Home Alone…with Bells

by Kathleen Wissinger

Ringers around the world are rising to the challenge in this momentous time to prove that, indeed, handbell ringers are flexible: creating new ways to teach, ring, interact, and even perform while side-by-side ringing is on hiatus. Here are a few examples:

As of the writing of this article, Kath has been distance teaching her 5th-8th grade handbell classes at Redeemer Classical School (Harrisonburg, Va.) for 8 weeks, with one week to go. She has enjoyed the challenge of devising engaging, broadening lessons for her ringers using unison exercises to play along with pieces in their repertoire, tuned drinking glass activities, an ongoing composition project that was well underway before school was dismissed – and a wide variety of online resources showcasing other bell ringers doing creative performances and projects, a variety of performers using tuned percussive instruments in interesting ways and unusual instruments being demonstrated. While missing the traditional outreach concerts (one per grade per semester) and end-of-year school performances, Kath embraces a “do the best with what you have” attitude and has truly enjoyed being stretched in new ways and being able to expose her ringers to experiences far beyond what she could present in the normal classroom rehearsal time.

In response to friend Ali O’Connell’s request for a piece for a student who had 2 octaves of chimes at home, Kath wrote Solo Time 1: Better Days Ahead/My Heart Sings, a 3-part piece that carefully teaches beginning solo ringing techniques: off the table, passing and weaving. It will be released soon through ringTrue at Jeffers (RE6531AB). She plans to write a series of these Solo Time experiences in the next few months.

Music Educators Creating Online Learning FB page has been a valuable resource throughout these 2 months. You can also share your own experiences teaching handbells on Handbell Educators FB page (which Kath administers) – or contact her at [email protected].

Virtual Performances

YouTube and Facebook feature dozens of clever ringing performances: solos, of course, plus fully-scored pieces performed by a single ringer (or two) playing multiple parts; by multiple ringers each playing their own part; or by musicians playing a popular handbell arrangement on whatever instruments they have on hand at home (even including tuned drinking glasses). Each individual performance is spliced together using a virtual choir app.

Bell trees provide a perfect opportunity for a single ringer to provide music for live-streamed worship services.

See also THIS ARTICLE on how to record your own multi-track performance with the Acapella app.

Teaching Opportunities

Some teachers and directors develop demonstration videos, lead composition projects, offer technique and theory lessons, supply links to performances and informative videos (like “How Handbells Are Made”) and offer many other activities that reach far beyond what they would normally cover in class or rehearsal. You can find a compilation of interesting handbell and other sites I’ve been collecting over 7 weeks for my school and adult groups at the end of this article.

When groups purchase reproducible scores and “site licenses,” they may allow ringers to download and print their own scores (be sure to read license info before doing so). Online audio demo clips can often be downloaded, so ringers can “play” their own parts while listening to the whole piece being played. Directors can make it easier by sending a list of links for their pieces. Ringers can use substitute bells like salad dressing bottles or wooden spoons.

You might also allow ringers to sign out their own 3 or 4 bells, mallets, a singing bell stick, a score book and a foam pad to use at home. The photos here show the “bell buckets” assembled and lent to ringers of the Gloria Dei handbell choir at Muhlenberg Lutheran Church, Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Gloria Dei ringers were excited about the prospect of taking bells home. They change ringing positions between pieces, so I selected the “most common” positions for each ringer and reassigned the pieces for stationary positions. Six of the 10 ringers opted to check out their bells and books, and I provided links to the sound files. My advanced community group, Mosaic, is on hiatus and plans to use much of their Spring 2020 program “An American Journey” in their Fall 2020 concerts (if that happens.) Both groups meet via Zoom on their regular rehearsal nights. I also send them tidbits now and again from my teaching files.

Sets of bells, music, and accessories ready to be assembled into “Bell Buckets” so ringers in the Gloria Dei handbell choir at Muhlenberg Lutheran Church, Harrisonburg, Virginia, may practice at home.

The finished “Bell Buckets,” ready to be distributed to the Gloria Dei ringers.

A small glockenspiel or a set of individual tone bars can stand in for malleted bells or a bell tree. An array of drinking glasses tuned to notes by adding water and lightly tapped provide an alternative bell set-up.

Following are printable unison exercises to accompany “Upbeat!” for levels 1 and 2, which I used for my school ringers, along with an introduction video. These exercises can be played along with the accompanying recording of the song with any of the above methods.

“Upbeat” Unison Exercise. Level 1

“Upbeat” Unison Exercise. Level 2

Audio File:

Introduction Video:

Staying Connected Online

Ringing groups use conferencing software to allow ringers to stay connected, sharing the banter they would normally experience at rehearsals, getting to know each other better, and even ringing (muting your audio is highly recommended as video conferences always have slight delays) while following the director’s audio clip

Facebook groups cover many handbell interests: Handbell People, Handbell-L on Facebook, Team Handbell, Handbell Soloist, Handbell Educators, Handbell Conductors, Handbell Geeks, Handbell Musicians of America (and every HMA Area as well), The Handbell Blog, Handbell Sheet Music and dozens of Facebook pages of individuals, church musicians, performing groups, publishers and events.

Google groups using e-mail are also available: Handbell-L, Belltree-L and Frustrated Friends of Finale.

The Music Educators Facebook page developed a spin-off called “Music Educators Creating Online Learning,” which offers much insight into digital performing and teaching. Many discussions would benefit handbell directors as well.