As winter turns into spring, our ringing season moves forward into Holy Week and Easter and our repertoire set for the rest of the ringing year. This ringing year I have supplemented my choir's usual single musical offering with the addition of the Reproducible Collections that are becoming more prevalent. These collections are compiled for 2-3 octave choirs or 3-5 octave choirs, all are usually Level 2/2+. With the addition of the easier reproducible pieces from the collections my choir has been able to work up 2 selections for the monthly Sunday services, in which we ring in, without undue stress. There is always a "challenge" piece that they rise up to ring along with the easier and satisfying arrangements of the reproducible piece.

 

     These collections are a real boon to the music budget because most of the collections contain 6-8 reproducible titles for $30-$50, depending on the publisher. The collections sometimes comprise one composer's efforts, such as Celebrating the Seasons (full church year) by Jason Krug, Let it Shine (spirituals) by Valerie Stephenson, or Through Darkness to Light (Lent/Easter) by Kevin McChesney while others are compilations of various composers(usually our favorites) such as Carols we Love to Ring for the Christmas Season, Prayers and Meditations, or Ringing the Church Year for the full church year. Find them at your favorite source for handbell music by searching for collections plus reproducible and you will find a deep well of musical selections for all seasons and styles that will help to ease the strain on the typical church handbell music budget and allow your choir to ring more "anthems" on a given Sunday.

Diane Barnes

  chair.area10@handbellmusicians.org 

  

May 1-2, 2015

Ashland Oregon

Guest Clinician: Larry Sue

"Water Music"

 

      Larry will conduct the Massed Ringing and both The Siskiyous and Cascades groups. Ellie Hodder will once again conduct the Bronze Conference Choir. Bronze Conference Choir is by application; rehearsals will begin Friday afternoon at 4pm.   

 

     Registration for the event will be $65/person if registered by March 1st, after March 1st registration will be $75/person. Registration materials will be available beginning January 1st, space is limited so register early. If you wish to receive your registration materials electronically please contact Diane Barnes at dkbarnes@jeffnet.org with your e-mail contact information.

  

 Music Repertoire 

 

 

 

     Registration is now open! The 2015 Greater Puget Sound Handbell Conference will be held May 15-16, 2015 at Green River Community College in Auburn, Washington. We are excited to welcome Michael Glasgow as our primary clinician - he brings energy and musicality to the podium and is a treat for ringers to work with!  The event will start Friday evening with rehearsal for the Rainier Choir, a Bronze-level conference choir requiring a separate application. Saturday will be filled with division and massed rehearsals, classes, and vendor shopping opportunities, and will end with our final concert showcasing all our hard work.

 

     The Greater Puget Sound Handbell Conference is open to full choirs, partial choirs and individuals. If you don't have a full choir - or don't have a choir at all - you can still participate. We can place individual ringers in choirs with openings.  We also invite your ensemble or choir to perform in the Final Concert on Saturday. This is a great opportunity to showcase your group and perform in front of the best audience you could ever hope for - your fellow handbell ringers!

 

     If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Micki Mennet-Martin at wa.area10@handbellmusicians.org.

 

 

  April 24 & 25, 2015

Carroll College

1601 N Benton Ave

Helena, MT

 

Clinician: Lee Afdahl

 

  Music Repertoire 

Rehearsal Notes 

(There are score corrections included in the notes.)

Information

Registration Form

Schedule

Driving Directions

Hotels

 

This event is endorsed by Handbell Musicians of America. 

 

Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church

2650 148th Avenue Southeast

Bellevue, WA 98007

 

     Looking for new music to use in your worship services? Hoping to find the perfect piece for a special event? Do you love sight-reading music? Then join Bells of the Sound for a read and ring workshop on Saturday, July 25 from 9 am to 2 pm at Saint Andrew's Lutheran Church!

 

     We will ring through 20+ titles of music - sacred and secular, selected for a variety of seasons, with difficulty levels 2-4, and for 3-5 octaves as well as 2-3 octaves of handbells. You'll get to read through the music with a bunch of other handbell enthusiasts - it's a lot fun, and helpful to hear the music and follow the scores. What a great way to judge what you like, what you can use, and what you must have! Music may be purchased at the conclusion of the event through a special arrangement with Bell Buggy Express of Spokane.

 

     This event is for directors and individual ringers, and you can be a ringing participant or just listen. If you plan on ringing, please bring your own music notebook, riser (if needed), and gloves. The $15 registration fee includes lunch - after spending the morning ringing together, you'll have a chance to meet your fellow directors and ringers from the Puget Sound area and share ideas with each other.

 

   For more information and registration forms, visit www.bellsofthesound.org. 

The national office is a virtual operation!

 

To contact by phone: 937-438-0085. Please note the 1-800 number is no longer in service.

 

All payments for membership dues, contributions, and other invoices should be sent to our lockbox:

Handbell Musicians of America

PO Box 145400

Mail Location 521

Cincinnati, OH 45250

 

All other correspondence should be sent to:

Handbell Musicians of America

201 E. 5th Street, Suite 1900-1025,

Cincinnati, OH 45202

 

Staff emails are in Overtones and at http://handbellmusicians.org. 

 

Sunday, May 3 - 3:00 pm, Free Spring Concert by Columbia River Handbells, Director Rod Lloyd, at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, 1428 22nd Avenue, Longview.

 

Emerald City Ringers presents PANORAMA, a handbell concert featuring music from the Northwest. From Gramman's arrangement of Louis Vierne's Carillon to the world premiere of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, you'll take a journey through many different genres of music. Suggested donation of $12 adults, $8 students/seniors, $5 child, and $30 per family at the door. Credit cards accepted. Emerald City Ringers is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing the art of handbell ringing in the Seattle area, and serve as Artists in Residence at Cross of Christ Lutheran Church in Bellevue, WA.

Saturday, May 9 - 7:00 pm, Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, 411 156th Ave NE, Bellevue.

Saturday, May 30 - 7:00 pm, University Temple United Methodist Church, 1415 NE 43rd St, Seattle.

 

Friday & Saturday, May 15 & 16 - Greater Puget Sound Handbell Conference, Michael Glasgow, clinician. Green River Community College, Auburn. See article above for additional information. 

 

Rainier Ringers presents "Playing Favorites" highlighting favorites of past concert seasons. www.rainierringers.org:

Friday, May 29 - 7:30 pm, Resurrection Lutheran Church, 134 S. 206th St., Des Moines.

Saturday, May 30 - 7:00 pm, Lacey Presbyterian Church, 3045 Carpenter Road, Lacey.

Sunday, June 7 - 4:00 pm, Little Church on the Prairie, 6310 Motor Avenue SW, Lakewood.

 

Tuesdays, June 30, July 7, July 14, July 21, & July 28 - 7:00 - 9:00 pm, Summer Ringing Sessions with Bells of the Sound. Tibbetts United Methodist Church, 3940 41st Avenue SW, West Seattle. See article above for more information.

 

Saturday, July 25 - 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, Bells of the Sound Read and Ring Workshop, St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 2650 148th Avenue Southeast, Bellevue. See article above and  www.bellsofthesound.org for additional information and registration. 

 

July 26-30, 2016 - International Handbell Symposium, Vancouver. See article above or visit website www.ihs2016vancouver.ca.