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2006 Area III Festival Experience Recipe: Feeds 1200+
Take over 1200 ringers from 11 states, 33 teachers, 50 staff and behind-the-scene workers, 4 conductors, 8 vendors and months of planning, rehearsing and preparation for three major spring events. Stack miles of pads (more than you need in case you lose some of them along the Interstate!), thousands of bells and chimes in "gee, these sure are heavy!" boxes, throw in mallets-a-plenty and gloves that go a-wandering (check the Lost and Found!) Borrow 50 more sets of handbells, chimes and pads for classes.
Stir well and stuff all above into vehicles. Drive to your nearest convention center -the brand new Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia; Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland; Hickory Metro Convention Center in Hickory, North Carolina.
1. Unload tables, pads, covers, bells, books, mallets, carpet squares, candy, water bottles on assigned tables in Massed Ringing Hall. (Put the bottles on the floor!) Register your choir, receive Area III magnets and Festival brochures for everyone to plan their time.
2. Optional: Attend pre-Festival Classes. Ring in pre-Festival Massed Session.
3. Check into the hotel. Eat dinner at hotel or one of many nearby restaurants.
4. Return for Opening Bell - Massed Ring, showcase concert (Anacrusis, Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble, Rejoice Ringers) and more evening classes and Massed Ringing.
5. Take candy back to hotel rooms. Bond with your choir. Order in pizza. Relax-swim, line dance, party! Sleeping is optional, but highly recommended.
6. Saturday morning - Attend morning classes and massed rehearsal, shop at vendors' booths, eat lunch nearby. If you are in Ocean City, dodge St. Patrick's revelers or walk on the beach.
7. Saturday afternoon - attend one more class -or- shop at one of the vendors -or- observe the Bronze Festival Choir rehearsal; or the Tapestry demo concert if you are in Hickory.
8. Attend one more Massed rehearsal with brass choir and flutist, along with Rally Ring choir solos.
9. If in Hampton, select one of two concerts to attend: the Genesis Track or 6th Dimension Ensemble (both were full!)
10. Change into Performance garb. Eat some candy. Tidy your bell tables.
11. Ring in Festival concert (all Festival Repertoire), hear Bronze Conference Choir play 3 of their pieces and Bronze Festival choir play one piece. Order a Festival concert CD. Hold hands across the rows and cheer!
12. Fill out Event Evaluations, pack up all equipment as noted in #1. Stuff equipment and ringers back into vehicles and drive safely home. Stop for last fun meal along the way-crab cakes, barbecue, ribs! It's only once a year!
13. Make plans to return in 2007...March 2-3 in Hickory; March 9-10 in Ocean City; April 20-21 in Hampton.
Thanks for Ringing!! Stay Inspired!
Area III 2006 Spring Festivals
Thanks to all who attended, taught at or staffed one of the three Area III Spring Festivals - in Hickory, North Carolina; Ocean City, Maryland; or Hampton, Virginia. We hope you look forward to next year's event! If you haven't attended a Festival before, make plans to attend one of next year's Festivals - plans are already underway for the 2007 Festivals.
If you still have an evaluation from any event, you may mail them in or send your comments directly to Charm Peterman, Area III Chair at rpeterman2@cox.net or to one of the three Program Chairs:
Hickory - Ingrid Bowers ringingb@verizon.net
Ocean City - Linda Simms Keys2Ring@aol.com
Hampton - Kath Wissinger Longwalk3@aol.com
Check the Area III Website for information as it becomes available at
areaiii.org
The board is using an assessment form that was distributed at the 2006 Area III Spring Festivals which is now available online at www.areaiii.org. In order for your Area Board to best serve the membership, we need your input not only for thoughts and concerns, but also to find out if you or someone you know can share their talents and volunteer to help Area III with the many tasks ahead! We look forward to your input and especially to any help you may be able to offer!
"Bells for Peace" Sunday
Whereas, Bells for Peace, Inc was founded as a non-profit, charitable
organization to signal the importance of education as the key to a
more peaceful community, region, nation and world, its mission has
implications for people world-wide;
Whereas bells call us to honor our past and set the tone for our future;
Whereas bells are a call for renewed life, liberty, reverence, and a
mark to new beginnings;
Whereas bells signal joy and celebration, peace and remembrance;
Whereas bells are legacies from one generation to another and
landmarks that bring order and inspiration to life;
Whereas bells enhance the community by giving a voice that
establishes pride and honor and creates a special focal point;
Now, therefore, I, Timothy Kaine, Governor, do hereby recognize
Sunday April 23, 2006 as BELLS FOR PEACE SUNDAY in Virginia
and call its significance to the attention of all our citizens.
"I urge all institutions having bell towers to participate in this
recognition by ringing their bells at noon on that day."
Raleigh Ringers upcoming concerts:
Saturday April 29, 2006
7:30 pm Concert
Limestone College
Gaffney, South Carolina
Sponsored by Limestone College and the Cherokee County Arts Council
For information, contact David Thompson at dthompson@limestone.edu
Tickets: Adults $15.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
3:00 pm Concert
Winter Park Baptist Church
Wilmington, North Carolina
For information, call 910-791-4725, Host is Clif Harris
Saturday, June 10, 2006
7:30 pm Concert
Meymandi Concert Hall
Raleigh, North Carolina
Tickets go on sale April 18th at the Progress Energy Center Box Office and all Ticketmaster outlets.
Check http://www.rr.org/events/all_concerts.html for more information
More Outstanding Ensembles in Concert
April 30th at 6 pm
Virginia Bronze
Westminster Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, Virginia
The debut concert of Virginia Bronze, Northern Virginia's only
community handbell ensemble, is April 30th at 6 pm at Westminster
Presbyterian Church in Alexandria, VA. The 14 ringers of Virginia
Bronze under the direction of Zana Kizzee will perform both sacred and
secular handbell arrangements with percussion and flute accompaniment.
The concert will last approximately one hour. No tickets are required;
a freewill offering will be collected. Westminster Presbyterian Church
is located at the corner of Cameron Mills and Monticello Boulevard in
Alexandria. Virginia Bronze is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
For more information contact:
Tomas & Mya Dundzila
703-960-1513
TomasMya@verizon.net
May 15 at 7:30 pm
The Westminster College Bell Choir in Concert
Edenton Street United Methodist Church in Raleigh, North Carolina
Tickets: $10
For tickets, call 919-832-7535 ext 272 - leave name, address, phone # and number of tickets.
May 21 at 4:00 pm
Spectrum - teen handbell ensemble
"Bells for Baja" concert
Massanutten Presbyterian Church, Penn Laird, Virginia 22846
(5 miles east of I-81 on Rt. 33 in the Shenandoah Valley)
This 7 ringer advanced high school group plays on 3 octaves bells and chimes using 4iH and weaving. 6 of the 7 ringers will be joining a Shenandoah Presbytery-sponsored mission trip to Baja, Mexico. Proceeds from the offering will support the building projects in Baja.
Concert Repertoire includes-
Exuberant Joy (McKlveen),
Eastern Caravan (Stephenson),
Welcome the Day (Wissinger),
Indian Summer (Plash),
Exuberant Praise (Dobrinski)
What Wonderous Love is This (arr. Dobrinski)
O Lamb of God, Pure and Sinless (arr. Wissinger)
My Heart Will Go On (arr. McChesney)
The Entertainer (arr. Wissinger)
Regal March (all on mallets, Wissinger)
Synergy (McChesney)
As the Deer (4iH trio, arr. Cota)
...and more...
For more information- contact Kath Wissinger, director, at Longwalk3@aol.com
June 16
Desert Bells International - Bronzeworks in Concert
Trinity Presbyterian Church, 651 Dranesville Road, Herndon, Virginia
Free - goodwill offering - proceeds to Desert Bell tour
Contact Tracey McDuffie at mcdufft@adelphia.net for more information
June 14 at 7:00 pm
Bronzeworks in Concert in Raleigh, North Carolina
An ensemble of Desert Bells International, directed by Kay Cook
Tickets: $9 in advance, $11 at the door
To purchase, email RRMgDir@nc.rr.com or call 919-523-7252
See desertbells.org
Let me tell you the story behind a piece I wrote...
by Philip L. Roberts
Several miles east of Charlottesville, Virginia on US Highway 250 is Fluvanna
Correctional Center for Women, a maximum-security prison where
approximately 1200 inmates are incarcerated. It is also home to the only
women's prison handbell ensemble in the United States. They call themselves
Metanoia which in New Testament Greek means to change, repent and be
transformed. The members of this unique ensemble believe that metanoia
reflects how ringing handbells has altered their lives.
One member of the group writes periodic articles in the local newspaper. The
following is an excerpt from one article… "The eleven women of Metanoia
play the bells with a certain awe. How frivolous, how ridiculous, how
marvelous and amazing to be in prison and be afforded the rare privilege to
make music together! For every worship service that Metanoia plays, the
women invite other inmates—friends, acquaintances, strangers, coworkers—
to attend. The bells erode barriers. They draw people to worship. They
generate merriment and laughter and praise. They create an atmosphere of
thanksgiving. Moreover, since many people in prison don't often have the
opportunity to laugh out of delight or have much for which they are grateful,
Metanoia is an agent of change with the prison community. Most of all, the
bells teach life lessons for the members of the ensemble—lessons in patience
and diligence, in working together, in self-worth and value and the
importance of every person. The fruit of Metanoia is evident when one
woman whispers to another, "I never would have thought I could do this."
And when another says, "I think I might get my GED. If I can do this, surely I
can get that math." Minds are creaking open, spirits are awakening, bells are
ringing in changes to hearts and lives.
Metanoia is led by a kind, gentle and talented man, Bob Wheeler, who
through the chaplain's office undertook special training and received a
security clearance to be a volunteer instructor. He rehearses with the group
weekly and prepares them for participation in worship services held inside
the prison for the inmates. I met "Mr. Bob," as the ringers call him, a couple
of years ago in Alexandra, VA at a Baptist Music Conference. He was looking
for some unique 2, 3 octave music for his "girls." For some reason I thought
that he must talking about his daughters but after a few minutes I realized
that he directed a handbell choir in a maximum security prison! I was amazed
and kept in contact with Mr. Wheeler. One thing led to another and till on
September 25, 2005, my wife and I had the honor of attending a worship
service at Fluvanna Correctional Center. We were there to hear the ensemble
perform Metanoia, a piece I wrote for them.
Terri and I had arrived a couple of days prior to the Sunday service and were
able to attend their last rehearsal. They would be presenting several pieces as
part of the worship and it would be their first time to ring Metanoia. They
were particularly nervous knowing that the composer would be present
during the performance. As they entered the rehearsal room I was struck at
how similar these women behaved. They seemed just like any other bell
choir in any church basement anywhere in the country. There was small talk
about the day's activities and news from home and general questions about
the music. But, these people were not regular people. Some were convicted
murderers and all were felons serving very long, hard prison time. They
were of all ages. Some were young women in their twenties and others were
seniors. Nevertheless, each person knew how privileged they were to be
afforded the supreme luxury of ringing handbells.
Bob Wheeler recently retired from his position as music minister at nearby
Broadus Baptist Church where he served many years. Since retirement he
has started a second group of ringers at the prison. He is a special man with a
special ministry making special music deep inside the guarded confines of
Fluvanna Correctional Facility for Women.
As a result of my discussions with Bob Wheeler and after trying to imagine
what prison life might be like and how ringing in his choir must be an
extremely delightful oasis from the day to day, month to month, year to year
existence of these women I wrote a handbell piece for them. Metanoia has
three themes. "Change" is a derivative of change ringing which began in 17th
century England and is the parent of our present day art of handbell ringing.
The concept called Plain Hunt is used for this section. The basic series of
rings, called a course, consists of 6 bells. The 4 interior bells execute the
"hunt." The first bell, treble, and the last bell, tenor, act as drones; that is, they
are the first and last notes of each course. While a true change ring would
only include these bells, I've chosen to double the change and add varying
degrees of chordal accompaniment.
The first rule of change ringing is that no bell may repeat until all of the bells
have rung. This requires discipline, patience and confidence—traits one
needs for making major changes in one's life.
"Repentance" represents our regret at what we've done or failed to do. It
explores our desire for perfection but recognizes we aren't. The bass bells in
this section seem to "pull" us somewhere but we're never quite sure if we've
completed our journey. In similar fashion, we sometimes worry that our cries
of repentance may be accepted or heard. This is another element of metanoia.
Genuine change and true repentance ultimately leads to transformation. In
my view, both change and repentance are singular acts that do not require
the active participation of others. However, transformation happens to us not
by us. We find contentment through our transformation hence we are able to
withstand the ebb and flow, the heartbreak and joy, life brings us. This
section has a solid base on which all of the other music can be supported and
flourish.
Each section is repeated in a convoluted rondo form. While "Change" is the
last section, the piece ends with a 4 measure coda of "Transformation" which
is how we hope to be received by our Maker—transformed from this world to
the next.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of
God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2
Blessings...
Philip L. Roberts
Handbell Editor for GIA Publications, Inc.
Director, Chicago Bronze
RSVP
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(937) 438-0085
Area III website: www.areaiii.org
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