The Newsletter of Area 1 | Volume XXXV No. 1 | February 2020
News for Handbell Musicians in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont 
Notes from THE CHAIR
Happy New Year! As I type this it is snowing outside, but inside Spring is in the air as choirs throughout Area 1 start preparing for the upcoming season and for all the Spring Rings around the corner!! This year, Area 1 will host Spring Rings in Connecticut and Maine on March 28 th , New Hampshire on April 4 th , and Massachusetts and Vermont on April 25 th . ... More

2020 FRIENDS AND FAMILY HANDBELL CAMP
will be held at
CAMP WIGHTMAN
GRISWOLD, CT,
FRIDAY, JUNE 26 thru
SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2020

Notes from CONNECTICUT
Notes from MAINE
23rd MAINE HANDBELL FESTIVAL

MAINE SPRING RING 2020         March 28, 2020
Our guest conductors this year will be: 
Dan Moore of Rumford, RI
and
Kim Visbaras of Auburn, Maine
Notes from MASSACHUSETTS
Greetings from Massachusetts! It’s the dead of winter right now, but certainly not too soon to start planning ahead for Spring Ring! I’m happy to share the news that Diane Burke will be this year’s clinician. Diane directs four different handbell choirs and also conducts the annual holiday rep-reading at St. Matthew’s in Acton, so many of you have probably had the opportunity to ring under her at one point or another. ... More
Notes from NEW HAMPSHIRE
Happy New Year to All! 
We hope that you all had successful Holiday Performances and still were able to get in some down time to celebrate with family and friends. For those of you who love winter and lots of snow, so far your wishes have not come true. However, we still have lots of time for the white stuff to fall before we hit Spring. We also know that soon everyone will be back at it to prepare for Spring Concert and Easter performances! (Anyone else missing their bell families and itching to get back to the tables? We are, for sure!)...   More
Notes from RHODE ISLAND
Happy New Year from RI! While we are not planning a Spring Ring in RI, we are planning our annual Holiday Handbell Spectacular, 2020 will mark the 5th year we are planning this event'.
In a recent discussion with an Area 1 director, there was some concern about how this individual was going to motivate his ringers in the spring of a non-Festival Conference year. There is such great musical energy in Area 1 in preparation for a Festival that a let-down may seem inevitable in a non-FC year. Area 1 ringers are always well prepared for, and participate enthusiastically in this biennial event. That takes dedication and planning. Good for Area 1!... More
Care to Share...a new column where you can share your thoughts and experience about music, handbells, or ...
Handbell Choirs: A Tool for Musical Evangelism?
-Abigail Schoppe

 ("This article was originally published in the January 2018 edition of the journal  Church Music Forward ." )

Mention handbells in a room full of organists, and you’re likely to hear a variety of reactions. Some will note how angelic a bell choir can sound, and others will make reference to their usefulness during Christmastide. But you’ll definitely also hear reactions like the following (all of which are real quotes I’ve heard from colleagues):

“Oh, thank God we don’t have one of those at our church!”

“The handbell choir is my cross to bear.”

“I just don’t think about music as pairs of individual notes! That’s the antithesis of musical expression for me!"... More
Help us put all handbell groups in Area 1 on the map!

Click here to see the interactive map that we've compiled so far, showing demographic information about all handbell groups in our region (all 6 New England States and the Canadian Maritimes). We are making excellent progress, and we want to be sure to include every group, no matter how small! I f you have not yet completed the survey, please click here to get your group added to the map. 
Also, if you know of other groups that are not accounted for, please share the links.
Thank you for your help!
Chime Loaner Program
Remember, to keep the Chime Loaner Program in your discussions and spread the word that this program is for schools , community organizations, home-school coops, churches, after school programs, college activities, any non-profit organization looking for a fun, informative , rewarding activity and is adaptable to all types of learning styles and challenges. .... More
Classifieds
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Call for articles
Directors and Handbell Musicians are invited to submit articles for future publications.

Would you like to advertise in Fundamental Tone ?
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Next publication is scheduled for April 1
Articles must be submitted no later than March 18

Thank you!
If you have suggestions or questions regarding this or any other aspect of the Fundamental Tone ,
please contact the editor:
Donna M. Horan,  [email protected]
Fundamental Tone is a publication of the Handbell Musicians of America Area 1.
It is published six times a year: Feb. 1, Apr. 1, Jun. 1, Aug. 1, Oct. 1, Dec. 1.
Editorial copy and advertisements are due by the 18th of the month preceding publication.
Questions? Contact Donna M. Horan, Editor [email protected]