The Newsletter of Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America | Vol. XXXVIII No. 5 | October 2023 | |
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IN THIS EDITION:
- Report from the Board Chair
- Notice of upcoming Area 1 Board Meetings
- Winter Workshop 2024
- Notes from State Chairs: CT, ME, MA, RI
- Please be sure to scroll down to see - and support - our advertisers
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Hello Area 1!
Yes, that’s me on a plane with my new-to-me 3 octaves of bells. Yes, I really do love handbells that much! No, I don’t recommend buying bells in another part of the country without a real good idea of how to get them home!
This year, my vision is for us to all collectively dive deeper into our proverbial handbell toolkits. Handbells are an instrument we can teach someone to ring in under 5 minutes, but then that same instrument can take near a lifetime(or at least several decades) to master.
Consider:
“The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don't know.” – Albert Einstein.
“Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” – Abigail Adams
I want for you to diligently seek out more learning. Ask someone more experienced. Attend a workshop. If you don’t see a workshop that meets your needs, ask us for a workshop near you. I encourage you to attend a workshop even if you think you “know” the material. I have gotten something out of every learning opportunity I have been a part of.
Lawrence Berdensey (apologies for calling you out here!) asked me why I was taking his weaving class this past year at Winter Workshop. I theoretically know how to weave, I’ve taken classes in it before and have practiced the skill. It’s not something I get the opportunity to do every day though, and I haven’t yet mastered it. My response was that I learn something from everyone I meet. If you ask 5 ringers to show you how to weave, they’ll probably all focus on some different part of the technique. I’m sharing this because it was Lawrence emphasizing the grip change to more of a top side grip, and the importance of releasing the bell that really unlocked a more complete mastery and facility of the skill for me.
If you are willing to host or teach a workshop, contact me at chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org
Happy ringing!
Jenn Stack
Area 1 Chair
chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org
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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. | |
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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 has been changed to Saturday, October 14. If you are interested in attending, please contact chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org
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Winter Workshop 2024 registration opening soon!
January 26-27 at UMass Amherst
Come and enjoy a fun event in the middle of the winter doldrums. Choose from two different ringing tracks:
Distinctly New England directed by Monica McGowan
Beyond Basics-Before Bronze directed by Andy Wallace and Jane Nolan
Plus, 10 different workshop opportunities, including:
Memorization, Team Building, Change Ringing, Bell Trees, Musicality with Monica McGowan, and 2 Rep Reading sessions: “Oldies but Goodies” with gently used music looking for a new home, and “Hot off the Press” selections from Jeffers.
Early bird registration fee is $190 and registration will open on October 14. All the details, including ringing track repertoire and lodging details, can be found at the link below:
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Scenes from Winter Workshop 2023: | |
Notes from CONNECTICUT
Suzanne Neafus, Connecticut State Chair
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Greetings, Connecticut –
After summer’s slower, lazy days, handbell activity is again busy throughout our state. Don’t have a place to play? Check out the list of Handbell Ensembles on the Area 1 website.
The Connecticut Handbell Musicians group rang once again this summer. Please read the story below about this group and their recent performance at the Big E. A great time was also had at the Sept 23rd Ring-a-Palooza. It was nice to ring with people in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Look for a write-up and photos in the next Fundamental Tone. Plans are in the works for Connecticut Spring Ring 2024. Details are below. We need help to make this event successful. Please reach out if you can help with this event or would like to be part of the planning committee for future events. Thank you!
Take care and Happy Ringing!
Suzanne Neafus
Connecticut State Chair
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Connecticut Spring Ring
WHEN: April 6, 2024, 9 AM to 4 PM
WHERE: Wethersfield United Methodist Church, 150 Prospect St. Wethersfield CT
CLINICIAN: Samantha Beschta
FEE: $20 per ringer
REPERTOIRE:
Eleanor Rigby - Lennon & McCartney / arr. Ron Mallory - JHS9528 /Level 3
Exultate Deo - Jell Fedon - MAG35355 / Level 3
It is Finished - William Gross - MFM20512 / Level 3
Timbrel & Dance - Kevin McChesney - CGB290 / Level 2+
REGISTRATION: will open in January
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Connecticut Handbell musicians at the Big E
What a beautiful day for a concert! The Connecticut Handbell Musicians are a group of ringers from all over the state who have played at the Big E on Connecticut Day since 2015.
This group uses the summer break from their usual choirs to “stretch and grow”. Ringers have the opportunity to try things that they may not be able to do with their home groups, such as ringing at different parts of the table, learning new techniques like 4-in-hand, or playing pop tunes, all in a safe environment where learning and our group experience is the focus.
We performed at the Big E on Connecticut Day, Wednesday, September 20. As the square dancers finished up and with the sound of the fife and drum corps in the distance, the Connecticut Handbell Musicians took the stage in the New England Center. This year we prepared six pieces to present. An appearance by FaLiSaD (pronounced Felicity) a handbell trio, rounded out the last four selections to fill the hour long time slot. This year with the addition of the trio, we ended up bringing two full sets of bells with us to cut down on set up time between pieces. We had two ringers learning new skills- one ringing 4-in-hand for the first time and the other ringing in the 3’s. There were three ringers new to the group and one sub who came all the way down from Maine to help us out for the day.
It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with these fine musicians every year to bring our instrument out into the community to provide exposure for it and what it’s capable of. The fact that we have a blast doing it is icing on the cake!
Until next year… !
Samantha Beschta
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Notes from MAINE
Dana Humphreys, Maine State Chair
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Hello Maine Ringers!
Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat… actually, I haven’t found a handbell arrangement for that song (yet), but we all know that Christmas is the season for bells! Perhaps your handbell choir would be interested in doing ensemble ringing for the holidays. Jason Krug, well-known composer and arranger, has compiled a collection of 16 Christmas songs for twelve bells (six ringers, two bells each) which is designed specifically for performances at community centers, hospitals, nursing homes or town gatherings. The music requires much less equipment than full choir arrangements, the music is Level 2 to 2+ so not difficult to learn, and the combination of secular and sacred songs keeps the music merry and bright! A few ringers from the Falmouth and Cumberland choirs are creating an ensemble to
perform a Christmas concert for the Maine Historical Society in November, and we will be using this
book of music for our concert. Click here for more information.
And while we’re on the topic of Christmas, sometimes we can be overwhelmed with “opportunities” to
do everything during the holidays lest we suffer FOMO (or Fear Of Missing Out). In the current issue of
Overtones, one of our wonderful Maine ringers, Mya Dundzila, wrote a delightful, compelling and very
rational article that it’s okay not to do everything. With Mya’s permission, I include a link to her article in
the HMA website here. (This is an HMA member site; if you’re unable to open it, let me know and I’ll
send you a copy.)
And finally, stay updated with our plans for the Maine Spring Ring on Saturday, April 27, in Auburn.
Some details of the event are on the Area 1 website, here; more information will be added in the
next few months.
Dana
ME State Chair
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Notes from MASSACHUSETTS
Abigail Schoppe, Massachusetts State Chair
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Greetings, Massachusetts!
Two terrific endorsed workshops recently took place in our state: an August directors’ workshop in Andover sponsored by Back Bay Ringers, and a September skill-building workshops/repertoire reading session in Acton sponsored by Bells of St. Matthew’s and the Lincoln Ringers. Both of these events were well-attended, and we were delighted to see so many faces that are new to the Area 1 community!
There are still more upcoming events in Massachusetts! Mark your calendars now for these opportunities:
Cape Cod Skill-Building Workshop
WHEN: Oct. 14, 9 AM to 3 PM
WHERE: Pilgrim Congregational Church, 533 Route 28, Harwich Port, MA
CLINICIAN: Diane Burke
FEE: $15 per ringer
Click here for more information and to register!
Winter Workshop 2024
WHEN: January 26-27, 2024
WHERE: UMass Amherst
CLINICIANS: Monica McGowan for the Distinctly New England track; Andy Wallace and Jane Nolan for the Beyond Basics/Before Bronze track.
FEE: $190 before December 20 (note that housing is separate). Click here for more Winter Workshop information.
Cape Cod Spring Ring
WHEN: March 16, 2024, 9 AM to 3:30 PM
WHERE: Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street, Harwich, MA
CLINICIAN: David Harris
FEE: $15 per ringer
REPERTOIRE:
- Peal con brio - Karen Thompson. AGEHR Publishing in compatible 2-3 octave (AG23042) and 4-6 octave (AG46029)/Level 2
- Go to Dark Gethsemane - Arr. Jason Krug. Beckenhorst Press in compatible 2-3 octave (HB473) and 3-5 octave (HB475)/Level 2
- Grazioso - Arnold Sherman. Red River Music RRHB0042/3-5 octaves/Level 2+
Finally, stay tuned for info on Massachusetts Spring Ring 2024, to be held in Tewksbury, likely on a Saturday in April. We hope to have the date and clinician finalized within the next few weeks and will definitely send out an email blast as soon as that happens.
Hope to see you at one or more of these events!
Abby Schoppe
MA State Chair
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Hello Rhode Island handbell ringers!
Let the beauty of autumn inspire your musical journey. I am occasionally asked by
handbell ringers new to the area about places to play. Please review the Area 1
Handbell Ensembles page to make sure your organization is listed.
October brings the return of Oktobellfest to the Westerly Armory. Registration for
this event closed last month, but the concert is open to the public. Check out the
fun on Sunday, October 22 at 1:30 PM - Westerly Armory, Westerly, RI. I would love to include pictures from this event in the Fundamental Tone. So, if you are
attending as a ringer or watching as an audience member – please take a picture or two and send them my way.
Winter Workshop 2024 will take place on January 26 and 27. This is an excellent way to beat the winter doldrums while connecting with ringers throughout Area 1. Two ringing tracks allow ringers of all levels to take part. More details can be found here.
For the spring, we plan to bring back Jane Nolan with new activities for another Ring-a-Palooza in April 2024. Feel free to reach out if you have suggestions for other events, handbell gatherings, or workshops to host within the state.
Take care and Happy Ringing!
Suzanne Neafus
Connecticut State Chair
covering the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island
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OTHER AREA 1 STATE CHAIRS
New Hampshire: OPEN!
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