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Handbell choir uses teamwork to ring up strong performance

Jul. 25, 2005

NOTE: Photographs and two related stories, UMNS #407 and #408, are
available at http://umns.umc.org.

By Deborah White*

SAN FRANCISCO (UMNS) - After rehearsing together for only eight hours,
members of an All Star Handbell Choir gave an exceptional performance at
the recent convocation of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music
and Worship Arts.

The performance not only wowed the audience, but it demonstrated the
potential impact that a handbell choir can have on worship services and
getting people involved in church music.

Members of the fellowship with handbell experience submitted audition
tapes for the opportunity to play at the opening banquet of the
organization's 50th anniversary convocation. About 700 musicians,
worship leaders, pastors, artists and dancers gathered in San Francisco
for the July 10-14 event.

The 13 ringers who were selected for the All Star Handbell Choir
practiced on their own before arriving in San Francisco. But they met
for the first time at 1 p.m. July 9. After several intense rehearsals
with lots of repetition, they sailed energetically through 10
challenging musical pieces.

"With all those runs, it was as smooth as butter," commented director
Jason Wells after one particularly well-played number. Wells is founder
and director of Ring of Fire, an independent handbell choir of 13
teenagers from Hillsboro, Ore. They have performed internationally and
across the United States.

Teamwork was the key to the success of the All Star Handbell Choir,
Wells said. "You take 13 people, and everyone has an individual part.
... Alone it wouldn't be anything. But once the whole team comes
together ... they create just beautiful music. And it's so symbolic of
us and the church."

For an extra challenge, the ringers frequently switched places. This is
not typical of many church handbell choirs. Several ringers said that
playing next to different people helped them get to know one another
better.

"It was the high point of my ringing career," said Melanie Cantrell of
Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., who has been
playing handbells for 38 years.

"It was unbelievable," said Susan Finnegan of West Lake United Methodist
Church in Austin, Texas.

The handbell choir demonstrated the wide range of sounds that are
possible with handbells. "We have about 15 different techniques in all,"
Wells said. "And it helps us just sound more like an orchestra to have
different tones and different tenors coming out of the group. It makes
it a little more interesting."

Wells recommends adding two octaves of bells to improve church handbell
choirs. "Most beginning choir churches have three octaves of bells. I
would encourage them - it's about $15,000 - to find the money and go to
five octaves.

"Once you have five octaves of bells, a whole new world of literature is
available," he explained. "The handbell pieces are much more exciting,
much more engaging for the ringers."

He also recommends a two-choir handbell system - youth and adults - for
churches. The youth choir can feed into the adult choir. "It keeps the
youth active in your church. It's a great way to have them involved,"
Wells said.

"It creates such a dynamic ministry. They can go into rest homes and all
kinds of things," he said. "It's just an extension of the church that
ministers to both the musician as well as the people who hear it. It's
cool."

Members of the handbell choir were Lynnelle Bilsey of Burlingame,
Calif.; Melanie Cantrell of Brentwood, Tenn.; Susan Finnigan of Austin,
Texas; Nancy Taylor Ginsburg of Houston; Michael Glasgow of Raleigh,
N.C.; Jane Kisner of Corpus Christi, Texas; Stan McDaniel of Greenville,
N.C.; Russell Miller of Boerne, Texas; Saxon Scarborough of Gastonia,
N.C.; Leslie Smith of Austin, Texas; Marion Smith of Tierra Verde, Fla.;
Thomas Williams of Fayetteville, Ark.; and Stephanie Wiltse of Grand
Rapids, Mich.

White is associate editor of Interpreter magazine, published by United
Methodist Communications in Nashville, Tenn.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

********************

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

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