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May 18, 2003
The Bells of Joyful Sound
I saw an incredible concert tonight. The performers were a handbell choir called The Bells of Joyful Sound, and my UPC advisor, Jim Grierson plays the bass handbells in the choir.
What amazed me was that most of the people in the choir had six or seven bells in front of them, and every third or fourth note they had to set down one bell and pick up another. Quite often, some of the ladies on the higher bells were holding four bells (and playing them!) at once. They used many different alternate methods of ringing the bells (striking them on the table, with mallets, etc.) and really stretched the different types of sounds you can get out of a handbell. They even had some interesting bells that were shaped differently and sounded more like some kind of brass instrument.
I spoke with Jim afterward and told him of my experience with handbells in High School, and asked him about the process involved in becoming a part of the group. He gave me an email address to contact, and made it sound like there was a good chance I could get in. Tonight was their last concert for the season; they won't start up again until the fall. I think it would really be a blast to play with them. I also gained a newfound respect for Jim tonight. He is really an incredible musician!
Posted by Joey at May 18, 2003 10:46 AM