I have to say that I went into the fall with a bit of a heavy heart. There's so much to be done to continue revamping our communication devices in Area XII; we're at the start of a conference year and there is a lot of work to be done in preparation; we're also in an election year, so we'll be looking to all of you to see who might be willing to serve; and there is still residual work left over from our last Board meeting. Whew! It feels overwhelming at times.

    And then I went to Distinctly Bronze and just rang. There's something so cathartic and wonderful about forgetting everything that's weighing you down and simply playing handbells - making music. Okay, truth be told I was a bit of a sourpuss when I got there. I wasn't looking forward to participating in the event without David Davidson. His passing has left all of us filled with grief and sadness over an incredibly music-filled life that's gone too soon.

    But something happened once I was there. I was reminded in so many ways of why I continue to play handbells. It was the friendly faces that greeted me when I arrived. It was meeting new people and having that instant connection through the bells - even though we come from different places, different countries, even. It was knowing that this has got to be the only instrument where you can play alongside of composers like Valerie Stephenson and Michael Glasgow, not to mention past AGEHR president Debbie Rice. It was the warmth and genuine humility with which both Bill Griffin and David Weck conducted us - almost as though they felt unworthy to even attempt to fill Maestro Davidson's shoes, but were thrilled to try and honored to make music with us.

    I am constantly reminded of the saying, "Music soothes the savage beast." When I find myself down or discouraged, the best thing I can do is ring. During these tough times that seem to get tougher every day, I encourage you to take time out and just ring. Even if you're the director, make time to feed your soul through music. There are many opportunities over the coming year to uplift your spirits with handbells: Distinctly Bronze West, the Area XII Conference in Davis, or perhaps a local event. Don't let those moments when your heart gets heavy control you - energize and motivate yourself to continue to be, and be better. Take a moment and Just Ring.

P.L. Grove
Area XII Chair

November has arrived, along with some badly needed rain, and as we put away the pumpkins, ghosts and goblins, we now look forward to Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season. The well attended Fall  workshops  across Area XII in October have honed everyone's skills  and  prepared ringers  for the task of preparing their holiday music. Dixie Bailey, Area XII Liaison in Las Vegas reports  that the 5th Annual Las Vegas workshop on Oct. 9-10 had ringers from five different churches participating.   Their clinician, Doug Benton, proved it's true  that "if you count it, you will get it!"  Hawaii reported a record attendance of 61 ringers at their workshop.  Thanks to Joanne Hammond the Read and Ring Workshop in San Diego was a stimulating  day.  Reports on all the workshops can be found in the Area Sections along with pictures captured by our roving photographers.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it's a time to reflect on our many blessings.  The Golden Hills Community Handbell Choir of Brentwood, CA are especially thankful this year for a special blessing they just received this month - a 5 octave set of handbells thanks to the determination of their director, Laquetta Franz. Laquetta's  journey to  find a set of bells  began back in March of 2008  when she made a phone call to me, the Bay Area Regional Coordinator at the time, to inquire if I knew of a two octave set of bells for sale.  Her choir was using borrowed bells and they longed for a set of their own.  Unfortunately I had no leads on a set of bells, however, Laquetta was new at directing and had lots of questions, so I suggested she and some of her ringers attend the Bay Area Spring Ring and take classes.  One of the first persons to  introduce themselves to me at the Spring Ring was Laquetta.  I had never met a more enthusiastic and eager to learn director.  By the end of the day she was determined to join AGEHR and had left with an application for the Patty Marquart Scholarship  to the National Seminar in Tucson this past summer.  If you will recall Laquetta was the winner of that scholarship and she was thrilled beyond words to have another learning opportunity to improve her skills.  By some fate, Laquetta's two roommates in Tucson were Nancy Hascall and Kathy Wissinger, two well known handbell composers.  How lucky could she get!! As the saying goes "God works in mysterious ways" and Laquetta shares with you (below)the continuation of this amazing chain of events that has brought excitement and joy to the handbell ministry of her church. 

Happy Thanksgiving!
Carol

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone to aim for something new and unfamiliar to you?  You didn't have a plan and you couldn't see the end results.  Timing is everything but it begins with taking that first step.  As musicians, we tend to think creatively but often times, practicality holds us back. At least it does for me.  In July, I was privileged to attend the AGEHR National conference on the Area XII Patty Marquart Scholarship.  At the same time, I was hoping to meet someone who was or knew someone who was selling some used bells.  Two octaves would be enough for our church, and Malmark bells would be perfect. By the fourth day of the conference, I was convinced that there were no bells to be had.  But little did I know that by midnight that night, with brain overload from all the workshops I had attended, one of my roommates, whom I had "met" on the internet, mentioned an email she'd received recently about a set of bells for sale.  The rest is history.  Without any money and without any idea if my church would even support a handbell purchase, I took the first step.  I prayed.  Then I made an offer to the seller for a five octave set of Malmark bells.  To my surprise, the very next day, I received a check from a donor which would cover about 1/3 of the cost of the bells.  I then wrote and submitted a proposal to my church requesting their approval for the purchase and included a variety of fundraising ideas.  After sitting on "pins and needles" for two weeks, I received a call that my request was approved!! Well...with one exception.  No fundraising was needed.  The church would pay the balance.  Not only that, but four weeks later, when a friend and I drove 600 miles to claim our 'boxes of gold", the seller gifted us with six custom-made handbell tables with foam, music stands and table coverings!  If you'd told me three months ago, that our church would own a gorgeous, five octave set of Malmark bells and all the accessories needed, I would have laughed.  But one thing is for sure.  I chose to step out of my comfort zone..without a plan.  Were there hurdles?  You bet.  More than I can list here.  But God had a plan and a purpose.  he is the source of our creativity.  Step out of your comfort zone and see what can happen.
                                                             Laquetta

Below the Golden Hills Community Choir rehearse on their new bells!

                                                

Please welcome the following new members to AGEHR Area XII. 

Sunghee Kim           Los Angeles, CA
Gayla Lonebery       Riverside, CA
Elaine Heidtbrink    San Diego, CA

Distinctly Bronze East 2009 was held Oct. 8-11th in New Bern, North Carolina, which is a beautiful historic city located at the junction of the Trent and Neuse Rivers.   P.L. Grove, Micki Mennet-Martin, Michele Sharik, and myself represented Area XII.  The 11th annual DB East event began on Thursday with a welcome from DB Chair Karen Leonard and AGEHR Executive Director Jenny Cauhorn.  Directors William Griffin and David Weck were introduced and we quickly began our 24 hours of rehearsal.  It was a bittersweet day as we renewed friendships and shared our grief over the loss of our beloved founding director, David Davidson, who passed away on September 5th.  We concluded our rehearsals on Thursday with a beautiful, private presentation of William Payn's "Bread of Angels", which we dedicated to David Davidson.  This was one of the most moving experiences of my life.  We indeed "changed the molecules of the room" with our playing, something David has inspired us to do each and every time we play.

Thursday evening closed with a memorial service for David Davidson.  Words of Remembrance were shared by Jenny Cauhorn, David Weck, and John Knott; all handbell ringers who were also personal friends of David.  A service for David would not be complete without plenty of beautiful music!  An invitation was sent to all the DB registrants to ring at the memorial and nearly half, 50 or so ringers accepted the invitation.  This group rang H. Dean Wagner's "Fantasy on Kingsfold,"  Cathy Moklebust's "Meditation on Beautiful Savior",  two new pieces written by Carol Lynn Mizell in memory of David, and  congregational singing.  The service was a moving tribute to David.  Many thanks go to Carol Lynn Mizell for planning it.

David Weck and Bill Griffin expertly guided us through the twist and turns of our thirteen pieces.  They did an amazing job with leading the challenging repertoire with only 5 weeks of preparation.  The repertoire ranged from the ethereal beauty of Michael Glasgow's "Lux Aeterna" to the fast, rhythmical challenges of Michael Keller's
" From Darkness, Light", two William Payn pieces added to the mix, along with "Bugler's Holiday" and "Holiday for Strings" for some fun.

One of the highlights of the weekend, for me, was rooming with one of the William Griffin Scholarship winners.  Veronica Rolon is a lovely young lady who traveled from Puerto Rico to join us for the weekend.  She attends the University of Puerto Rico, has 15 years ringing experience, and rings with Vivace, an advanced young adult handbell ensemble. 

Saturday afternoon saw the arrival of AGEHR President, John Pfeiffer, and new DB Director, Jason Wells.  Both John and Jason spoke to us briefly about the future of handbells and Jason shared his vision for Distinctly Bronze.  Jason will assume the DB podium in February at Distinctly Bronze West in Bremerton, Washington. The weekend drew to a close with the final concert on Sunday afternoon.  It is an exciting time when we all put on our "concert" polo shirts and gather for the concert. The city of New Bern always turns out a nice audience for us.  I am looking forward to returning to New Bern next October and helping them celebrate the city's tri-centennial!
                                                      Debbie Shaw

Velocity's annual fundraiser once again offers you the chance to purchase a homemade stocking stuffer for the holidays AND support handbells at the same time.  If you've ever had it, you'll be glad to know it's back for another holiday season.  If you've never tried it, you simply must!

Velocity's traditional English toffee is homemade from butter, sugar, walnuts and Guittard semisweet chocolate.  The toffee comes vacuum sealed in a 1 lb. pop-top can with a resealable lid for the price of $20 per can.

Velocity is currently taking advance orders through their Web site at
http://www.velocitybells.org All online orders are secure through the use of PayPal, and Velocity is once again offering its holiday bundle of $5 off the purchase of a Vintage and Vogue CD with the purchase of a can of toffee.  And since Velocity is 501c3 non-profit organization, a full $14 of your toffee purchase is tax deductible.

So click on over to the Velocity Web site and try a can - or six!- today. (Right..you go ahead and keep saying you're buying those six cans for "friends".  We won't tell.)

NOTE: This product contains walnuts- do not eat if you are allergic to walnuts!

Thank you in advance for your support of Velocity in the art of making music with handbells.

Our annual Jump-Start Workshop and Reading Session held on October 17 was a musical success!  45 ringers came from Ceres, Hilmar, Merced, Modesto, Salida, Turlock, UC Davis, and Waterford. The mass ringing session, directed by Richard Colla, was a time to woodshed and polish the musicianship skills of each ringer.  Ringers learned quickly, the directing style and the importance of "watching the director," in a larger group setting.  The music making was off to a great ring!
       Mel and Gail Tully brought their WestCoast Handbell Supply store with music and gifts, so all had plenty of time to shop throughout the day.
       The break-out sessions, as we call them, included bell basics, bass bell moves, 4-in-hand highway, tone chime techniques and handbell maintenance.  Each offered a one hour period giving folks time to switch to a second focus or shop more!  Techniques in each of these sessions were introduced, experienced, learned, reviewed and challenged in some fashion so each ringer could give and take; honing their skills while contributing to the entire ensemble.  It was evident by their enthusiasm when they returned to the second half of the massed ring to share the two numbers as one!
      Ending the massed ring, Opus shared a few numbers from their upcoming concert season and soon to be released Christmas CD.  The overwhelming support was gracious as "encore" was expressed for one more!  The group dynamic was the "jump-start adrenaline" Opus needed to ring from their hearts.
      The final portion for the day was a reading session provided and conducted by Mel Tully.  15 pieces in all ranging from Level 1 to 3+ were a great way to experience and make music as well as purchase a favorite for your music library.
      Yes, all of this was accomplished in just a half a day and by 2:00 p.m. folks were helping to strike the equipment and load up for home.  We trust each, who came, met someone new, touched base with an old friend, experienced and/or learned a new technique, were inspired to raise the bar of musicianship and just plain had fun!

The AGEHR National Office announced that conductor Jason Wells has been named Music Director of the Distinctly Bronze advanced ringer performance event beginning with the Distinctly Bronze West in Bremerton, Washington, February 25-28, 2010.  Jason succeeds David Davidson who recently lost his battle with cancer.  Jason, who was David's choice for his replacement,  will bring youth and energy to the event yet still uphold the musical integrity this event has achieved.  Jason shared that he was humbled to be selected by David for this position and has pledged to honor David's legacy.  AGEHR has the utmost confidence in Jason's ability to meet and exceed that challenge and is excited about the dynamic he will bring to the Distinctly Bronze podium. 

Registration forms are now available for Distinctly Bronze West,   This fun and intense mass  ringing event,  designed for  advanced ringers  offers a unique opportunity  to ring on the largest set of handbells.    For more information
Click Here

Hello Everyone!

 

Can it be November already?  At last, there is a chill in the air that helps me turn my thoughts towards the upcoming holidays. I am sure many of you are counting the number of rehearsals that remain before we need our holiday music ready to share!  I know I am!
 
    Good News!  I have finally finished the information and registration forms for our 2010 LA Metro Spring Ring and Advancing to Bronze Workshop.  You can find this info on our new website.  Go to the LA Metro section and follow the links. In the next few weeks the LA Metro AGEHR Members will receive the information in the mail, so please keep a look out for it.  If you don't receive yours and can't find it on the website, please let me know and I can e-mail it out to you.
 
     Also, I have had a great request from one of our members.  Can we start a sub-list?  We all have had the experience of needing to find someone to fill a spot at our bell tables.  I think this is a great tool to make available.  BUT, I will need YOUR help to make it happen.  Are you an experienced ringer who would love to help out another bell group in their time of need?  How about refining your sight-reading skills?  Do you like to meet new people and make new friends?  Do you like to perform?  If you said YES to any of these questions (or know someone who would) please drop me an e-mail at [email protected] and ask me to add your name to our new Sub-list.  Please include any and all contact information needed to reach you and where you live.  Also, let me if you are willing to drive a distance to help out.  (We all know how BIG the LA area is!) You never know but by creating this list the person you help out just might be yourself!  I will maintain the list and will release your contact info only if someone is looking for a sub.  If you prefer I act as the contact please let me know that too!
 
     I am eagerly awaiting your concert announcements so we can include them here and on the website.  Please let us know what you are planning and we will share the news. 

BELLFEST 2009 at the Master's College:
with Christine Anderson
Sunday, November 1, 2009

2:00 p.m. - 5 p.m.
Masters College
21726 Placerita Canyon Rd.
Newhall, CA 91321
Cost: $50 per ensemble, $25 per soloist
4:00 p.m. Concert

Here is the perfect opportunity to advance your skills to a bronze level with this two day event beginning Friday March 12 from  7 p.m.- 10 p.m.  and continuing March 13, 2010  from 8:00-9:30 a.m. under the leadership of Larry Sue.  Los Altos UMC, 5950 E. Willow St., Long Beach, CA will be the host of this event.  Cost is $20 per registrant.  Contact Debbie Shaw at [email protected]  Click Here for more Information

 
Bellfest 2009 at the Master's College, 21726 Placerita Canyon Rd., Newhall, CA  Sunday Nov. 1, 2009  4 p.m. 

     

 

   Rejoice!  A Christmas Celebration!

   Come join Linda Krantz in a solo concert   celebrating the Christmas Season.

 

   
Greetings Socal Ringers!

Southern California ringers were treated to a Read and Ring workshop under the direction of Joanne Hammond on Saturday, Oct. 17, at St. Mark's United Methodist Church in San Diego.  With Joanne's witty and superb guidance, Level I and II ringers learned the basics of proper techniques while sight reading four pieces of music.  Everyone was elated by the turnout for the event and was amazed at the growth in skills in the short period of time.  Our sincere appreciation goes to Joanne for her patient and valuable instruction.

Joanne Hammond is pictured at left leading the workshop. 

Seven eager ringers below are engrossed in sight reading one of our four pieces.              

                                                                   







  To view Ruth's webpage Click Here

Dixie Bailey, Area XII Nevada liaison, reports the 5th Annual Las Vegas Ringers Workshop held on Oct. 8 was excellent.  Clinician Doug Benton, whose humor and positive approach inspired the ringers, proved one can ring correctly if they only COUNT! Attending the workshop were ringers from  First Christian Church, Green Valley Presbyterian Church, Mt. View Presbyterian Church, Faith Lutheran High School, Lamb of God Lutheran Church and First Presbyterian Church.  Repertoire worked on during the day were selections from the music that will be performed at the Las Vegas Twelfth Night on Jan. 8 and 9. 

On the Northern side of Nevada sixty ringers gathered for the annual Ringers' Workshop in Carson City on Oct. 17th.  Clinician, Tessique Houston, stretched and inspired the ringers, and at the end of the day everyone left with a new enthusiasm for the year ahead.