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I have truly enjoyed being your Area 1 chair again for this past year and a half. I want to express my gratitude to all of the members of the Board who have contributed countless volunteer hours to making sure that Area 1 is a valuable resource for all of our handbell directors and ringers. Our state chairs, Suzanne Neafus (CT/RI), Abby Schoppe (MA), Dana Humphreys (ME), and Pat Pranger (VT), along with Kristen Russo our Education chair, have done amazing work welcoming new members, visiting member choirs, and putting together events that reach new members as well as our recurring members. And speaking of events, none of them would be possible without the behind the scenes efforts of Susan Schulz, who has served as Registrar for so many years. We are so delighted that she has agreed to also serve as our Membership Chair, and I look forward to working with her in that capacity going forward. They’ve all been working together to ensure that we have something for everyone.

I want to give a huge shout out to Lauren Larson, who has been an excellent resource as our Treasurer and has helped us to navigate through a very difficult and challenging period. With her help and diligence we’ve been able to keep the income and expenses for the Area balanced and our financial position has been strengthened under her leadership.

I also want to thank Carlene Ruesenberg and Jean Degan for stepping in and serving as interim chairs last year when we had some unexpected turnover on our board. It was a pleasure to work with them and to rely on their past knowledge to lead us through a few difficult months. I also want to thank Carlene, Jennifer Stack (Chair-elect), and Pete Larson (Webmaster) for their diligent work in updating our by-laws. In July you’ll be sent a ballot to vote on approving these changes which will bring our by-laws in line with the National model, add our communications director as a voting member, AND allow us to have online elections going forward.

Speaking of Communications, Amy Rollins has done an amazing job getting the word out about all of our events this year, producing the Fundamental Tone, and helping with the many varied tasks required to make sure our Festival “brand” is consistent and gives all of our attendees a fabulous experience. All of us on the board are so grateful for hours of work Amy puts in behind the scenes. Amy has also recently taken on the role of Historian and is working on how to properly archive all of the amazing Area 1 history that we have.

Area 1 Board Meetings are open to all members of the Guild and held three times a year in January, May and September. Our Annual Meeting will be held on June 24 at Worcester State University, and our next regular Board Meeting is Saturday, September 23. If you are interested in attending, please contact chair.area1@handbellmusicians.org

A redlined version of the document on our website. We also added a document that lists the changes and the rationale behind each one (there are 12 in all). Click here to review all on our website.

In an effort to publish this issue of Fundamental Tone on time, we do not yet know the outcome from our board elections (online voting closed on May 31 at midnight). As soon as election results are known and the winners are notified, we will send a special email to announce the results. Stay tuned!

We are also able to assist 3 individuals through our Financial Assistance Scholarship, which

is designated for HMA members - or member(s) of a group that has a current HMA membership - wishing to attend an Area 1 Sponsored Event, and who need financial assistance in order to do so. This scholarship is not limited to a single use and is not limited to persons attending their first Area 1 event.

If you know of others who might not attend an event because of financial reasons, please let us know. Applications for all of these scholarship opportunities are found here on the Area 1 website. Also, donations in support of Area 1 Scholarships will be accepted in-person at the Closing Concert on June 25 or online anytime.

For the first time ever, all three of our concerts will be Live Streamed, courtesy of Brian Seemann. Just click here https://tinyurl.com/Area1Live and then select “notify me” to get a reminder when the concert is about to start. Please share the link with your friends and family.

Notes from CONNECTICUT

At least to me, this year is genuinely trying to prove the phrase, “Time flies.” I hope this article finds you well.

The 2023 Connecticut Spring Ring was held on May 6. About 40 ringers worked through 7 pieces of music under Ellen Dickinson’s guidance (see photo below). It was a beautiful day of ringing and fellowship. Seeing the enthusiasm and the results of a lot of hard work was a delight! The host church was The United Church of Rowayton, which provided a fantastic meal and snacks. We enjoyed the amazing weather as we sat out on the porch for lunch and breaks. There was a very attentive audience for the end of the day concert. Thank you to all who made the day such a success. Many of the ringers had not attended a handbell event before, and it was apparent how delighted they were to learn so much. I heard multiple comments of “can’t wait to do this again next year.”

Are you doing any ringing or bell related fun this summer? Why not let me know, and I will share in the August Fundamental Tone. I look forward to seeing those heading the Worcester, MA, for Area 1’s Festival Conference in a few weeks. I could still use ideas or items for this event’s Connecticut State raffle basket. If you can donate or have suggestions – please let me know.

Below is a list of upcoming concert dates and a new ringing opportunity for the fall.

Take care, and Happy Ringing!

Suzanne Neafus

Connecticut State Chair

Annual Bells & Berries Handbell Concert

Sunday, June 11, 2023, at 3:00 p.m.

First Church of Bethlehem, 21 Main Street South, Bethlehem, CT

Featuring our first commissioned work: Grazioso Giocoso by Cathy Moklebust

Followed by Strawberry Shortcake ($5) prepared by the First Church of Bethlehem Missions Committee

We are in full concert season, and our last two concerts will take place on:

Saturday, June 3, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.

A joint concert with Merrimack Valley Ringers

Village Congregational Church, 5 Church Street, Whitinsville, MA

Saturday, June 10, 2023, at 7:00 p.m.

St. David’s Episcopal Church, 284 Stoddards Wharf Rd, Gales Ferry, CT

Jane Nolan’s final concert with the group

New Handbell Groups Forming this Fall! Music on the Hill in Wilton, CT, is expanding to three handbell groups. Ringers of all levels are needed!

Contact Ellen Dickinson at info@musiconthehillct.org for more information and how to audition. Please help us spread the word. Thank you! https://www.musiconthehillct.org

Notes from MAINE

me.area1@handbellmusicians.org or 860-202-7737

It has been a busy concert season in Maine the last few weeks! Three handbell choirs hosted four performances and they were all terrific!

The handbell choir of Congregational Church in Cumberland, directed by Joy Toll-Chandler, presented a concert titled “You Raise Me Up.” Arrangements were played by the full choir and smaller ensembles; an ensemble from the Penobscot Bay Ringers drove down from Camden to play several pieces, and solo pieces were performed by Lisa Arnold (Chair of Area 1) and by Joy Toll-Chandler.

The Penobscot Bay Ringers of Camden, directed by Amy Rollins, hosted their annual Spring Concerts, titled “Handbells for Hope,” in Rockport and Belfast. Penobscot Bay Ringers, formed in 2008, is one of the few community handbell choirs in Maine and they regularly perform spring and winter holiday concerts.

Finally, one of Maine’s newer handbell choirs, the On A Ring and A Prayer Ringers of the Second Congregational Church of Warren, held their first ever concert titled “Concert of Joy!” This choir, under the direction of Beverly Pacheco, had a halting start in 2020 and finally began to ring regularly in 2021. Kudos to Beverly and her ringers for stepping up to the table and performing for the general public!

I joined the audience for the concerts of all three choirs, and it was wonderful to hear the whispered exclamations of “Wow!” “That was terrific!” “What a beautiful song!” For many folks this was their first time hearing handbells play, and they were truly impressed by the sound of the bells and skill it takes to ring as one choir. Plus it was such fun to hear them humming or singing along to some of the arrangements, such as You Raise Me Up, Singin’ In The Rain and Sweet Caroline.

The next event is Festival Conference in Worcester, MA, in June. I’ll be seeing many Maine ringers there, and look forward to sharing our experiences in the next Fundamental Tone.

Dana

Notes from MASSACHUSETTS

First, a quick update on an upcoming event. Looking ahead to August, the Back Bay Ringers plan to sponsor a workshop for new or less experienced directors. Details are as follows:

Saturday, August 12, 9 AM-1 PM

Faith Lutheran Church, 360 S. Main Street, Andover, MA (spares people from having to drive into Boston!)

Registration: TBD soon, but in the $25-$30 range

TOPICS:

• Introducing new musicians to a handbell ensemble

• How to set up a standard ensemble: review standards like bass-treble placement (set up from the handbell musicians POV, not the director), standard assignments, basic equipment etc.

• Basic ringing techniques, including how to teach the basic ringing technique, reviewing the standard notation guide, and exploring how to musically perform basic stopped techniques, etc.

• Introducing rhythmic reading to new musicians

• Repertoire selection (explaining the level system, thinking about eighth-note pattern difficulty and how to prepare and practice more challenging rhythms, original compositions and how they can be incorporated into sacred spaces etc.)

• Developing musical habits and empowering new musicians to think about musical concepts like melody vs. accompaniment, phrasing, dynamics etc.

Stay tuned for a registration link soon, and please share this info with any directors whom you think might benefit from this workshop!

Meanwhile, I’m thrilled to report that our state hosted not one but two very successful Spring Rings in April. On April 15, 73 ringers from 8 different choirs gathered for Cape Cod Spring in Harwich, under the direction of Griff Gall. And then on April 22, 147 ringers from about 20 different choirs gathered in Tewksbury for the 35th annual MA Spring Ring, under the direction of Ed Henderson and Karen Leonard (co-founders of the event 35 years ago). This was the highest attendance we’ve had at a MA Spring Ring since 2016, and it was especially exciting to see two different youth choirs in attendance. I’m hoping this event will continue to grow in the years ahead.

We are already looking forward to offering both events again in 2024. While we can’t confirm details on the Tewksbury event until the fall, due to some constraints with the venue, I’m excited that I can already share all the details for Cape Cod Spring Ring 2024, as follows:

March 16, 2024, 9 AM to 3:30 PM

Harwich Community Center, 100 Oak Street, Harwich, MA (we’ve already made arrangements for a better microphone and for the blowers to be turned off this time!)

Clinician: David Harris

Registration: $15 per ringer

Repertoire:

• Peal con brio, by Karen Thompson. Level 2, in compatible 2-3 and 4-6 octave editions. https://www.handbellworld.com/music/MusicPiece.cfm?Piece=15092

• Go to Dark Gethsemane, arranged by Jason Krug. Level 2, in compatible 2-3 octave and 3-5 octave editions. https://www.handbellworld.com/music/MusicPiece.cfm?Piece=15947

• Grazioso, by Arnold Sherman. Level 2+, for 3-5 octaves. https://www.handbellworld.com/music/MusicPiece.cfm?Piece=8587

If you’re located anywhere near the Cape (or if you just want a random vacation in March), I hope you’ll mark your calendars now!

See you in either Harwich or Tewksbury next year… and see many of you in Worcester this June!

Abby Schoppe

MA State Chair

Festival Conference 2023 is finally upon us. Plans for the Rhode Island basket to be raffled at the event are progressing nicely. We could always use more donations or suggestions. Email me if you would like to help. If you are attending, please seek me out. I would love to get to know everyone more.

For those not attending, the concerts will be live-streamed. I recommend heading to Worcester, MA, for Sunday's final performance. It is the culmination of everyone's hard work, and nothing beats the experience of hearing over 300 ringers play simultaneously!

This is the time of year most church choirs go on hiatus for the summer. Is anyone doing any ringing or bell related fun over the next few months? Any other travel plans? I once played with a group that asked, when you travel, to try to find a bell and take a picture of it. I would love to continue that tradition in this section. I cheated a bit for the first one. Below are pictures of the USSS Rhode Island Bell and a replica of the Liberty Bell, which I found doing the virtual tour of the Rhode Island State House.

Take the Rhode Island State House Virtual Tour

So next time you see a bell, take a picture. Near or far, bland or exotic. Please send it in and share where it is from. I look forward to seeing the different items and hearing about the places people have traveled.

We have begun to make plans for upcoming local ringing events. Feel free to reach out to learn more about short and long term volunteer opportunities within Area 1.

Take care and Keep on Ringing!

Suzanne Neafus

Connecticut State Chair

covering the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island

Vermont: Pat Pranger, vt.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Fundamental Tone is a publication of Area 1 Handbell Musicians of America,

published six times a year: February, April, June, August October, December.

Editorial copy and advertisements are due by the 18th of the month preceding publication.

Call for Articles:

Do you have a story to share with fellow handbell musicians? Submit news briefs to your State Chair or email your article to Amy Rollins at communications.area1@handbellmusicians.org.

To Advertise in Fundamental Tone:

Discounts: deduct 5% for prepayment of two issues;

Submit your ad as a hi-res JPG file to communications.area1@handbellmusicians.org

Our next publication is scheduled for August 1, 2023

Articles and Ads must be submitted no later than July 18, 2023

Thank you!