge themselves for bronze ringing. There was also plenty of fun and fellowship during the day. The festival, which as an endorsed event, was a great way to kick off the fall ringing season.
Submitted by Nancy Schmitt
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For information on Southern California concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here.
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The SoCal Spring Ring is sponsored by Handbell Musicians of America, dedicated to uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing. www.handbellmusicians.org
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I hope you and your bell choir are enjoying this autumnal season. Up here in the desert we don't see many leaves change, so my favorite part of fall is the arrival of the our snowbirds: Oregon Juncos with their little "pew-pew-pew" calls & the White-Crowned Sparrows with their plaintive whistles. More of them arrive every day! ❤️
My bell choir will start preparing for Advent and Christmas at next week's rehearsal. We play mostly Level 1+ or 2- music, but this year I'm going to challenge them a bit with a Level 2+ piece from back in 2000, Tidings of Comfort and Joy by Douglas Wagner. What do your choirs have planned for Advent and Christmas?
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In other news: as promised, the Spring Ring information and registration sheet is finished and available HERE for download. I have missed our Spring Rings so much & am hoping we'll have a "full house" of bell choirs at the event. Clinician Douglas Lynn has picked some wonderful music and I can't wait to hear them!
My best,
-Michèle
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2023 Southern California Spring Ring |
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When: Friday, May 26 - Saturday, May 27, 2023
Where: St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 1450 South Melrose Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056
Who: Douglas Lynn, conductor
How: much fun!
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Repertoire List
Massed pieces:
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Three Processionals for Handbells and Handchimes, No. 2: Joyful Noise — Gail Downey, National Handbell Music NM HB416 (3-5 octaves handbells, 2 octaves handchimes), Level 2.
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Fantasy on 'Hyfrydol' — Hal H. Hopson, Agape Code No. 1048 (2 octave handbells); OR Code No. 2078 (3-5 octaves handbells) Level 2+.
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Laudamus — Arnold B. Sherman, Lorenz 20/1309L (3-5 octaves handbells), Level 3.
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Gaudio Exsultans — Valerie W. Stephenson, AGEHR AG35208 (3-5 octaves handbells, 2 octaves handchimes), Level 2.
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Free Fall — Jason W. Krug, From the Top Music FM20625-3 (2-3 octaves with optional percussion), Level 2; OR FM20625-5 (3-6 octaves with optional percussion), Level 3.
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Publisher's note: Both the 2-3 oct & 3-6 oct versions are fully stand-alone and may be performed separately or together in a massed ringing setting.
- Also available: full score (FM20625-M), percussion score (FM20625-P). Please note that the percussion part is NOT included in the handbell score. (It is included in the full score.)
Bronze Vision:
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Tapestry — Robert Scott Riker, From the Top Music FM20660 (5-7 octaves handbells), Level 3+.
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Contemplation on 'Ubi Caritas' — Catherine McMichael, AGEHR AG36036 (3-6 octaves handbells, 3 octaves chimes), Level 3+
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Let Freedom Ring — Dan R. Edwards, From the Top Music FM20456 (3-5 octaves handbells, with optional snare drum), Level 3.
- Also available: snare drum part (FM20456-P).
My best,
-Michèle
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Distinctly Bronze West 2022 | Portland, OR |
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Area 12 Ringers made a splash at Distinctly Bronze West with conductor Carlos J. Ávila Báez
Back row: L-R: Barbara Walsh, Michèle Sharik, Cheri Kendall, Karen Carlisle, Elizabeth Mays Loebig, Karna Roa, Lynn Chevillon, Tessique Houston
Front row: L-R: Gretchen Rauch, Debbie Shaw, Barbara Meinke, Sam Strasser, Ginger Hague, Carol Pickford, Scott Pickford
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For information on Bay Area concerts, events, and other opportunities, click here.
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The Bay Area Spring Ring is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America, dedicated to uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing. www.handbellmusicians.org
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Bay Area Spring Ring Has a New Look |
Bay Area Spring Ring has been reimagined as a one day ringing centric event. Famed Sonos musical director Jim Meredith will take the podium this year for both the Intense Ring and the Massed Ringing. Below find the massed ringing selections. Registration will open in January. We hope to see you two weeks after Easter, April 22, 2023 at Valley Church in Cupertino!
Massed Repertoire:
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New Day Fanfare, S. Eithun, Jubilate Music Group, L3
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I Will Arise and Go to Jesus, C. Moklebust, Choristers Guild, L2
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When I Survey the Wondrous Cross, A. Sherman, Red River Music, L2+
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Freefall, J. Krug, From the Top, L2+
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Thaxted, arr. P. Roberts, GIA Publications, L3-
Your Regional Coordinator,
Marquise
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A full-service handbell store
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Richfield, MN 55423
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The Twelfth Tone is published on or around the first of each month, except July, by Area 12 of the Handbell Musicians of America (The Guild). The Guild is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the musical art of handbell/handchime ringing through education, community, and communication. The editor of this publication reserves the right to reject or modify copy.
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Teachers: Would you like the use of a three octave set of handbells or handchimes to add interest and a new dimension to your music class?
Area 12 encourages schools and other educational institutions, both public and private, to develop educational programs using handbells and handchimes.
To support the development of such programs, Area 12 has six 3-octave sets of handbells and three 3-octave sets of handchimes for loan.
To learn more about the responsibilities and procedures for participating in this program, click here.
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