Handbells are Back

Nativity has a long history of  handbell choirs – we’ve been playing for  more than 25 years. Though you haven’t seen us lately, we’ve missed our beloved bells. Since Covid, the ringers have been on hiatus and have struggled to regroup since the pandemic ended. We will soon begin again! During September we will be recruiting new members to join our current ringers. Handbell ringing experience is not required, but if you have the fundamentals of music under your belt (understanding of note values, counting, etc), you can ring handbells! Of course, if you are an experienced handbell ringer, we’d love to have you join us.

Thanks to many generous donations, we have five octaves of Malmark handbells and 3 octaves of chimes – all equipment has been purchased that way. Music of all difficulty levels is already on hand. We have played for church services and weddings, and have attended many fun handbell festivals in the area, sponsored by our friends the Raleigh Ringers. (Donuts at festivals are of particular interest!)

In case you’re interested in the history of handbells, this instrument actually came about so that change ringers (people who play church or cathedral bells on those long ropes) needed a way to practice so as not to disturb the neighbors. Smaller bells were the answer, with the beginnings of those smaller bells being an instrument of their own.

So that you might become more familiar with handbells, how they work, what they feel like to ring, and to convince you to join us, we’ll hold two “try-it” events on September 15 and 22, after the 10:30 services. Current ringers will be on hand to show you what to do and how to do it with our cool black gloves. No need to sign up for these two events – just come and see what it’s all about, and why we love it so much.

Bell rehearsals will begin September 25 on Wednesday nights, most likely 7-8:30 pm. Location TBD. We’ll plan on playing several times during the 2024-25 season, including Christmas and Easter. If you would like more information, or are definitely interested in joining the group, please contact director Ailsa Tessier (Email Ailsa Tessier). As one of our charter members said again and again, “It’s the most fun you’ll have at Nativity!”