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The Bell-O-Gram Area III of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers

Delaware Maryland Metropolitan Washington, D.C. North Carolina Virginia

Volume 32 November 2006 Number 1

“The quest for perfection is elusive. The journey is the thing.”

“Rehearse a skill, not a symptom”

“Be process oriented, not product oriented.”

“Do your goals and your group’s goals fit together?”

“To reach the pinnacle, find the spirit and soul of the piece.”

Deborah Carr and

Dottie Tweedie inspire and challenge directors during the

Area III Directors Seminar at Centreville UMC in Centreville, Virginia

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Area III Board of Directors Chair Charm Peterman (2009) 113 Melvins End Yorktown, VA 23693 757-766-8658 rpeterman2@cox.net Chair-Elect Edmund F. Tompkins (2009) Pro tem Treasurer J. Stanley Schmidt (2009) 303 Redland Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 301-519-8905 Agehrdollars@hotmail.com Ken Bissell (2007) 5416 Sequoia Farms Drive Centreville, VA 20120 703-751-2151 KenBhandbells@aol.com Ingrid A. Bowers (2007) 5911 Oakland Park Drive Burke, VA 22015 703-425-5016 ringingb@verizon.net

Linda Simms (2007) 205 Carnoustie Road Dover, DE 19904 302-677-0187 Keys2Ring@aol.com Edmund F. Tompkins (2009) 4291 Canewood Lane Indian Trail, NC 28079 704-821-8392 etompkin@aol.com Kathleen L. Wissinger (2009) 1050 Cemetery Road McGaheysville, VA 22840 540-289-6973 Longwalk3@aol.com

Appointed Administrative Staff

Delaware Chair* Terri Brown TBNELLANS@aol.com

Maryland Chair* Debbie Henning debbiehen@earthlink.net

Metro Washington Chair* Melodie Feather melodie@uucava.org

North Carolina Chair* Ellen Moretz Emoretz@carolina.rr.com

Virginia Chair* Ned Davis nededavis@cox.net CHIME Loan Program Elaine Myers myers129@juno.com Event Coordinator Lisa Woerner lisa_gct@yahoo.com Event Registrar Bettsy Wermine wermine@comcast.net

Guild Store Manager Susan Butler susan.butler@solocup.com

Historian Missy Cernigliaro belldiva@cavtel.net

Membership Fran Hoadley fran_hoadley@yahoo.com

Recording Secretary Lynn Bogovich lbogovich@comcast.net

Scholarship Committee Chair Ed Tompkins etompkin@aol.com

Video Librarian C. Milton Rodgers miltonrodgers@verizon.net * Area III Advisory Council National website

www.agehr.org

Area III website www.areaiii.org

Area III Webmaster

Stephen Nash Webmaster@areaiii.org

The Bell-O-Gram American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, Area III

Ingrid Bowers, editor 5911 Oakland Park Drive, Burke, VA 22015

The Bell-O-Gram is published in February, May, September, and November by Area III of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers. AGEHR is a non-profit organization whose primary objective is to educate, promote the exchange of ideas relating to handbell and handchime ringing, and sponsor educational activities that are not exclusively competitive. The editor reserves the right to reject or modify copy.

Deadline for the February issue is January 10.

Please send articles and news to: Editor: Ingrid Bowers; e-mail: ringingb@verizon.net

2006-2007 advertising rates per issue: Full page: $105 1/2 page: $75 1/4 page: $55 1/8 page: $35

20% discount for four-issue contract

Inside This Issue:

Area III Directors Seminar 1 Roster 2 Letter from Area III Chair 3 RingTouch, Mentor Program, Youth Festival Update 5 Meet The Conductors 6-7 Scholarship 9 Chime Loan 10 Membership 11 Spring Festival Classes 11 Area News 12-15 Events Calendar 16 Distinctly Bronze 17 Ringers Rule! 19-20 Web News 20 Video Library 23

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Understanding Learning Styles—Ideas We Can Use A perspective from your Area Chair

What are the benefits of belonging to AGEHR? One outstanding example is the Directors Seminar recently held at Centreville UMC. Two talented instructors, Dr. Deborah Carr and Dottie Tweedie treated participants to a variety of approaches and applied knowledge through lecture, demonstration, interaction, and hands-on opportunities. These two instructors not only shared their knowledge of music, ringing handbells and working with others, but also demonstrated through their teaching techniques a variety of ways to appeal to different learning styles. In the main ringing room, Deb Carr used double screens to keep a visual reminder of the topics and issues being covered. Handouts directly correlated with the Power Point slides being used, and an added space was included on each page for taking notes. The height of the stage gave everyone a good sight-line to see her and respond to her directing. She was very positive throughout the event, encouraging and reinforcing individual concerns and situations, adding a bit of humor through her own experiences. During discussion periods, Deb altered the “learning environment” and had everyone move chairs from behind the ringing tables, creating a more intimate setting. She conducted a thorough score analysis to help directors understand how critical this is to the learning process for ringers and included an analytical diagram to assist in the process. Deb made effective use of time, aided by easy access to the clock on the wall behind the participants. Comments on the evaluation forms documented that variations in room temperature can make a definite difference in how distracted or attentive the ringers are. For those attending the beginning directors class taught by Dottie Tweedie, their learning environment was very intimate, with close-up and personal attention for the many questions. They were in a well-lit room and Dottie used a dry-erase board in addition to having bells to demonstrate techniques. She was in close proximity to the participants. Dottie took these directors through valuable information on well thought-out handouts - a visual, tangible learning tool. Watching the interaction of the instructors with the participants, the involvement and encouragement given, and observing the advantages of using a variety of elements within the rooms, reinforced for me the importance of the learning environment. A positive learning environment can complement the knowledge-base of the instructor. Is there something that could be changed where you rehearse to provide and enhance a positive learning environment for the ringers? Effective learning-styles issues include environmental elements--light, temperature, time, interaction and sound–that directly affect how efficiently an individual can receive new information, process it, and apply it. Seeing with Magic Glasses by Launa Ellison is an excellent resource for teaching and learning. She includes the well-tested learning model by Dr. Rita Dunn and Dr. Kenneth Dunn to identify many additional factors that can improve a person’s learning—aside from the visual, kinesthetic and auditory learning styles we hear so much about. Does something here give you a new awareness or concept that you can apply to ringing and/or directing?

Environmental: sound, light, temperature, design

Emotional: motivation, persistence, responsibility, structure

Sociological: self, pair, peers, team, adult, varied

Physical: perceptual, intake, time, mobility

Psychological: global/analytical, hemispheric, impulse/reflective

Charm Peterman

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Area III Mentor Program

Area III events are such wonderful experiences: ringing, classes, meals, fellowship, concerts, shopping, networking, relaxing. In order to welcome first-time attendees to these events and to make their initial experience an enjoyable time they hope to repeat, Area III has established a Mentor Program. Mentors help pave the way by answering questions; helping to figure out schedules, class locations, meals. In short, a mentor is an instant "Friend-in-the-Know." While many seasoned festival participants offer this warm welcome as a rule, not all first-timers are bold enough to ask for help, so we want to make it easy to find a mentor.

The set-up is very simple, any person or choir who wishes to have a mentor or to be a mentor may sign up on the event registration form. These lists are coordinated, and the pairs are notified. Consider mentoring for your next event!

RingTouch Be "In touch" with Area III

Do you know about RingTouch - your Area III Electronic Newsletter? Sent out monthly, this free e-newsletter is full of up-to-date information on Area III Events - including repertoires, class lists, and links for more information. RingTouch also announces concerts and other workshops in the Area III vicinity; shares interesting tidbits of news and fun; and offers lengthier versions of articles and more background information introduced in the Bell-O-Gram.

Anyone may join the over 500 subscribers to RingTouch. To subscribe or just to access the current month’s

newsletter (as well as archives,) go to www.areaiii.org. Please send any announcements to be included in

RingTouch by the first of each month to: ringtouch@areaiii.org

Youth Festival Adventure!

Jason Wells director of the Ring of Fire is coming to Richmond November 17 & 18 to lead the youth in a fun-filled and exciting festival! Jason is well-known for having had an ensemble that memorized all of their music. He has some intriguing methods to approach memorizing music, and you will have an opportunity to learn his techniques through a plenary session on memorization Saturday afternoon. Those of you who are familiar with Capriccio - here it comes! In addition, a very special treat for you will be to attend a class called “Less is More” by Kath Wissinger and her ensemble, Spectrum. Ringing in a smaller group of seven ringers does not mean the music is less exciting or cool. “In fact,” according to Kath, “fewer people means more bells for me, and isn’t that what makes us happy?” Kath will share tips on how to select 3-octave music that a small group can play without time-consuming bell reassigning. Her group uses mostly four-in-hand and bass bell weaving to cover all the bells. This will be a demonstration class with Spectrum sharing how to work out particular sections of pieces and then playing them for you. And don’t forget we’ll have fun music to read through as well as the repertoire for the 2008 youth festival! Hope to see you there!

2006 Youth Festival Classes: Boomwhackers

CSI: Ringing Techniques

Create, Strategize, & Implement

Fun Repertoire

“Less is More” small ensembles can play

Big Music

Musical “Buckets”

Percussion Petting Zoo

Sport Stacking

Who Needs A Conductor?

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We know you as a composer/arranger and as a teacher of composing. We don’t know much about you as the director of a handbell ensemble in your community. What is that like for you, what are your expectations as director, and how do you achieve them? It has been my pleasure to be a part of the East Texas Handbell Ensemble for all twelve years of its existence. We are totally committed to be as musical as we can possibly be, taking care to present as wide a range of dynamic contrast, musical phrasing and rhythmic accuracy as our preparation time allows. We will never be the fastest, most dazzling group you’ve ever heard, but we will do everything we can to take you on a varied and even emotional roller coaster ride in an attempt to display the depth and meaning of the music we’re playing. What do you do to continue to grow as a composer and as a conductor? That’s an easy question that can be summed up in two words: listen and watch. I go to as many concerts, musical events and worship services of all types that I possibly can, taking in everything and making it part of my experience. Those times have led me to countless growing opportunities. For example, while attending the AGEHR directors seminar in Milwaukee last summer, I sat in on most of the rehearsals of the “Pinnacle Experience” which gave me an opportunity to watch Michael Helman, Mike Joy, Cathy Moklebust and Bill Payn conduct and teach their own pieces—that rare occurrence alone made the trip to Wisconsin an amazing bargain! And last Sunday, while sitting in church and participating in worship, I came away with three different ideas for future composition projects that were inspired by the service I attended.

A Chat with Arnold Sherman Interviewed by J. Stanley Schmidt

We are thrilled to have you as the guest conductor at our Area III Ocean City and Hampton spring festivals in 2007. The bronze festival choirs will be ringing your newly published “The Sure Foundation.” How did you go about weaving two familiar hymns (“The Church’s One Foundation” and “Christ Is Made The Sure Foundation”) into a single piece? First of all, it is an honor to be a part of your 2007 spring festivals. I’m looking forward to both events! As for “The Sure Foundation,” the pairing of the two tunes was the idea of Mike Lightfoot. At that time, Mike was the director of music at A&M United Methodist Church in College Station, Texas, and had commissioned me to write a piece to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the church’s sanctuary. Because the setting of the tune AURELIA (the first tune in the arrangement) turned out to be rhythmic and a bit upbeat, I decided to contrast that with a more lyrical approach to REGENT SQUARE (which is the second tune in the arrangement). Both tunes are so well constructed that they stand up to the atypical treatments and still more than hold their own, which is a tribute to the original composers. And there’s an interesting side story about this piece. A&M United Methodist Church is in the heart of Texas A&M country, and the university is known for its rich and fervent sense of school pride. Mike called me after we had decided on the tunes and general shape of the arrangement with a request to put the song, “The Spirit of Aggieland,” a tune that embodies that pride and strong tradition, in the arrangement in place of REGENT SQUARE. So, the tune went in, but for their version only. REGENT SQUARE has a much more universal appeal than a song that starts, “We are the Aggies, the Aggies are we…” Many in the handbell world may not know that you also compose choral music. Is there a difference between writing music for handbells on one hand, and voices on the other? Actually, writing for bells and writing for voices have much in common. The goal for both mediums is often the same: to create soaring, well-crafted music that conveys the idiomatic strengths of both instruments. I am (and will always be) a sucker for a good melody, and handbells and voices are excellent instruments of choice to convey any and all of the world’s great tunes.

If you could ask one question about music in general and handbells in particular, what would it be? And how would you answer it? I think the question would be, “How can we make the world around us more musically literate?” The answer I would like to give is much too long for this interview, but I believe handbells can be at the heart of the answer. It’s an excellent but much too underused teaching tool, a challenging concert instrument, and a marvelous vehicle for developing true teamwork and strong interpersonal relationships. And it’s accessible to one and all “straight out of the box”! So I end my answer to the question with a question of my own:

“Why doesn’t every school and church around us own and make use of a set of handbells?”

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A Chat with Zana Kizzee We welcome Zana to the 2007 Area III Spring Festivals as our Genesis Track conductor. We asked her to share some of her thoughts with us as we prepare for the upcoming festivals.

What are some of the goals you have for the Genesis Track ringers this year? I look forward to helping this year’s Genesis ringers master new handbell techniques and enjoy the thrill of ringing in a massed group. I plan to teach them how to put finishing touches on a piece and achieve the composer and director’s desires in the piece. My personal goal is to fan the ringers’ passion for the art of handbell ringing and participating in Area III festivals.

Is there any work or exercise that a choir can practice before coming to the festival that will be helpful to them? Attend weekly rehearsals. Study individual parts at home—homework! Mark your music with reminders to help you master difficult passages 100% of the time. Work up to the marked tempos. Practice the dynamics, meter changes, and bell changes. Anticipate accidentials. Look for personal/group applications in all pieces you learn—what is the composer trying to say to the ringer? To the audience?

What would you like the ringers to know about you? I am a music educator with a passion for helping people enjoy the journey of making music to the best of their ability. I have a selfish approach to music performance: I like to rehearse and know my music so well that I actually have fun performing it. This selfish attitude, I believe, is what makes our audience enjoy our performance. Plan to work hard and have lots of fun in the Genesis Track choir. As a music educator, I enjoy watching people grow to their fullest potential while providing them new experiences to achieve personal success.

What changes do you hope to see in the Genesis Track choir during your weekend with them? I hope to heighten the ringers’ sense of listening to the group as a whole and how their parts fit in. I hope to train the ringers to watch and respond to my direction as well as develop their peripheral vision for watching each other. I hope to develop a sensitivity to the composers instructions in the piece, a uniform looking ringing ensemble, and a sense of teamwork.

About our 2007 conductors: Arnold B. Sherman, who lives in Tyler, Texas, is a free-lance composer, co-founder of Red River Music, and music and arts director at First United Methodist Church in Henderson, Texas. He is in frequent demand as a clinician and guest conductor. Sherman has led choral and handbell workshops, festivals, and reading sessions throughout the United States, Canada, England, Japan and the Bahamas. He founded and directs the East Texas Handbell Ensemble, a community handbell choir located in the Tyler area. Sherman has numerous choral and handbell pieces in print, and has been the recipient of an ASCAP Standard Award for each of the last eight years. An active member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, he is a Past Chair of Area IX. Zana Kizzee, who lives in King George, Virginia earned a Master of Church Music degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, and has been ringing handbells for over 20 years. She was the founding director of Virginia Bronze, a community handbell ensemble in Northern Virginia. She has served as Director of Music for mili-tary base chapels, taught public school music classes and has served in interim church music ministry positions. Her many passions include church music ministry, teaching private voice, directing choral and handbell ensembles, gardening, and growing African violets.

Area III Spring Festival Update

Allegro Spiritoso by Greg Underwood, winner of the Area III 2006 Composition contest and the sixth 2007 Spring Festival piece, is now available for purchase.

AG23028 (2-3 octaves) AG35261 (3-5 octaves)

Tentative festival classes are listed on page 11.

Information about the Area III spring festivals (including registration forms), is available on our

website: www.areaiii.org.

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Area III may offer at least one scholarship to the:

AGEHR 2007 NATIONAL SEMINAR

DALLAS, TEXAS July 18-21, 2007

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICANT REQUIREMENTS

Be a resident of Area III (Delaware, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia or Metropolitan Washington D. C.)

Be a member of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, Inc.

Be directing a handbell choir within Area III at the time of application and at the

time of the seminar.

Be a first-time attendee at the event.

A scholarship covers event registration and lodging and includes a $250 travel and meal stipend

DEADLINE

April 1, 2007

FOR APPLICATIONS AND FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Area III Scholarship Chair

Ed Tompkins Phone: 704-821-8392 or E-mail: etompkin@aol.com

or visit the Area III website, www.areaiii.org Click on “Services” to find the Scholarship page.

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HAND CHIMES ON THE GO

THE BEAUTY OF OUR CHIME LENDING PROGRAM

By Elaine Myers, Chime Liaison

Chimes! Chimes! Chimes! Did you know that Area III has a program to loan a three-octave set of Schulmerich and a three-octave set of Malmark chimes for a school-year at a time? We have increased the time from six months to a school-year to better establish a good foundation for teaching chimes. If you do not have available a set of chimes or handbells, fill out the application found on the Area III website www.areaiii.org and send it to me. If selected, Area III will send a set of chimes with the stipulation that after the loan period, you will return the chimes and educational materials in good condition. They come with eight “Ready to Ring,” (2–5 octaves), and “Handchimes In General Music,” a curriculum guide for grades 1–3 and 4–6, and several additional instructional books. This is my first assignment with AGEHR and I love the opportunity to connect with people who want to use our loan program. It has been my experience that handchimes provide an excellent teaching opportunity in our schools. About 15 years ago I purchased a two-octave set of Suzuki tone chimes and I have been “hooked” ever since. Presently I teach in a gifted elementary school “Old Donation Center” in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and have 4th and 5th grade chime choirs. They perform twice a year and LOVE it. At the end of the year I let my 5th graders play my three-octave set of handbells for 5th grade graduation. That is very special for them. Edgewood Community Developmental School in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was a recent borrower of a set of Area III chimes. The school teaches developmen-tally disabled preschool children, beginning with age three, and going through high school, age 21. They used Area III chimes in the music classroom using techniques that met the ability level of the students. These students made believers of many skeptical parents and administrators who did not think the students could play the chimes successfully, much less benefit from them. They now plan to purchase their own chimes and “take their show on the road” to showcase their accomplishments! This school year the Wilmington SDA School in Wilmington, North Carolina, is using one of the sets this year. Please continue to spread the word about this great opportunity to start a chime program!

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Maryland Teri Gregory, Community UMC, Crofton Ruth Howard, First Presbyterian Church of Bel Air Bel Air North Carolina Carla Smith Ely, Tabernacle UMC, Greensboro Heidi Horesovsky, First Reformed Church of Cary, Cary Karen Strausser, Konnoak Hills Moravian Church, Winston-Salem Joyce Thee, Guilford College UMC, Greensboro Virginia Mary Anne Brundage, Galilee UMC, Sterling Rachel Gawinski, New Life Community Church, Stafford Grace Hills Baptist Church, Appomattox Tom Heitfield, Galilee UMC, Sterling Patricia Lessard, New Hanover Presbyterian Church, Mechanicsville Katheryn Moore, All Saints Catholic Church, Manassas Jori Sienkiewicz, Warrenton Presbyterian Church, Warrenton Dale Williams, Hunting Creek Baptist Church, Nathalie

AREA III WELCOMES 14 NEW MEMBERS

(August 1-September 30, 2006)

Total membership as of September, 2006 is 885 Fran Hoadley, Area III Membership Chair 828-685-1478 fran_hoadley@yahoo.com

Send address and membership changes or corrections to: AGEHR, 1055 E. Centerville Station Road, Dayton, OH 45459-5503. The Bell-O-Gram cannot make or process any changes or corrections.

Ocean City Classes

Percussion Room How Do I Play This?

World Percussion Mallet Making

JoyBells

Working With Difficult People

Director's Track Area III Forum

Bell Assignments Score Study Conducting

Copyright Laws

Technique Room Bass Bell Techniques A to Z Techniques

High Bell Techniques

Repertoire Track Repertoire: Hymn Tunes

Repertoire: Double Choirs Repertoire: Oldies

Other Classes

Stem Direction DOES Count! 5678!/Cup Game Massage Class What? Level 5

Repertoire: Double Choirs Bell Trees

Beginning Recorder Novice Recorder

Arranging/Composing

Tentative Classes for Ocean City and Hampton Spring Festivals

Hamtpon Classes Ringing

Techniques for Treble Bells Basic Bass Bells

Advanced Bass Bells High Treble Techniques

Musicality

Stem Direction DOES Count! “Start to Finish”

Voicing Music Theory

Reading Sessions:

Levels 1/2 Levels 3/4 “Gems”

Directing Issues Children’s Choirs

Beginning Directors Int./Adv. Directors

Specialty Classes

Rhythmic Movement Middle Eastern Drumming

Mallet Maintenance & Re-wrapping

Maori Sticks

Please note that these are tentative classes. You can check the Area website or RingTouch for class updates.

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AREA iii NEWS News items for the November issue should be sent to your State Chair by January 10

Delaware Terri Brown, Chair TBNELLANS@aol.com 302-734-9739 We must say farewell to our Delaware Chair, Carol Coughenour, who has taken a new job that requires her time and attention. We thank Carol for her years of service to Area III and we look forward to seeing her at Area events. Thanks Carol! Terri Brown from Wyoming, Delaware will be the new Chair. Welcome Terri! If you would like some help with your bell program, a Delaware mentor is available for you at your request. In addition, a ringer substitute list for Kent County choirs is being compiled to be used for both rehearsals and performances. Contact Linda Simms (302) 677-0187 or Keys2Ring@aol.com. Capital Ringers has rehearsed throughout the summer with an occasional break and Board meeting. This nonprofit community handbell ensemble is currently sponsored by St. Andrew’s, and stays active in the Kent County community. If you are interested in ringing with Capital Ringers, contact Linda Simms or take a look at their new website capitalringers.org.

Catpital Ringers Kent County handbell events: Thursday, November 16 - Capital Ringers play in a joint concert at Grace Presbyterian Church, Dover at 7 p.m. Saturday, November 25- “Red Kettle Ring” for Salvation Army. All bell choirs in the community are invited to participate in ringing for this organization by taking turns ringing easy ensemble pieces for the “Red Kettle Ring.” Saturday, December 2-Capital Ringers perform in the Dover Downs Hotel Lobby, 5:30-8:00. December 8-10—Capital Ringers perform in the Dover Downs Hotel Lobby for the Chocolate Festival. 6:30-9:00 Dec. 8; 5:30-8 Dec. 9; 1-3:30 Dec. 10. Sunday, December 17-Capital Ringers, RAD Ringers, and the Bells of St. Andrew’s perform a joint Christmas Concert at 4 p.m. in the Great Hall at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church. Saturday, February 3, 2007-Capital Ringers’ second annual Young Musicians’ Workshop for children in the community in grades 2-8, who have an interested in spending three fun-packed hours in musical activities to include handbells, handchimes, Boomwhackers, Orff instruments, and much more! Contact Linda Simms for information about all choirs and events in the Kent County area.

Maryland Debbie Henning, Chair debbiehen@earthlink.net 410-848-5482 Judy Rudy reports from Washington & Alleghany Counties: 1. The Choirs of Otterbein UMC, 108 E. Franklin St. in Hagerstown including their three handbell choirs will be presenting their Advent concert on December 10, 2006 at 4 p.m. Concert is FREE with a reception to follow. 2. The Westminster Ringers will be presenting a concert on December 2, 2006 at 7:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 15 Randolph Ave. in Hagerstown. Concert is FREE and open to the public. A free-will offering will be received. 3. John Rudy has been asked to form a community- based handbell choir to perform at the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Concerts on December 16th at 7 p.m. and December 17th at 3 p.m. at the Maryland Theater in downtown Hagerstown. The choir, to be made up of ringers from area churches, will perform on five octaves of bells. For ticket information, contact the Maryland Symphony Orchestra at 301-797-4000 4. The Hagerstown Area Handbell Festival will take place on April 21, 2007. The Guest Conductor/Clinician will be Michael Keller. Mr. Keller has been commissioned to write a piece for the Festival. For more information, please contact John Rudy at 301-733-2878. 5. The Little Heiskel Ringers, a community choir, and the Handbell Choir of Haven Lutheran Church will combine to present a concert on December 10, 2006 at 2:30 p.m. at the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts in Hagerstown. Concert is FREE. Louisa Rettew reports from Baltimore County & City:

1. St. John’s Lutheran Church – Sweet Air, 3911 Sweet Air Rd., Phoenix will present a concert on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature Michael Chambers (Director of Music, Traditional Worship) on piano with other instrumentalist, including AGEHR member Louisa Rettew on handbells and hand-chimes. Concert is FREE, but a free-will offering will be taken to benefit the church’s fundraising campaign. Randy Bachand reports from the Eastern Shore: 1. St Luke’s UMC in St. Michaels has a new director – Kevin Thomas. 2. The Peachbottom Bells, directed by Randy Bachand, presented it’s first concert on October 14, 2006.

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Carrie Grams reports from Carroll & Howard Counties: 1. Glen Mar UMC will be holding a gathering of handbell directors from Carroll & Howard counties in early November. Please watch for more information soon. 2. The advanced handbell choir, Covenant Ringers from Glen Mar UMC, under the direction of Carrie Grams, performed with three other handbell choirs at a festival on October 21, 2006 at the Severna Park UMC. Each director taught a level 3 or 3+ piece to the ringer participants for a massed choir performance and each individual choir presented a piece. The Covenant Ringers performed Michael Helman’s “Carillon” as their individual offering. After rehearsing through the day, the massed choirs and individual choirs gave a free casual afternoon performance to conclude the festival.

Metro Washington DC Melodie Feather, Chair melodie@uucava.org 703-283-2604 The upcoming holiday season is a wonderful opportunity for handbell folks to share their art! Finding the opportunities, making the arrangements, and getting the commitment from our ringers to ring in the community is a tremendous feat! But for those involved, it is usually a very rewarding adventure during the rush of the holidays. Unfortunately, spreading the good news about these events frequently gets pushed to the back burner or is an afterthought. So here’s your chance…how about sending me dates, location, and times of your performances so that they can be included in the Ring Touch e-newsletter in time for folks to attend! I anxiously await your emails (melodie@uucava.org) or phone calls (703/497-4562). Below is just the tip of the iceberg of what I know is going on in the Metro DC area in December! Virginia Bronze, the newly organized community choir in Northern Virginia, will perform four times during the next several months.

Tuesday, Nov. 7 Private concert at Goodwin House Retirement Home in Alexandria, Va.

Sunday, Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. Concert for the Music Club of Montebello in Alexandria, Va.

Sunday, Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. Christmas concert at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Va.

Friday, Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. Perform at the Mormon Temple Festival of Lights. Choirs from St. Matthews UMC, Annandale, Va. will perform during the holidays in several locations. Mitchell Ringers Market Square Christmas Tree in Alexandria, Va. Friday, Dec. 8th at 7:30 p.m.

Celebration & Jubilee Ringers Market Square Christmas Tree in Alexandria, Va. Sunday, Dec. 10th at 2:00 p.m. Mitchell Ringers Mormon Temple Visitors Center, Kensington, Md. Wednesday, Dec. 13th at 7:00 & 8:00 p.m. Senior Singers’ Chorale of Arlington, Va. and Polymnia Bells from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington have two concert dates. Westover Baptist Church, Arlington, Va. Saturday, Dec. 9th at 4:00 p.m.

Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. Monday, Dec.11th at 6:00 p.m.

North Carolina Ellen Moretz, Chair Emoretz@carolina.rr.com 704-567-0336

What has 210 arms, 105 heads and one heart? If you answered Distinctly Bronze you would be correct! Once again over 100 ringers gathered for the excitement and challenge of making beautiful music under the baton of David Davidson. This year’s music included Malcolm Wilson’s “Amazing Grace,” which was accompanied by bagpipes. Even the ringers were getting misty-eyed as the two very different sounds mingled, mixed and complimented one another. Cathy Moklebust’s “Vision Quest” evoked much emotion from the audience, bringing at least one member to tears. We did verify it was the beauty of the piece, NOT any errors in the performance! Carol Lynn Mizell once again gave us a winning piece in her “Rock Around the Clock”, introducing a brand new technique which David quickly named “the Mizell”! You can go to the website at http://www.agehr.org/learning/dbindex.asp to view the entire repertoire. This year was truly an international event with participants from Canada, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. With all eyes focused on the director, a hush fell over the over 250 audience members as the ensemble began its 13-piece repertoire, which used over 900 bells and over 300 chimes. Constantly guided by the firm, but gentle, hand of David Davidson, the individual ringers worked to become one solid group of 104, sounding not as many individual ringers, but as one unified voice. Thanks to Sharon Schmidt, chair of the event, and much planning by the AGEHR, Distinctly Bronze was a success once again. The ringers raised over $5000 for the William H. Griffin Scholarship fund. For the first time, Area III ringers were not in the majority, which prompts me to invite all who would like to join, and who feel capable of ringing the repertoire, to do just that!

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Summer 2007 will see 31 members of the group touring Europe, with the final concert in Fred Gramman’s American Church in Paris. There are still a few openings, not only for ringers, but for non-ringers. Go to the Guild website for more information. Our bell-ringing companion from England, Keith Rowland, will be providing at least 7 octaves of bells and chimes for the tour, and has promised a “jolly good time” for all. So, mark your calendars for 2007. If you can’t make the tour, come to the Riverfront Convention Center in New Bern, N.C. for an incredible bell experience—Distinctly Bronze Concert, October 7 at 4 p.m. THE DISAPPEARING FESTIVAL

Ed Tompkins As you perused the information about the Area III Spring Festivals, you may have noticed something missing! In 2007, spring festivals will be offered in Hampton, Virginia, and Ocean City, Maryland, but not in North Carolina. What happened to the Hickory Festival? The spring festival conferences have grown and evolved over the years. The festival began as one event in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The attendance grew and the Virginia Beach festival moved from the Cavalier Hotel to the Pavilion. Then, Area III added a second festival in Greensboro, North Carolina. Eventually, a festival was started in Maryland, which was a one-day, Saturday event. As the festival conferences evolved, they became events which included massed ringing and classes. In order to offer both, the resources of a conference center were necessary. Churches generally did not have the large classrooms needed for the class offerings. The North Carolina festival moved west over the years, from Greensboro, to Winston-Salem, and then to Hickory. Rising costs at conference centers forced the Area III Board to find new sites. The Hickory Convention Center, new and adjacent to numerous hotels, proved to be a great site for the Area III Spring Intergenerational Festival. However, as dates for spring festivals are always in flux due to Holy Week, the attendance at the event was also inconsistent. At its May 2006 meeting, the Area III Board reviewed the income and expense of the Hickory festival and decided that it was not cost-effective to offer the event in 2007. The costs associated with the Convention Center are not covered unless attendance at the event reaches 400 ringers. All North Carolina members received a letter in July explaining this decision. They were encouraged to attend the Hampton or Ocean City events in spring 2007. In addition, a long list of local festivals held in North Carolina was provided. The Board hopes that North Carolina handbell choirs will take advantage of these local opportunities next spring. What does the future hold? The Board wants to offer a spring event in North Carolina that meets the needs of AGEHR members, furthers the art of handbell/handchime ringing, and is cost-effective. Your creative input is invited and encouraged. Please send ideas and locations for new events to your North Carolina Chair, Ellen Moretz, or Board member Ed Tompkins. Their contact information is on page two in the Board listing. And in spring 2007, we hope to see you at a Spring Festival OR at one of the numerous local events offered throughout North Carolina!

Virginia Ned Davis, Chair nededavis@cox.net 757-482-5361

Cooler temperatures, shorter days, a faint hint of smoke in the air, pumpkins and a whole host of other things remind me that fall is finally here. Oh yes, and then there are the holidays with all of the decorations, family and great music. I could play Christmas music at least six months a year and still not get tired of it. Several years ago we took a road trip to Raleigh to attend a concert by the Raleigh Ringers-fabulous for sure; but you don’t have to make the trip to Raleigh to be able to take in a good holiday handbell concert. We have a number of community groups in our area who present wonderful holiday concerts. The James River Ringers, located in the Richmond area, have been together since 1997, presenting quality handbell concerts throughout Virginia and the surrounding area performing on five octaves of Malmark bells. In addition, they serve the handbell community by hosting seminars, workshops, and festivals throughout the year. This holiday season, the nine members of this exceptional ensemble will present their Christmas concert on December 16th at 7:00 p.m. at the Bon Air Presbyterian Church, 9201 W. Huguenot Rd., Richmond, Va. Selections they will perform include Silent Night, We Three Kings, Shepherds, Why This Jubilee!, I Wonder As I Wander, Jingle Bell Jazz and two vocal selections, Carillon and Carol of the Bells, accompanied by the JRR. Make a note on your calendar and check out their web site for further details: www.jamesriverringers.org Formed in 1996, the Virginia Handbell Consort, was the first community group in the Hampton Roads area and in the years since has established itself as a versatile group able to perform different genre from classical to jazz. The group consists of 13 auditioned members from the Hampton Roads area. This past summer the group toured through Maryland and the Eastern Shore of Virginia. VHC perform their magic on five and a half octaves of Schulmerich bells, three octaves of Petit and Fritzen (Dutch) bells, and five and a half octaves of Schulmerich chimes. This holiday season, on their tenth anniversary, they will perform more than 13 concerts starting on November 19th including appearances with the Virginia Wesleyan College Choir, the Continental Army Band at Fort Monroe and concluding with First Night in Williamsburg Some of the selections included in their concerts are Greensleeves, Sleigh Ride, Blue Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy and an original commissioned piece by Cynthia Dobrinski—Rise up Shepherds and Follow. For further information about their schedule consult their web site: www.virginiahandbellconsort.com. There are numerous handbell groups in Virginia, offering us a wonderful chance to enjoy the sounds of the season. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities and support them. Until next time, may you have a blessed Christmas with your friends and family and a wonderful time “ringing” in the New Year.

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EVENT DESCRIPTION LOCATION CLINICIAN CONTACT

November 3-4 2006

Capital Area Handbell Festival Conference

Kerr Scott Bldg. N.C. State

Fairgrounds Bill Griffin

Marilyn Reese 919-846-6406

November 4 2006

Westminster Ringers Adult Festival Conference

New Windsor

Md.

Bill Alexander

Debbie Henning director@the

westminsterringers.org

November 11 2006

Mid-Carolinas Handbell Festival Charlotte, N.C.

Sardis Presbyterian

Church

Susan Berry

Nadja Sefcik-Earl nadja@carolina.rr.com

November 17-18

2006

Area III Youth Festival

Greater Richmond Convention Center

Richmond, Va.

Jason Wells

Laura Shelton handbellhog@ hotmail.com

January 12-15 2007

Master Class in Conducting Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pa.

Bill Payn

Karen Leonard

AGHER 800-878-5459

January 12-15

2007

Master Class in Composition

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, Pa.

Arnold Sherman

Karen Leonard

AGEHR 800-878-5459

March 9-10

2007

March 10

2007

March 16-17

2007

March 24

2007

April 20-21

2007

April 29

2007

Area III Spring Festival

Ocean City, Md.

Capital Area Young Ringers Festival

Raleigh, N.C.

James River Ringers 2-3 Octave Festival

Young Ringers Festival Conference

Children’s Melody Madness

Young Ringers Festival

National Seminar

Roland E. Powell

Convention Center

Arnold Sherman

Edenton Street

UMC.

Tim Waugh

Mechanicsville Church of Christ Richmond, Va.

Ed Tompkins

Westminster, Md.

Larry Henning

Hampton Roads Convention

Center

Arnold Sherman

St. Matthew’s UMC

Annandale, Va.

Nancy Cappel

Linda Simms Keys2Ring@

aol.com

Ruth Brown

bells@ nativityonline.org

Debbie Henning director@the

westminsterringers.org

Stan Schmidt Agehrdollars@

hotmail.com

Linda Alcivar ncappel@

stmatthewsumc.org

www.agehr.org

DATE/TIME

Upcoming Events

July 18-21

2007

Dallas, Texas

Dottie Tweedie

hatdpt@verizon.net

Area III Spring Festival

Hampton, Va.

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31 Area III Ringers Attend the 2006 Distinctly Bronze Event

Maryland: Shirley Bockstahler-Brandt, Laurel

Lynn Bogovich, Millersville David Nelson, Odenton Joyce Terry, Friendship

North Carolina: Laveita Brinson, Louisburg

David Brown, Raleigh Ruth Anne Brown, Raleigh Kevin Dietzschold, Cary Leslie Lewis, Gastonia Cindy Massey, Raleigh

Ellen Moretz, Charlotte Ashley Perdue, Lexington

Sarah Sheffield, Indian Trail Dawn Stafford, Clemmons

Ed Tompkins, Indian Trail Joyce Wolfe, Wilson Virginia:

Sue Atkins, Richmond Kristen Banek, Falls Church ( 2006 DB Scholarship Winner)

Jerri Bland, Alexandria Kimberly Boan, Richmond Karen Bowles, Richmond

Sherry Butler, Springfield Mya Dundzila, Alexandria

Jill Fite, Lorton Greg Guinther, Richmond

Zana Kizzee, Burke Dawn Mosteller, Springfield Dotty Parker, Virginia Beach

Gillian Penn, Alexandria Ruth Szucs, Midlothian Patty Whitfield, Richmond

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Ringers Rule! A two-sided page designed for the ringers in Area III

"Not enough ringers" is never an excuse not to play great bell music. My current church teen group, "Spectrum" has been a small group (five to seven ringers) since its inception. When first learning to ring, they played simple two-octave scores, with one or two ringers picking up extra bells when needed. Gradually, this practice turned these ringers into proficient bell jugglers on three octaves. While I still must carefully select scores, especially concerning the bass parts, we have found that there is a wealth of handbell music covering 2 and 3 octaves that is well-suited for smaller groups to play. Generally, my treble bell ringers cover four adjacent bells (C6, D6, E6, F6 plus the accidentals) and bass ringers share an octave of bells (two or three ringers on C4-C5). Ringers change positions for every piece, so they become comfortable ringing in all ranges. Newer ringers cover the mid-range bells from B4 to B5, usually starting with two bells. As a rule, though, we do not use a lot of bell "displacement" on the tables.

Skills and Strategies for Ringing in a Small Group 1. Music with arpeggios or a thin bass line will be easier for bass ringers to play with two or three ringers. Thick chords require too many hands! Much beginning music is thickly chorded, so consider music a level harder than you usually play as well. 2. When using bells and chimes, isolate the chime parts from the bells so that the ringers can concentrate on one part or the other. For example, an inactive bass player may easily cover some treble chimes. 3. Use your mallets or appropriate martellatos. In quick or chromatic passages, bells may be played cleanly and efficiently by using percussive techniques. 4. Analyze your music. In a two-three octave piece, the treble bells may be able to play the top of the third octave C6- C7,) but the bass may only be able to cover the bottom of the second octave (G4-C5.) You can experiment to see what will work together. 5. More bell changes are possible at slower tempi. Warm, lush, impressionistic music with chromatic interest is

possible to play by fewer ringers. Practice passing bells to other ringers to keep passages smooth. 6. Develop your weaving and four-in-hand skills. Practice, exposure and confidence does make almost perfect. Start

with two bells in one hand and one bell in the other to learn to control three notes to begin with. Ringers who are required to use four-in-hand often or to choreograph bass ringing with a partner become increasingly fluent in how they approach a score and master their parts. Take advantage of classes at the spring festivals to help you work on these techniques.

7. If you find you are having a problem with a section of music, stop and fix it. Don't practice it incorrectly - it is worth

the time to learn to play the part correctly from the start. Give bells away if you simply can’t cover them, but try a few times first!!

8. Consider trying music written for small ensembles - 12-bell or 5x5 arrangements, duets, trios, and quartets are all

excellent.

Embrace a small ringing group, its capabilities and limits and make great music in a more intimate setting.

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Ringers Rule: How to find out what is going on in Area III

If you have a question about what is going on in Area III, here are some places you can go for help: • Your State Chair: Delaware Terri Brown TBNELLANS@yahoo.com Maryland Debbie Henning debbiehen@earthlink.net Metro Washington D.C. Melodie Feather melodie@uucava.org North Carolina Ellen Moretz Emoretz@carolina.rr.com Virginia Ned Davis nededavis@cox.net

The Area III Calendar has received a makeover to help finding and posting events even easier. You can view events from the calendar as before. But now you can post events directly in the calendar as well.

By clicking the ‘+’ symbol in the upper right hand corner of each calendar block, the new event dialog will appear.

• RingTouch (our e-newsletter accessible through the Area III website,

or by subscription • The Bell-O-Gram (our printed newsletter • Area III Website—www.areaiii.org • Find out about national events on the AGEHR website www.agehr.org

On the Area III Website you can check on festival c l a sses , f i nd information about upcoming events in the area, find registration forms for festivals and seminars. You can see what others are doing in our area, find out about Area III scholarships and chime loan programs. Check it out!

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Area lll Video Lending Library In Our Video Library… Instructional & Technical Videos

Advanced Handbell Ringing (A145) Alive—Glee Handbell Choir (A-236) Around the World in Bronze (A-250) Beginning Handbell Ringing (B-10) Bell Basics (B-17) A Bronze Christmas (B-20) Campanile in Concert (C-55) Christine Anderson in Concert (C-54) Choirchimes-Music For All Ages (C-490) Classical Bells in Concert (C-500)

Dalcroze Eurhythmics (D-2) Developing Solo-Ensemble Skills (D-88) Facing the Music (F-76) Hand Trauma (H-32) The Handbell Workshop CD-Rom (H-20) with Kermit D. Junkert Masteringers 1991 Festival (M-11) Music In Motion (M-100) National Festival—1987 (N-90) One Winter Evening At Meymandi (O-1)

Putting the Ring in Bronze- (P-1) Schulmerich Ring of Fire: The Bells of Tualatin Valley Jr. Academy (R-4) Ringing in Small Ensembles (R-3) Songs for the Solo Ringer-Instruction (S-4) Songs for the Solo Ringer-Performance (S-5) Sound Advice—Malmark (S-1) Splash of Bronze (S-6) Teaching a Piece of Handbell Music (T-17) Tinkling Handbells— (T-75)

Donald Allured (TS-1) Elizabeth Bradford (TS-2) David Davidson (TS-15) Lawrence/Wilma Fink (TS-16) Andrew Flanagan (TS-3)

Daniel Hermany (TS-17) Everett Jay Hilty (TS-4) Robert Ivey (TS-5) Jacques Kearns (TS-18) Mary Kettlehut (TS-6)

Richard Litterst (TS-19) Jake Malta (TS-7) Willard Markey (TS-8) Mary McCleary (TS-9) Scott Perry (TS-10)

Ellen Lorenz Porter (TS11) Marvin Reecher (TS-12) James Salzwedel (TS-13) Nancy Poore Tufts (TS-20) Doris Watson (TS-14)

Here’s how it works - - - 1. Your request for borrowing videos must be made on the form below and mailed to C. Milton Rodgers III, Video Librarian, c/o Grace United Methodist Church, 9750 Wellington Road, Manassas, VA 20110. Telephone: 703-361-7800, ext. 20. 2. A check, payable to Area III AGEHR, for $5.00 per video must accompany your request. This covers the cost of mailing the video and a small rental fee. 3. A second check, payable to Area III AGEHR, for $10.00 per video must accompany your request. This check will be held as a late fee for returning the videos. If the videos are returned by the due date your check will be returned. Otherwise it will be deposited. 4. You are responsible for returning each video. All videos are to be returned in padded envelopes or video boxes and must be sent Priority Mail (U.S. Postal Service). 5. More than one video may be requested. However, your request should indicate the priority order. It is often impossible to send more than one video promptly. 6. Copying videotapes is illegal. It’s an infringement of copyright laws. Area III maintains the Video Lending Library for instructional purposes and as a service to you, its members.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Complete this form, enclose checks payable to Area III AGEHR, and mail to C. Milton Rodgers III, c/o Grace United Methodist Church, 9750 Wellington Road, Manassas, VA 20110.

Name ______________________________________Mailing Address____________________________________________ City_____________________ State______ Zip __________ Sponsoring Organization ______________________________ (Check One) This is a church address _____ This is a private address _____

Membership # _______________ Phone (day) ___________________(evening) ___________________ List videos requested (by title and number) in order of preference: 1. _______________________#_________ 2.______________________#__________ 3.____________________#________ 2. Enclose two checks: (1) $5 rental fee per video = $___________; (2) $10 deposit fee per video = $ ___________ You are responsible for return postage, and you agree to return videos promptly. In case of damage or loss you assume responsibility for replacing the videos. Date____________________ Signature_________________________________________________

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The Bell-O-Gram American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Charm Peterman, Area III Chair 113 Melvins End Yorktown, Virginia 23693