The Newsletter of Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America | Vol. XXXIX* No. 4 | August 2025 | | *Editor's Note: In researching what was thought to be the 40th year of publication for Fundamental Tone, an error dating back to 2014 was discovered. Alas, it appears that 2025 is in fact the 39th edition, not the 40th. We shall save our celebrations for 2026! | |
IN THIS EDITION:
- Report from the Board Chair
- Notice of next Area 1 Board Meeting
- Area 1 Election results
- A note from the Past Chair
- Festival Conference 2025 Recap: Photos and Shurcliff Winner Susan Chamberlin
- Winter Workshop 2026 Details
- Notes from State and Regional Chairs
- Please be sure to scroll down/click "view entire message" to see - and support - our advertisers
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It’s amazing to me how fast time flies. When I’m spending time with bell people, it goes even faster, so it’s not a real surprise that my time as Chair of Area 1 has come and gone in what feels like almost no time at all.
It’s been an immense pleasure and privilege being the person who represents Area 1 in all things. My role as Chair will officially end in October when Greg Urban takes the job. You are in exceptionally good hands with Greg. I look forward to continuing to support Education and Outreach efforts as Past-Chair.
Behind the scenes at Area 1 there are so many people who make this work possible. I would be lost without State Chairs who are the “boots on the ground” that handle logistics of everything from large workshops to supporting local choirs. The outgoing Secretary, Treasurer, and Past-Chair helped keep track of the work we were doing, and made it possible to put us on a more secure path for the future. The appointed officers round out the team that fields feedback from members and brings resources to all.
Finally, it’s been so important for me to do the work hyperlocally. My new community choir, Verdigris, begins rehearsals this month to bring a new group of musicians to the next level. Yesterday I taught a few members of my kids’ vocal choir to do a change ring on bells after they learned to play chimes along to one of the songs we will be playing on Sunday. Next month, they will have their first youth bell choir rehearsal. I continue to recruit for my adult group, and have 2 new members joining us on Saturday who will help us get back to ringing on 3 octaves.
You can be part of the growth of our area. It doesn’t matter who you are or what role you play. In 2013, a church ringer named Andrea was my cooperating teacher during my student teaching. She invited me to her handbell rehearsal, and I was hooked. I’m forever indebted to Andrea for that invitation, and to Bjallerklangen for being so welcoming. It only takes one invitation. I invite all of you to bring a friend – to a concert, to a rehearsal, to the table after a service. We can all recognize how amazing it is to ring. Imagine you can be the one to bring that to someone’s life!
Jenn Stack
Area 1 Chair
chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org
| | 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 next Area 1 Board Meeting
Area 1 Board Meetings are open to all members of the Guild and held three times a year, usually in January, May and September. Our next regular Board Meeting is September 13, 2025 and will be in-person at St. Mary's Church Parish Center, 25 North Road, Chelmsford, MA. The meeting will be followed by a Ring Social, since we had so much fun with that last year!
Considering a board position? Just want to hear about all the cool stuff happening here?
If you are interested in attending, please email Jenn Stack, Area 1 Chair.
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Congratulations to our Executive Board Electees
We are pleased to share the results of our May 2024 elections:
Andrew Wallace, Chair-Elect; Jeannie Cushman, Secretary; and Charles Arnold, Treasurer.
These newly-elected members of the Area 1 Executive Board
were introduced at our Biennial Meeting at Festival Conference on June 27.
They will begin service on October 1, 2025.
| Thank you to all candidates who stepped up to run for leadership positions! | |
So long, and thanks for all the…
…lasting memories, friendships, and fun!
Eight years ago, the members of Area 1 entrusted me with the responsibility of joining the Area 1 board of directors as Chair-Elect. It was an honor and a privilege to be asked to serve; and it has been an honor and a privilege every day since to be able to work alongside such a dedicated and talented board, and to proudly represent Area 1 at events here in New England and nationally.
During my tenure as Chair-Elect, Chair, and Past-Chair, we came together and brainstormed many new programs, and I am thrilled to have played a role in implementing them. Here are some of the new events and ideas I’m most proud of from the past few years:
Bronze Independent Ringers at Festival Conference: starting in 2019, we opened up the Bronze track to more than just full ensembles, modeling the application process after the National “Distinctly Bronze” criteria. That first year we had two full independent ensembles; This year at FC25, we had THREE full independent Bronze ensembles. Our independent musicians came from all over New England, from five other HMA areas, and even from overseas. This allowed us to bring in new faculty and offer new class topics, too.
Photo Booth: starting with Festival Conference 2023, we have had a Photo Booth available for our attendees. The Photo Booth, along with “Flat Margaret (Shurcliff)” also made an appearance at Winter Workshops, at National Seminar for the 70th Anniversary of Handbell Musicians of America, and most recently, on the ringing floor during FC25! This has greatly increased Area 1’s visibility on social media and at the National level.
Totally Tins: with Jennifer Stack’s emphasis on education, and having more Tins-level ringers represented on committees and on the board, we were able to focus on the needs of aspiring ringers, and respond to them in the form of this new workshop. I’m thrilled that this idea took off, and that an additional event has already been scheduled to take place this year in Maine.
Bronze/Tins Mentor Program: new to Festival conference this year, this program was a smashing success. I’ll let you read more about it elsewhere in this newsletter as well as in the HMA Overtones.
Volunteer network: we worked hard to develop a strong volunteer network, and learned that we have many talented people in Area 1. Many of these volunteers are now the new faces on our board! I look forward to seeing what Greg, Jenn, Andy, and the rest of the board have in store for us in the next few years.
Festival Conferences: as Event Chair for the last two festivals, I oversaw two successful events at Worcester State University - chosen for its location in the center of New England, its small campus footprint, and its low cost. In 2023, we brought in two Nationally and Internationally known clinicians, Emily Li and Matthew Compton, both of whom were new to our area — and in true Area 1 style, you all welcomed them and showed them just how great we are! In 2025, we brought back Fred Gramann, and introduced Stevie Berryman to the wider Area 1 family (Stevie was the Winter Workshop clinician in 2018). For both of these events, I had the pleasure of working with an incredibly dedicated and talented committee who made sure things ran smoothly, so that I — and all of you — could have a stress free Festival. We’re already reviewing your feedback from this year to learn how Jenn and her team can make it even better in 2027.
It has truly been an amazing experience serving on the Area 1 board for the past eight years, and I’m going to miss you all terribly. I highly encourage all of you to consider serving on the board in some capacity… I have learned so much and my handbell family has grown ten-fold.
Lisa Arnold
Festival Conference Chair
Past-Chair, Area 1
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Festival Conference 2025 In Pictures
Another Area 1 Festival Conference is in the books. Thanks to all who came to Worcester in June. Special thanks once again to Jim Stratton for documenting our 4-day event with a host of great photos, which are now viewable on the Area 1 website's festival conference page, https://area1.handbellmusicians.org/festival-conference/, and also on the Area 1 Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/HMAarea1/photos
Note: this photo, featuring Jim Stratton (center), was taken by Jacinda McMeel.
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Sue Chamberlin Receives Shurcliff Leadership Award
Area 1 is very pleased to to have awarded the 2025 Margaret H. Shurcliff Leadership Award to long-time handbell champion Sue Chamberlin. Sue was in attendance at the Area 1 Biennial Meeting on Friday, June 27, to accept the award from Area 1 Chair, Jenn Stack (photo at right).
The Shurcliff Award is given in recognition of noteworthy and lasting contributions to Area 1, including, but not limited to: teaching effectively; promoting healthy handbell ringing practices; organizing and promoting local, statewide, or Area 1 ringing events; mentoring new choirs and ringers; and upholding the Guild motto: “Uniting people through a musical art.”
Congratulations, Sue!
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Winter Workshop 2026 is Coming!
Mark your calendars for January 30–31, 2026, as Area 1 returns to UMass Amherst for our much-loved Winter Workshop Weekend! Whether you're looking to push your skills or enjoy a weekend of musical fellowship, there's something for everyone.
We're thrilled to offer three unique ringing tracks this year, tailored to your level and goals.
Bronze Track
- Brenda Austin will lead our Bronze-level track. This track is for experienced ringers comfortable playing challenging Level 4 and 5 music.
Coppers Plus – New for 2026!
- Come join Cheryl Townsend on this new track that offers a “just right” challenge - more advanced than the copper level, but not quite bronze. Ideal for experienced ringers seeking to expand their skills.
Explorers Track – Copper Level
- Returning this year under the direction of Abby Schoppe and Diane Burke, this track is perfect for ringers who have a solid foundation and want to build confidence, explore technique, and grow in ensemble skills.
Stay tuned for repertoire details and registration information coming early September. Whether you're a returning ringer or brand new to Winter Workshop, we can't wait to ring with you in 2026!
Questions? Contact Suzanne Neafus at Suzanne.Neafus@gmail.com
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Greetings from Connecticut
I enjoyed meeting many of you at the Festival Conference in Massachusetts in June. Many asked for programs aimed at Tins Ringers. We listened.
We are in the early stages of planning a day-long workshop for Tins Ringers in the Spring. This program, called Totally Tins, will work on basic music theory concepts like rhythm and notation, sight reading, and proper ringing techniques. We encourage directors to attend and learn along with their ringers. These workshops have been quite well received in Area 1, so we are bringing them to Connecticut. We will let you know when the workshop is finalized and registration is open.
In the Fall, we will be offering Skills workshops at your location during your rehearsal time. Maybe two or three neighboring churches could come together at your church. These workshops are such fun. We laugh and learn and maybe share a pizza.
Who knows? Maybe we can help you find a sub for a rehearsal or performance at these workshops.
Do you have people who would like to join your bell choir but have never played handbells before? Perhaps they can’t even read music. Let us help you help them discover handbells through our tested process in a workshop at your church.
We are also looking for experienced ringers who would like to mentor a new ringer in these programs. Would you like to be a part of our plans to bring handbells to more people? Let me know.
Is there something you would like to see us organize for Connecticut that hasn’t been mentioned? Something for your children and teens? Seniors centers? Schools?
Finally, do you know of a church or organization who has bells sitting unused in a closet? Let us help them revive their program or find a new home for the bells.
Are you interested? Let me know how we can help. Email me at CT.area1@handbellmusicians.org
We have so many awesome plans for Connecticut in the coming year. The only thing that is missing is YOU. Hope to see you soon.
Vicki Moroski
Connecticut State Chair
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Notes from MAINE
Dana Humphreys, Maine State Chair
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Dear Maine Ringers,
The church handbell season might be over for most of us by June, but there was still a lot of ringing going on in June and July.
In early July, the Lovell United Church of Christ hosted the Walsh Memorial Bell Choir from Morris Plains, NJ, a youth handbell choir, each ringer having had six to eight years of ringing experience by their senior year in high school. Elsa Newhouse, a ringer with the Lovell UCC choir, arranged for their visit and, as she said, “they gave a stellar performance, and the folks in our rural Maine community haven’t stopped talking about it! Our little church was packed with locals and visitors alike, right through the standing ovation and conversation afterwards…in a town not exactly known for handbells.” I was lucky enough to attend and was blown away by their skill, enthusiasm and joy of ringing, a real delight.
As others have reported, the Area 1 Festival Conference was held at Worcester State University, and by all accounts, it was a terrific event. Many Maine ringers attended, including several members of the Penobscot Bay Ringers. Amy Rollins, director of PBR and our Area 1 Communications Director, performed a solo of “Simple Gifts” during one of the mini concerts. And as you can tell from the expression on her face in this photo, she was very happy with the performance!
Instead of attending FC, three ringers from Maine chose to ring bells on the Alaskan seas. Joy, Ellen and I joined up with Jane (from Florida) and Barb (from Michigan) to take the Bells of the Cascades (BOC) Alaska Cruise. BOC is a bronze level choir from Portland, OR, directed by Matt Compton, and they have been hosting handbell cruises since 1993. Over 100 ringers boarded the Holland America ship “Eurodam” in Seattle; and, over the next seven days, visited the ports of Juneau, Glacier Bay, Icy Straits, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Victoria (BC). We enjoyed the cruise along with the other 2,200 passengers with excursions to visit glaciers, see whales, sea lions and sea otters, do snorkeling, and learn about the indigenous populations and their histories, and ate very (very) well. And we also rang bells! Ringers were divided into two groups of about 50, directed by renowned clinicians Matt Compton and Alex Guebert. In just four rehearsals, each group perfected four arrangements which we performed at the end of the sail for other ship passengers to enjoy. Our little group of five also performed an ensemble piece, “While On The Sea,” a lovely Ukrainian hymn, and we received many compliments. And I’ll tell you, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of ringing bells while on a ship that is constantly shifting and rolling under us!
LASTLY – and certainly not least - hopefully you have received an email from me about the October Tins workshop, “Totally Tins: A Workshop for Emerging Handbell Musicians.” It will be held on October 18 in Cumberland, Maine, and designed specifically for Tins level ringers. Along with reviewing and reinforcing the basics of handbell techniques, our clinicians Kim Visbaras and Abby Schoppe will also work on the two Tins arrangements for the 2026 Maine Spring Ring (Meditation on an Irish Folk Melody and Oh, Happy Morning). A registration form will be coming out soon as well as posted on the Area 1 Events website. If you did not get my email, please let me know at me.area1@handbellmusicians.org.
And this all goes to show, if you ring handbells, you have lots of opportunities to play and enjoy them!
Dana Humphreys
Maine State Chair
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Happy August, everyone!
It was wonderful to see so many of you at Area 1 Festival Conference in Worcester. I hope that it gave you all as much of a turbocharge for the year ahead as it has given me!
Are you looking for some opportunities to practice your sightreading before the summer ends? Consider registering for one of the following events:
- New England Ringers’ Ringing under the Influence: Saturday, Aug. 9, 2-5 PM, Westford, MA
- Back Bay Ringers’ Summer Ring: Monday, August 18, 6:30-8:30 PM, Boston, MA
Looking farther ahead, the annual Eastern MA Skill-Building and Repertoire-Reading Workshops will be held in Acton, MA on Saturday, Oct. 4, from 8 AM to 3 PM. In the morning, participants can choose two workshops from a wide variety of options. In the afternoon, ringers will sightread holiday music at a variety of skill levels, with music available to purchase (if desired) at the end of the day. Look for more information and a registration link in your emails and on the Area 1 events page very soon!
Additionally, if you’re in New Hampshire and are interested in hosting an event, please let me know! Tentative plans are already underway for a spring workshop in the Hanover area, but if the interest is there, we can certainly make something happen in the fall as well. I hope to see you at an event soon and am hoping that everyone has a great start to their program year!
Abby Schoppe
Chair, Greater Boston MA/NH Region
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Greetings, Cape Cod! I hope you all are having a wonderful summer, whether you’re on the Cape or away!
I recently returned from Area 1’s Festival/Conference 2025 – four days in Worcester, ringing under the direction of Stevie Berryman and Fred Gramann and taking lots of classes. It was great to see Beth Marat, who rings at First Congregational in Chatham, there! We would love to see more Cape ringers show up at some of the larger off-Cape events in the future; there’s a whole
world of handbell events out there!
But of course there are also some wonderful on-Cape events in the works! First of all, plans are underway for another fall skill-building event led by Diane Burke. For this event, we will plan to rehearse two of the 2026 Cape Cod Spring Ring pieces, reviewing technique and other skills in the context of those pieces. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own equipment (except tables, which will be provided), so that they can be assured of ringing the same positions that they will be ringing at Spring Ring: for those who cannot bring bells and foam, we can assign you to a position but cannot guarantee that you will get your preferred spot. While the date and location for this event have not yet been 100% finalized, we think it’s likely that it will be on Oct. 25 at the First Congregational Church of Chatham. I will certainly be sending out an email as soon as this is confirmed.
Looking farther ahead, we have 100% of the details for the 2026 Cape Cod Spring Ring finalized, as follows:
When: Saturday, March 21, 9 AM-3:30 PM
Where: Harwich Community Center
Clinician: Samantha Beschta
Registration: $15 per ringer
Repertoire:
- Laudation, by Brenda Austin, 2-5 octaves handbells, Level 2, Composers Music Company, CP7096 (2-3 octave version) and CP7097 (3-5 octave version)
- Meditation on Beautiful Savior, by Cathy Moklebust, 2-5 octaves handbells, Level 3, Choristers Guild, CGB175 (3-5 octave version) and CGB763 (2-octave version)
- Free Fall, by Jason Krug, 2-6 octaves handbells with optional percussion, Level 2+, From the Top Publishing, FM206253 (2-3 octave version), FM206255 (3-5 octave version), FM20625M (director's score), and FM20625P (percussion score)
I hope to see you soon, whether at one of these events or at another Area 1 event on the other side of the bridge!
Abby Schoppe
Chair, Cape Cod & Islands Region
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Hello Western Mass!
A few short weeks ago we were at Area 1 Festival Conference! From taking classes to participating in repertoire readings, to rehearsals and amazing concerts; it was a 4-day musical adventure with lots of old friends and many new ones. New this year, we created a Bronze/Tins Mentoring program. The festival committee worked for months on the logistics of how this would actually work. And in true Area 1 style, it was an amazing experience. I am so grateful for being able to participate in the program this year, and the only way I wouldn’t do it again, would be to make room for someone else to have this experience. Look for a larger article on this new opportunity from Area 1 in an upcoming issue of HMA's Overtones magazine. Also, feel free to ask me or any of the Area 1 board members about this new program. We are already looking forward to having it back in 2027. Here is our entire group of paired up ringers:
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I specifically want to thank our friends at Wilbraham United Church and the members of United We Ring, for hosting a series of Festival Conference rehearsals open to all ringers. These rehearsals prepared us for both the Tins and Massed music so that when we arrived, our director, Stevie Berryman only had to fine tune these pieces to get the musicality that she is so famous for. This is the first Festival Conference that many of us actually felt prepared for! Thank you WUC!
For a closer look at all the fun and learning as it actually happened, scroll down the Festival Conference page to see the pictures of the weekend here… Festival Conference 2025 photos.
If you weren’t able to go to Festival Conference and missed ringing with friends, well there’s more ringing available at the end of this month. Have you ever wanted to go to a relaxed ringing session and just chill out with friends? Have you ever wished you could ring a certain song, or try another position, or hang out with other people who share your hobby?
Well, it doesn’t get more relaxed and chill than at a brewery. Come join us for “Ringing Under the Influence” Western Mass style on August 24, 1 – 4pm, at Abandoned Building Brewery at 142 Pleasant St #103a, Easthampton, MA. Join other handbell ringers from the area for ringing, drinking, snacking, and socializing. The Vegan Pizza Land food truck will be open or you can bring snacks to share. Bells and music will be provided. Bring your friends! This will be a VERY casual event and whether you partake in the imbibing or not (you are welcome to bring your own non-alcoholic beverages), please come join us for this friend event. The music we are targeting is fun, secular levels 2+ to 3+. It will be music you may not be able to ring anywhere else. So even if sight-reading is not your thing, come give it a try in this “no-pressure, no performance, no judgement” relaxed atmosphere. Please RSVP to Ringing Under the Influence here. Of course, we take walk-ins; this RSVP is for a casual head count. This is a FREE event! However, we will be accepting nominal donations to cover the cost of printing the music for the day. Any questions, feel free to contact me at westernma.area1@handbellmusicians.org.
Did you miss out on Festival Conference classes or were YOU able to attend, but not your entire choir? Well, this fall we here in Western Mass will be trying something new… a Traveling Clinic. Do your ringers need a little personal help, but can’t make it to a skills workshop? Does your handbell choir want a little opening boost for the restart this fall? Well, if you’re too busy to come to us, we can come to you. Any evening except Tuesdays, any time. Whether you want to learn weaving, 4-in-Hand, Basic techniques, marking music, score study or a combination of everything, we will bring it to you. We use your bells, your schedule and answer your questions, at a time that works for you. You will work with our clinicians and make your own personalized workshop. This will be a limited edition for a test pilot and available to the first 3 groups that sign up… FOR FREE. If it’s a big hit, we will make it a REAL thing. The target area is anywhere west of Worcester. So, send me a note if you are interested and I will send you more information.
I hope you have a great rest of your summer and you are finding ways to beat the heat. If you know of any ringing happenings in our area, please reach out so I can help spread the word and the joy of handbells.
Audrey Pierce
Western Mass Chair
westernma.area1@handbellmusicians.org
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Happy summer from Lil' Rhody!
The 2025 Festival Conference at Worcester State was a blast! Ringing, learning, and connecting with new and old friends was amazing, as always! Rhode Island was well represented, with choirs participating and individual ringers taking part in the new mentorship program. We are so fortunate to have such an outstanding group of leaders and festival-goers in Area 1! The conference also motivated me to get going with an idea I’ve been thinking about for a while now!
Calling all local intermediate or advanced ringers and other musicians!! I am starting up a Coppers-level informal community-based handbell choir! Are you an experienced handbell player at the copper (intermediate) level? Are you a musician of another instrument who can read the staff and rhythms beyond 8th notes? We will coach you on handbell technique! Come read through some music with me and let’s see where this goes! The first rehearsal will be Saturday, August 16, from 10 am to 12 noon at Slatersville Congregational Church, 25 Greene St., N. Smithfield, RI. Send me an email if you’re interested: ri.area1@handbellmusicians.org
Upcoming RI event:
Copper-level Ringing Rendezvous: Saturday, August 16, 2025, 10am-12pm
Location: Slatersville Congregational Church, 25 Greene St., N. Smithfield, RI 02896
Happy ringing!
Jill Boday
Rhode Island State Chair
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Hello, Area 1!
Due to my relocation to Massachusetts in August, this will be my last article as the Vermont State Chair. I would like to take the opportunity to thank Jennifer Stack for the privilege to serve in this capacity and my friends from the Vermont Handbell Association who supported me in this role. I will miss Vermont very much. Not only is it a beautiful place to live, but it was where my handbell adventures began in 1997. Thank you, Phil Brown and Karen James, for being such incredible mentors for so many years. Although it will be a very big move for me personally, I’m thankful to not be leaving Area 1. This year’s Festival Conference was food for the soul. The theme of love is always relevant, always needed, and always welcomed. I’m so grateful for our Area 1 family, and am thankful for all of the exemplary work that Lisa Arnold and the FC committee did to provide such a wonderful experience for everyone. My favorite memory will be watching Tins and Bronze ringers making music together side-by-side. What a gift our instrument is to us ALL!
Kimberlee Strepka
Vermont State Chair
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Editor's Note: If you or someone you know may be interested in helping support handbells in Vermont, contact the Area 1 Chair at chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org
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