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Message from the Chair - Tessique Houston
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Hello, Area 12!
I am reflecting on this last month as I sit here at beautiful Lake Tahoe. I am here for the Zephyr Point Handbell Conference and thinking about all the fun we're having. And then, there're memories of the National Seminar in Garden Grove that took place just two weeks prior - also, lots of fun.
Hey! I thought that we were supposed to be taking a break for the summer?! What happened? Oh, yeah...there are excellent events happening over the summer, too!
National Seminar was full of awesome concerts, great classes, and world class handbell/handchime shopping! And, of course, there was playing at Disneyland! I want to say thank you to all the volunteers we had helping with the moving of the equipment. And congratulations to all the ensembles that performed - you did Area 12 proud! Check out the our Communiqué and LA Metro columns below for a more detailed remembrance of the event by F Thomas SImpson.
If you didn't make it to any events this summer, maybe you could start planning to get to one next year. It's nice to keep up your skills, meet up with friends, and just experience these events.
But now, it's time to start the ramp-up to the upcoming fall season. I'm starting to look at the calendar, listen to all the new handbell compositions, rummage through the filing cabinets, and just get stuff ready to go! (smelling bell polish anyone?) I'm sure many of you are doing the same. I wish you all a very successful year to come!
Until next time,
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2018 Area 12
Festival Conference Announcement
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Communiqué - Barbara Meinke, Communications
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Northern CA - Nancy Schmitt, Regional Coordinator
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Hello Northern California,
People in both Eureka and Redding were treated to the most wonderful and inspiring youth handbell concert on June 10 and June 11 by
CAST IN BRONZE
Youth Handbell Ensemble
. Young people ages 12-19 from Friendship United Methodist Church in Wyoming, Ohio presented a 75 minute program of pops, original music, and numbers featuring instrumental solos played by ringers.
In upcoming events,
Linda Dionne and her Bella Norte Bells in Eureka
will be hosting a
week-long handbell camp for students (at least 10 years of age) and adults who are interested in learning a new instrument. All must commit to attending all five days, Monday through Friday, July 31- August 4, from 9 a.m. to noon and playing in the Friday evening concert. What a truly inspiring idea to gather more ringers, especially young people, by hosting this camp with "no strings attached," only trying it out and seeing where it might lead. I look forward to hearing back from Linda after the camp!
And please come to our annual
Handbell Musicians of America endorsed event
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2017
SIMPSON UNIVERSITY
REDDING, CA
Mary Balkow, Massed Ringing Conductor
Barb Walsh,
Red Zone Bronze Conductor
Registration: ONLY $35.00!
Click the blue title above for more info and registration.
Ringcerely,
Northern California Regional Coordinator
For information on Northern California's concerts, events,
and other opportunities,
click here
!
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Southern NV - Alison Pruett, Regional Coordinator
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We had a great turn out at National Seminar with at least nine folks from Southern Nevada! Those who attended all learned so much and got great ideas to take back to their choirs. Getting the opportunity to play with other ringers from around the world is a great experience.
Speaking of playing with other ringers, it's time to start thinking about the 2018 Las Vegas 12th Night Handbell Festival. Registration and music information is now available at www.harmonyhandbells.com/festival. This year's guest conductor will be Christine Anderson. Remember, individual ringers are welcome too! Always room for more!
Alison Pruett
S Nevada Regional Coordinator
For information on Southern Nevada's concerts, events,
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Northern NV - Barb Walsh, Regional Coordinator
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Howdy!
National Seminar was fun and quite a learning experience! Not only were there great classes, but watching some of the best ensembles in the country perform was both entertaining and enlightening. Not to mention connecting with other handbell fanatics across the country! I even did the fan girl thing when I got to eat lunch with Hart Morris! I highly recommend going if you have the chance! Next summer it will be in Grand Rapids, MI, so start saving your pennies now!
Area 12 would love to promote your groups and performances. Please send us your happenings so we can get them out there to other handbell enthusiasts!
Northern Nevada Regional Coordinator
For information on Northern Nevada's concerts, events,
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Southern CA - Michèle Sharik, Regional Coordinator
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Happy August, SoCal!
I hope you have been having a good summer. I was happy to see so many of you a couple of weeks ago at National Seminar in Garden Grove and hope you enjoyed all the great classes and concerts. One thing I liked about the event was how different each of the concerts were - no two groups did much of anything alike! I also loved chatting with friends from across the country and around the world, sharing ideas and observations. Basically, it was everything I love about handbells: good music and good friends!
As fall approaches, it's time for the Guild's annual "Back to Bells" effort. We will be holding a "B2B" event at First United Methodist Church in Escondido on
Saturday, August 26. If you know of any directors - especially new ones or ones who have been "out of action" for a while - please let them know about this event. More details will be coming soon, so keep an eye on Area 12's website and Facebook page.
And speaking of the B2B events, if you can provide a free venue and a set of bells to use for one in September or October, please let me know ASAP so I can get more info to you and we can get it on the calendar.
Finally, as you plan your upcoming season, please let me know if you have any concerts or public presentations planned. You can either email the info to me, or you can cut out the middleman and enter the info yourself into Area 12's calendar form
here.
All my best!
SAVE THE DATE!
SoCal Spring Ring
May 19, 2018
more to follow
For information on Southern California's concerts,
events,
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SF Bay Area - Kendra Scott, Regional Coordinator
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Hi, Bay Area!
Here is a guest blurb from our very own Kathy Arnold about her recent trip to Italy with Campanae Mundi!
Kathy writes:
"This summer,
13
handbell musicians
from various parts of the United States along with
12
singers
from
Tapestry Ringers & Singers
located in
the East SF Bay Area
formed a handbell and choral ensemble that
performed four concerts in
the Tuscany region of Italy.
This bi-annual event is
led
by William Kyle,
Campanae Mundi
Program Director,
supported by Handbell Ventures, Inc.
Several current and former Area 12 members
participated this year:
Kathy Arnold, Lisa Arnold, Chuck Arnold,
Dan Brewster,
Sue Fitch,
Alex Hay, Jen Hayes
.
Tapestry Singers: Georgia Brown, Loretta Clifford, Theresa Fairclough, Cynthia Kra
u
sgrill (Director),
Gillian McBreen, Betty Miller, Ju
d
y Piazza, Colene Reams-Trinterud, Linda Schade, Andrea Swanson, Caryl
on
Van Essen, Marlene Ward."
Looking toward the fall, we are coming back to a new season of bell ringing in all our groups! Maybe you know of a group that needs a boost? We're always on the lookout for new locations for Back to Bells workshops! You might also be wondering how you can incorporate your bell choir in new and interesting ways to your church service or community. Have you considered:
- Pentatonic random ringing along with hymns and processionals
- Memorizing a short 4 or 8 measure peal to use as a processional
- Using particular chords to punctuate readings in your church service
- Creating or buying ring and sing booklets to get your congregation/audience to participate with well known songs
- Featuring a solo ringer and give the rest of your choir a simple harmonic accompaniment. They can even have choreography like backup singers!
- having kids/teens don black clothes, white gloves, and perform an upbeat song in black light for their friends or youth groups
- Dividing your choir into two parts and do some sort of antiphonal or call-and-response peal
- Going off-the-wall for 1000! Your bell choir can benefit from team building activities that might have nothing to do with bells! Play a song with Boomwhackers! Have a potluck! Go to the beach/water park together! There are many fun community building activities out there of all shapes and sizes! Stay tuned and I'll share some of my favorites next time! Or send me an email with your favorites and I'll try to include them next month!
Happy ringing!
Bay Area Regional Coordinator
For information on San Francisco
Bay Area's concerts, events,
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Hawaii - Karen Carlisle, Regional Coordinator
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Central CA - Christine Anderson, Regional Coordinator
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Hello, CenCal!
I need your help! Will you please email me with what's happening with handbells/handchimes in your neck of the woods? And for the future - I'd like to know what types of events you would want to attend. What classes would you like to see on the schedule? If you haven't been to an event yet or in a long time, what's keeping you away? How can we get what you need to you?
Do you have certain musical skills you can share with all of us at events? Or just a willingness to help out however you can, like bring water bottles or snacks? Let's work together to make CenCal a region hoppin' with handbells! Please let me hear from you and have a great summer!
Christine Anderson
Central California Regional Coordinator
For information on Central California's concerts, events,
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LA Metro - F. Thomas Simpson, Regional Coordinator
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Hello from LA Metro!
This summer has been a very busy, but exciting one for Area 12. We hosted the National Handbell Seminar in Anaheim the week of July 10, 2017. Many choirs from the west coast performed over the week with the culmination of over a 100 ringers playing at Disneyland. LAMetro and SoCal performances included an elegant evening concert by LA Bronze led by Alex Guebert, a fun filled afternoon concert given by yours truly's group, Crown City Ringers, h
andbell soloist Beth Mays wowed audiences with her afternoon concert "Pure Imagination," and Concert Handbells of Concordia University played a solemn evening concert along the traditions of their sacred school.
Bay Area's Velocity played to RAVE reviews. Other performers included a jazz concert by Seattle's Bells of the Sound and the amazing Bells on Temple Square from Salt Lake City. We were all amazed at the variation of the groups and that was a GREAT thing!
Many, many classes were held from techniques to ringing to handbell repair. There were also All-Star and Distinctly Teen ensembles. Many Area 12 directors and ringers taught these classes and all were met with very excited and willing students! The Handbell Industry Council (HIC) came through again with their excellent displays, demonstrations and reading sessions. I have my entire year already planned!
If you've never attended National Seminar, you should; not only to make new friends and have fun, but to also learn A LOT! Hope to see you next summer in Grand Rapids, MI!
F. Thomas Simpson
LA Metro Regional Coordinator
For information on LA Metro's concerts, events,
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