MUSIC NEWS

The choir will be meeting on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.  Also, on Thursdays, Adult Bell Choir will meet from 6:30-8:00 p.m. 

Bell Choir
Directed by Marge Williams

 

Adult Bell Choir		Junior Bell Choir

All You Ever Wanted to Know About Our Bell Choir,
But Were Afraid to Ask

 The English started a practice in the early 1600”s (about the time the Pilgrims were showing up on our shores) called change ringing.  Five bells were hung in a tower and were rung, one after the other, in various patterns.  Each pattern was called a change.  The Old North Church (of Paul Revere fame) in Boston has the oldest bells in North America .  They were hung in 1745.

 The early bells were rung by a number of men pulling on a lever. The three ton bell at Canterbury needed about twenty men!   They would all strain and pull and raise it a little, and then let go. The bell would swing back, the clapper would hit and strike a note.  But the resulting sound was beautiful as it vibrated over the countryside.  " Bell ringing is the poetry of steeples," said Ben Johnson.

 It was often cold and damp in those steeples.  Also, the townsfolk weren’t too keen on hearing all that practicing.  So someone came up with the bright idea of casting smaller versions of the bells as a more convenient way of practicing.  Eventually it was discovered that these “handbells” could make music of their own.  Different size bells were added to enable them to play more tunes instead of just changes, and thus, hand bell choirs came into existence.

 Quite a few years ago someone decided to see about a set of bells for our church.  I distinctly remember when the salesman came to a congregational meeting to show us how easy it was to play them.  He asked for volunteers, gave each a bell, and when he pointed to us individually, we rang our bell.  What could be easier!  We played Amazing Grace.  It truly was amazing!  A two-octave set was purchased in April, 1994, by Richard Keller.

Liesl Oberly was our first director.  She had been in the school bell choir, and knew something about playing.  We soon learned it involved more than just point and ring.  You had to read music!  You had to count time!  You had to listen to the other guy!  You dare not lose your place in the music!  Gloves were required to keep from tarnishing the bells.  Have you ever tried turning pages with gloves on?  We struggled along in the early years, doing the best we could.  When Liesl went off to college, we had two octaves of bells and no director.  In a weak moment, I agreed to try to direct.  I had eager volunteers, but many couldn’t read music.  I devised a method of marking the time and color coding the notes, which saved the day.  Dick Gilpin says, “Now anyone can play.  I’m the proof.”

 The members have changed many times over the years, but I always seem to get a group of people who are fun to work with and willing to put in a LOT of practice time.  We have learned many new techniques, and the level of difficulty of the music steadily increases.  Later, a third octave of bells was added, and the choir increased to 12 members.  I am very proud of them.  Currently, the ringers are Amy Baker, Donna Baker, Carrie Dickson, Daryl Fourman, Dick Gilpin, Betty Gwinn, Christy LaFollette, Brian Noble, Reva Noble, Rae Ann Parsons, Linda Stover, and Al Williams.  Mark Baker has joined the group, and Jamie Noble has left us for the sunny South.  We couldn’t survive without Marla Gilpin, our Super Sub, who comes in on short notice and plays any part. Thank you, Marla.  You are a gem.

 We play for services throughout the year, with Christmas and Easter being our big “gigs.”  We have three songs for Easter this year, with some interesting twists.  You’ll have to come to the service to find out what they are.  We will also be playing at River’s Bend Nursing Home on Thursday, March 10^th.

 If you are interested in bells, let me know.  Only 12 can play at a time, but we could alternate players and let everyone have a chance to be a ding-a-ling.

 The Ring Leader,

Marge Williams

	Music Director and Pianist............................................Dana Brillhart
	Organist........................................Wakeman Smoot
	Bell Choir Director.........................Marge Williams

Chesapeake United Methodist Church
501 2nd Ave, Chesapeake, Ohio 45619 USA
Telephone: (740) 867-3848
e-mail  Chesapeake United Methodist Church