News for Handbell Musicians in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts,
New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont
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From the Editor:
THANK YOU!
to all who contributed to this edition of the Area 1 newsletter.
We have offerings from Area 1 folks and some from outside of the area. Check out what others are doing during this unusual time, from virtual ensembles, to solo ringing, bell trees, and repertoire lists for use with small groups. You get the idea. What are you doing musically these days? Does your musical future still include handbell ringing? What resources could Area 1 provide for you now? During this time it is often difficult to know what questions to ask. Perhaps this publication can act as a brainstorming forum often - Care to Share!
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2020 Bell Tree Composition Contest
The bell tree ringers from
Into the Forest
are sponsoring a composition contest for bell tree with handbell choir music. Deadline is August 15.
Prize is $2000. The bell tree community is seeking music to help move bell trees from the periphery into the mainstream by seeing more bell trees playing with handbell choirs in concerts, church services, and other venues.
We are defining the mainstream as handbell choirs who play level 2+ to 3 music and have 3 to 5 octaves of bells and probably chimes. We are seeking more music for this range.
Click here for Contest Narrative
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2020 FRIENDS AND FAMILY HANDBELL CAMP
will be held at
CAMP WIGHTMAN
GRISWOLD, CT,
FRIDAY, JUNE 26 thru
SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 202
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2020 FFHC has been cancelled.
We have rescheduled for 2022 at Camp Wightman.
Jane and Donna
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Handbell Frustration!
By Daniel K. Moore
To my dear handbell friends and colleagues:
There is scarcely an emotion which has not been collectively or individually expressed regarding an important aspect of our lives - handbell ringing. Despair, frustration, uncertainty, disbelief, anger are but a few. Yet, in the midst of this challenge we continue to support and console each other, seek innovative solutions, and maintain a sense of grace and hope through this most awkward of times...
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Bells Ringing in the Pandemic
By Jane Nolan
Many of our churches are not holding worship services during the Covid 19 pandemic. However, some churches are live streaming services, or posting services on YouTube. While we are limited to the number of people we can have gathered at one time, there is quite a selection of handbell music available for a very small number of people. We all know that music adds so much to a worship service....
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Need 2 Octave Repertoire?
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Virtual Handbell Creation in New England
By Jonathan Reuning-Scherer
(Editor’s Note: In response to the
Care to Share
– call for articles, I received an email from Jonathan Reuning-Scherer*, who sent a virtual bell ‘event’ he was involved in with a colleague. I asked Jonathan to send more information about the technical side of the recording. Here it is.)
Hope you and yours are all well. Thanks for taking an interesting in these projects!
We set up two video cameras – one stationary that picked up all the bell tables, one that we moved for each take. We did 6 takes total – two parts per take (it usually would have been played by 12 ringers)....
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Hello and greetings to Bell Ringers from across Maine. As you are aware, we are all experiencing the impact of Coronavirus in our lives, on so many events and celebrations, on activities involving wonderful traditions and on the health and welfare of our families and friends. Things have changed and we have to look at disappointments and how to pull together. When we notified you that the Maine Spring Ring would not go forward on March 28th due to the Coronavirus, we also indicated that we would continue to have conversations about the possibility of rescheduling to the Fall
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Greetings from Massachusetts, during a spring/summer unlike any other. Certainly none of our bell choirs are rehearsing and performing as they normally would right now. However, I’m aware that a variety of situations exist across the state. I know of at least one choir that is still rehearsing (with only 10 people at a time), practicing social distancing. In other situations, quartets and trios (also well-distanced) or solo ringers are playing for live-streamed church services. At my own church, our services are pre-recorded (not from the church sanctuary), and we do not anticipate returning to the building for quite some time
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The “Shish-Kabob” Ringing Rack
By Steve Mazeau
A couple years ago, I had seen an ad for a ringing rack in the “Vibrations” catalog that I get in the mail. It was a wooden, ”A”-frame design, about 5 or 6 feet tall, almost shaped like a swing set without the swings. A woman was standing beside it with a pair of mallets in her hands. The handbells were hanging from this ringing rack and apparently they were played by striking them with the mallets. The idea intrigued me, but as I recall they were asking about $1100 for this rack, and that was way out of my price range.
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AGEHR Published Titles – music with no bell changes
In these unique times, if you are looking for music with no bell changes, AGEHR has published some*. These pieces vary in difficulty and range of bells, (2 to 6 octaves). All can be played with ringers at music stands or at separated tables...
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Hi, all!!! We hope that you, your family, and your friends are all staying safe and healthy during this unprecedented time. Losing our bell time and social time all at once has been surreal and hard and strange. While we are all itching to get back together and ring again, we must continue to remain vigilant and do what we can to help stop the spread and flatten the curve. Here in NH, governmental guidelines have for the most part mitigated community spread
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Due to circumstances beyond our control the RI Holiday Handbell Spectacular, originally scheduled to be held on November 21, 2020 has been rescheduled to Saturday, November 20, 2021 - Mark you calendars and Stay safe!
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The Tall Spire ringers of First Congregational Church of Manchester, VT have been meeting virtually each week of the lockdown for a Mocktail party to stay connected. The church has decided to suspend services until September. ...
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Notes from
EDUCATION LIAISON
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I’ve been playing with software to keep my musical self satisfied through the last few months. I have a digital recorder that I’ve been using to participate in virtual choirs. It’s not the same as being in a room with singers, but it’s what I’ve got to work with....
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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
?
Full page ad (7.25" w x 9.625" h): $80.
Half page ad: $50
Quarter page ad: $30
Eighth page ad: $20
Discounts: Deduct 5% for prepayment of two issues;
deduct 10% for prepayment of four issues.
Next publication is scheduled for August 1
Articles must be submitted no later than
July 18
Thank you!
If you have suggestions or questions regarding this or any other aspect of the
Fundamental Tone
,
please contact the editor:
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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.
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