IN THIS EDITION:

• Report from the Board Chair
• Notice of upcoming Area 1 Board Meetings
• Feature Article: Are Your Ringers Ready to Ring?
• Friends and Family Handbell Camp Returns This June!
• Festival Conference 2025: Guest Choir Announced
• Notes from State and Regional Chairs
• Please be sure to scroll down to see - and support - our advertisers

Report from the Chair

Jennifer Stack

chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org

I’ve been on the struggle bus in 2024. We all go through hard times, but 2024 has managed to converge many difficulties at the same time, and has me working overtime on the self-care train. It is sometimes possible for me to find respite in the quiet moments, but the only respite I can count on is the time I spend with ringers.   

Ringing has brought into my life a circle of people who are incredible humans. I think there’s some sort of magic that happens in a bell choir with the way we play our instrument - it definitely becomes a family quickly if you’re doing it right. Beyond that, I find that at every event, workshop, festival, subbing gig I go to, someone or several someones find their way into my bell family. 

As I was getting ready to come on board as Chair-Elect, I spent a lot of time talking with ringers about how they were exposed to ringing, and about what keeps them ringing. One ringer was talking fondly about her memories of Friends and Family Handbell Camp. There were the tales of shenanigans and teenage fun, but also those of enduring friendship and lasting memories. This event is one I’m excited to welcome back to the Area 1 collection of good times.

This summer, we’ll meet up at Camp Wightman in Griswold, CT for a really outstanding time at the 2024 Friends and Family Handbell Camp. Some will come and sleep over at camp (in cabins, not tents) and some will choose to commute. On Saturday, there’s options for a one day pass where you can come and take some ringing workshops as well as fun camp style workshops (I’ll be playing arts and crafts counselor for the day!) We have access to swim in the beautiful lake for a few hours, and then we’ll wrap up the night with some togetherness around the campfire eating Smores or whatever you want. MVR has a long standing tradition of banana boats.   

For those who want to commit to the whole weekend there will be ringing tracks. Bronze track will be led by Andy Wallace, Coppers by Dan Moore, Tins by Gina Williams, and Never Rungs by myself. Each group will get music at the event, and will have the time to learn at least 2 pieces to perform on Sunday’s sharing concert. I hope you’ll join us! Space is limited-so be sure not to sleep on it! 

Jenn Stack

Area 1 Chair

chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Editor's Note: Area 1 is grateful to Handbell Services for allowing us to use their handbell silhouette artwork featured in our 'Report from the Chair' header.

Notice of Area 1 Board Meetings

Area 1 Board Meetings are open to all members of the Guild and held three times a year, usually in January, May and September. Please note that our next regular Board Meeting is May 18.

If you are interested in attending, please email Jenn Stack, Area 1 Chair.

Feature Article by Nancy Reynolds

With this issue we are pleased to offer an article that was originally written for the February 2001 Fundamental Tone by Nancy Reynolds, a now retired physical therapist and a long-time Area 1 ringer who hails from St. Johnsbury, Vermont. We contacted Nancy to ask her permission to re-publish this very relevant article, and she graciously offered to update the article as it appears below. Thank you, Nancy!

Are Your Ringers Ready to Ring?

As you stand in front of your ensemble while they are ringing, have you ever noticed facial grimaces, even when the right note has been played? Do members of your ensemble sit down somewhere while you are working with another section at the table? Do you notice that some of your ringers have difficulty moving the bell easily while ringing, even when encouraged? Are there times when a ringer just can’t get the effect that you want with the bell? Do your ringers ever actually tell you that they are experiencing soreness or pain, making it harder for them to ring? Do you have members in your group who have arthritis, tendonitis, or low back pain?

The reason for these questions is to increase your awareness of the potential physical impact of ringing on the people you lead. Often ringing is not the root cause of the problems your ringers may be experiencing. They bring the impact of everyday physical activity with them each time they come to the table. It is your job as the Director to be ever mindful of that fact, and to increase the ringers’ awareness of this as well. It is important to nurture their ability to take care of themselves and remedy or avoid difficulty. Keep in mind this also applies to your wellbeing. Everyone engages in repetitive motion activities throughout the day, from work related use of the computer to cleaning, home maintenance, and leisure activities, including ringing or directing. Ringing may just be the “straw that breaks the camel’s back”.

Click to continue reading the complete article.

Friends and Family Handbell Camp

returns! June 21-23 at Camp Griswold 

Don't miss your shot at ringing by the lake in Griswold, Connecticut this summer, as Family and Friends Handbell Camp returns to Area 1, June 21 through June 23.

Ringing tracks are available for Bronze (led by Andy Wallace), Coppers (led by Dan Moore), Tins (led by Gina Williams), and Never Rungs/Companions (led by Jenn Stack). All tracks will feature two pieces to polish and ring for the concert - there's no music to learn ahead of time. 

It's everything summer camp should be - sunshine, swimming, s'mores, and of course, handbells!

Registration is open! Don't sleep on this opportunity because space is limited, and you DEFINITELY don't want to miss the fun and fellowship! Details are found on the Area 1 Friends and Family Handbell Camp webpage.

Happy Spring! During these past few weeks, I have had the distinct pleasure of introducing a young musician to the wonderful world of handbells. After I solo rang during a service, he approached me enthusiastically, asking, “Those bells are amazing—can you teach me to play?” We worked together before he joined our church choir and performed for the first time on Easter Sunday.

During one session, he asked what I loved about playing handbells. I loved the question, and below is my response.

There is magic in making music together – A group of individuals of different ages and

backgrounds come together, each with their own part. After working together, they create a beautiful harmony of sound. 

The joy of sharing music with the audience – There is nothing more satisfying than a

congregation or audience member who comes up after a performance to let you know

how much they appreciated the music.

Handbell Ringing is so cathartic. No matter what the day was like before the rehearsal

started, everything melts away when the music making begins. My husband says, it is because where else are you encouraged to bang a table - but I had to correct him, with a reminder that marts are only done musically, when performed gently.



You Meet So Many Amazing People—I am still astonished at how many different people I have met over the years playing handbells. I will forever be grateful to those with a generous spirit who have offered to help and work with me, not for payment or reward, but to help me grow and, in doing so, make our entire community stronger. 

What about you – what do you love about handbell ringing and the handbell community? 

Happy Ringing, and I hope to see you at an event soon, such as the Connecticut Spring Ring. Details are below on how to register or join us at the 3 PM concert.

Suzanne Neafus

Connecticut State Chair

Connecticut Spring Ring

When: April 20, 2024, 9 AM to 4 PM

Where: Wethersfield United Methodist Church, 150 Prospect St., Wethersfield, CT

Clinician: Samantha Beschta

Registration: Open through April 15 at https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/spring-rings/connecticut-spring-ring/

Public Concert Details: Invite your friends and family to the free public concert beginning at 3 PM.

Hello Maine Ringers!

In just a few weeks, we will be celebrating our 2024 Maine Spring Ring. We are thrilled to have 120 ringers representing 13 choirs and all six New England states!

If you are not planning to ring with us on April 27, we'd love to have you in our audience. The public concert starts at 4 PM at Auburn Middle School, 38 Falcon Drive, Auburn, Maine.

One of our choirs will be the Lincoln Middle School Handbell Choir from Portland. It’s terrific to have a youth choir, and I’d like to tell you more about them and what they’ve done to prepare for Maine Spring Ring.

The Lincoln Middle School choir currently has 18 ringers and is directed by Audrey Cabral. The school’s choir was created in the late 1980s. One of the school’s teachers had spent a year teaching in England where she learned to play bells and got hooked on them (we know the feeling). When she returned, she persuaded the principal to purchase a single diatonic octave of bells, and over the next five years built it to a full 3-octave set.

About ten years ago, Audrey Cabral took over direction of the handbell choir. Audrey had been ringing since she was 12, and she knew many of the musical students since she was the band teacher at the school. This choir of 18 ringers is the most Audrey has ever directed. (If you meet Audrey, you’ll know why – she’s got all the right stuff to teach music to middle school kids!) Audrey presented the idea of Maine Spring Ring and the kids were all excited to attend. Knowing that 18 ringers is more than a full table, Audrey gave them the option of having 13 regular ringers and five alternates or allowing all 18 ringers to play, even if that meant a few ringers would only play one bell. They unanimously voted to stay together as one group. They have been rehearsing diligently to play the Coppers repertoire (again, the kids’ choice). They rehearse once a week during the school day, and then all eat lunch together. In the six weeks before Spring Ring, they will add a weekly before-school rehearsal to make sure they get lots of practice time. Audrey says they are full of energy, genuinely like playing bells, enjoy helping each other when someone struggles with a certain section, and truly like each other. (And a special shout-out to the parents who will be carting up the equipment Saturday morning and helping with the set-up and chaperoning.) We are excited to have these great kids from Lincoln Middle School join us this year! I've included a photo of the students below.

I plan to highlight other bell choirs from around the state of Maine in future issues of Fundamental Tone. In the meantime, many of us will get a chance to renew friendships and make new acquaintances with Maine ringers at Spring Ring!

Dana

Maine State Chair

Notes from GREATER BOSTON, MA/

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Abigail Schoppe, Chair

ma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

MA Spring Ring is almost here! As I write this article, we have 141 registrants from 16 choirs; by the time you read this, perhaps we will have picked up even more! Even if you or your choir will not be performing at MA Spring Ring, please consider joining us for the closing concert: Saturday, April 6, at 3 PM, at Tewksbury Memorial High School.

Looking farther ahead, I am already thinking about next year’s offerings. What workshops would you like to see offered next fall in your area? And, in addition to the Spring Ring held in Tewksbury, would it make sense to add a second Spring Ring in New Hampshire in 2025? If you have thoughts in response to these or other questions, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

The other very important thing I need to include in this article is a shoutout to Sue Lee, who is the Director of Handbell Ministries at St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church in Acton, MA. Sue is a real powerhouse in the handbell community, and I am sure many of you (like me) are privileged to call her a friend. She was my immediate predecessor as MA State Chair, and she continues to serve on the MA Spring Ring Committee. She has directed a superb handbell program at St. Matthew’s for 25 years, and for 20 years before that, she directed handbells at the Baptist church in Acton. She has been a member of the Merrimack Valley Ringers for many years, and along with Diane Burke, she created the annual Fall Skill-Building Workshops and Holiday Rep-Reading sessions that are held every September at St. Matthew’s. And perhaps most importantly, Sue is a consummate pedagogue: always encouraging and eager to empower musicians at all levels. She’s also always ready to lend a hand transporting equipment or subbing with other choirs. (On a personal note, I’m always astonished by her stamina on Tuesdays, when she leads two back-to-back rehearsals in Acton, drives north for 45 minutes, and then usually subs as a ringer for two hours with my own bell choir in Andover, before she continues home to Middleton. Most people 30 years younger than her would not be up for such a grueling schedule!)

This June, Sue will be retiring from St. Matthew’s. The church is now beginning its search for a new handbell director. They have 5 octaves of bells, 5.5 octaves of handchimes, great acoustics, a supportive pastor, and tables that are permanently set up in the sanctuary. The job description will be posted soon, but if any of you are interested in applying, feel free to contact Donna Yost today! All of us in Area 1 definitely want to see this position filled by someone who will carry on Sue’s amazing legacy!

Until next time, keep building your own legacies in your own choirs – and happy ringing!

Abby Schoppe

Greater Boston, MA & New Hampshire Chair

Notes from CAPE COD & ISLANDS

Abigail Schoppe, Chair

ma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

What an amazing day we had at the Cape Cod Spring Ring! 81 handbell musicians from the Cape and other parts of New England performed under the baton of David Harris. It was clear that the choirs were extremely well prepared, making it easy for Dave to focus on musicality. I was particularly impressed by the group’s rendition of “Grazioso” – so sensitive, especially for massed ringing! We also had a wonderfully receptive, standing-room-only crowd for the audience. If you missed this event, check out the wonderful pictures that were featured in the Cape Cod Times… and start planning now to join us next spring!

Speaking of next spring, if you are interested in being more involved in planning events on Cape Cod (whether the Spring Ring or a fall skill-building event), please don’t hesitate to let me know! Many hands make light work!

I look forward to my next trip to the Cape. Until then, happy ringing!



Abby Schoppe

Cape Cod & Islands Chair

Notes from WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS

Audrey Pierce, Western Massachusetts Chair

westernma.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Hello Western Massachusetts!

Spring is here and it’s time to shake off those winter doldrums. So come out and join us on April 27th for the Spring Zinger ringer workshop at the Wilbraham United Church. Now tell me, where else can you go to have fun, learn new skills, ring great music, meet new people and hook up with old friends all for only $10?

We have a lot of great activities planned for this event. The morning session (8:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.) will be geared for the lesser experienced ringer (Tin), covering basic strokes, drills, level 1+ ringing along with some level 1+ sight-reading. I know this can be VERY intimidating for many beginners. But we’re going to make it easy and we’ll have fun along the way. If you want to stretch your skills come for the afternoon (12 to 2:30 p.m.) when we’ll be focusing on more advanced techniques… exploring 4-in-hand, finger damping those tricky spots, and ending with level 2+ sight-reading. Any level can attend either session or better yet, why not come for both. Can’t wait to see you all there. Go to our website for all the details. Registration is still OPEN!

Western MA Spring Zinger Workshop - Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America

My goal is to have every ringer in Western Mass find something enjoyable and educational to attend this spring. If you can’t make this event, take a look at other area workshops and spring rings. There's a lot of going on in Area 1 so check it out. I’m sure you’ll find the event that’s right for you.

And as always, don’t hesitate to send me a note if you have questions on the Spring Zinger or any other ring thing.

Audrey Pierce

Western MA Chair

Notes from RHODE ISLAND

Jill Boday, Rhode Island Chair

ri.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Happy Spring from Rhode Island! 

In need of some handbell resources or advice in between ringing workshops and conferences? If you’re on Facebook, there’s a group for you! Besides the pages and pages of Handbell Organizations and Choirs you can “follow,” like HMA: Area 1, there are a plethora of “groups” you can join where you can post handbell-related questions and get prompt answers. Just search the word “handbell,” and you’ll have a lot to choose from. The most recent group I joined is “Handbell People.” My tip: Unless it’s a very specific topic or region, look for a group that has a lot of members (+400 is good.) That way your question will more likely be answered quickly and accurately. You can also learn a lot just by scrolling through other’s posts.

Are you ready for the RI Ring-a-Palooza?? Rhode Island’s Spring Ring is happening on Saturday, April 13, from 9am-12pm at Dunn’s Corner Community Church in Westerly, RI. We will participate in fun musical activities and ringing which will all be led by Jane Nolan, Founding Music Director of Shoreline Ringers. All levels are welcome. There is no music to learn ahead of time. No matter your age or experience level, this half-day event will let you “sample” a handbell workshop. We will have fun, all while ringing and learning! Did I mention this is a FREE event? Sign up online at https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/spring-rings/rhode-island-ring-a-palooza/.

Since becoming RI State Chair recently, I have been in contact with ringers and directors around the state and region. My home church, Slatersville Congregational, will be hosting a concert by the Merrimack Valley Ringers on Saturday, June 1. Read or click on the MVR ad at the bottom of this newsletter for more details!

Jill Boday

Rhode Island State Chair

We are searching for a new Vermont State Chair!

If you are interested, please contact Jenn Stack at chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Fundamental Tone is a publication of Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America,

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