Making Joyful Music: The Handbell Choir
I remember when I first saw 7 people line up at a table, pick up two bells with each hand, and proceed to make music unlike anything I’ve heard before or since. Not a single one of them played the melody. They created the melody and chords by coordinated movements and exquisite timing. They played hymns, popular songs, you name it. And the sound of bells was magical and enchanting.
Imagine being in a choir without having to sing a single note. But you sure have to be able to concentrate, and read music.
Join me as we dive into the world of a handbell choir, how the bells work (more complicated than you’d think), and how with lots of practice they learn to play together. You’ll get to meet Matt Weed, a long-time handbell player who really knows his way around the bells. Like Matt, many of those in the Faith Lutheran Church Handbell Choir of Redmond, Washington, have been playing in the choir for 40-50 years. What is it that motivates these people to take time out at the end of their workdays to play bells?
They say it’s a lot of fun. And they invite anyone to experience handbell playing, including with digital bells online or on your phone. But it’s more fun with a group of people!
Please see for links, videos, and photos at https://nordicontap.com/making-joyful-music-the-handbell-choir/.
Transcript of Making Joyful Music: The Handbell Choir
Follow on: Apple Podcasts * Spotify * Podbean * Overcast * Pandora * Podcast Republic * Tune In * Audible * Pocket Casts *
Links and Pictures
The Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir
The full Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir of Redmond, from left to right: Jodi, Carla, William (Director), Karla, Howard, Dorothy, Simon, Renee, and Matt. The bells are laid out from the highest pitch bell to the lowest (the big one between Renee and Matt). Howard, in the back, plays the big bells. This photo tells you everything about the choir: tightknit, friendly, positive, dedicated, and ready to have fun.
History of Handbells
A webpage of history from the River Bells Handbell Ensemble of Sacramento, California, USA. at https://www.riverbells.org/history-of-handbells.
Handbell performances from around the world
Ill est né le divin enfant, the video version of the Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir (1’15”) of the audio recording I played in the podcast. In the foreground at the left is Renee who is playing “four-in-hand” (or 2 bells per hand) and rotating them to ring the correct bell at the right time. From the left, starting with Rene on the high bells, Renee, Carla, Matt, Dorothy, Jody, Howard, and Director Dr. William Bryant (conducting and playing). Karla and Simon were absent that day.
Silent Night (audio file) Christmas hymn played by the Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir in Redmond, Washington during a rehearsal. Listen for the chimes which are used in the second verse. Beautiful!
Africa (from the band, Toto) – a great example of a popular song played on handbells with a huge ensemble of 130 people. This is from an annual concert event of advanced handbellers playing in a non-church affiliated group called “Distinctly Bronze”. Those chosen for the event have 4 days of rehearsals and then a big concert. There’s actually two Distinctly Bronze events per year, one in the Eastern US and one in the West. This video is of “Distinctly Bronze East” in 2020 in New Bern, North Carolina, USA. Their performance begins with rain and a thunderstorm -bring your umbrella!
Carol of the Bells This traditional Ukrainian carol is my favorite ( in a novel arrangement by Alex Guebert). The Bethel Handbell Ensemble (of Bethel University and Performing Arts) played in St. Paul, MN, USA does a great job. Look for some special techniques, like the shake and the table tap (my word for it).
Morning Mood, by Edvard Grieg. The Arsise kellade ansambel (Arsis handbell ensemble) delivers a delightful rendition depicting this dawntime classic. The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (Dec, 2023)
Klukk -Sigur Rós in Bells – Bjöllukór Tónlistarskóli Reykjanesbæjar (Bell Choir of Reykjavik Music School), Iceland, posted by Sigur Rós, which is a well-known Icelandic band.
In Icelandic, “klukk” means “clock”. Wonder if this is a play on words, as in other Scandinavian languages, “klokke” refers to a clock or a bell. It is said that because church bells used to ring out the hours of the day that “clock” and “bell” became synonymous in those languages.
Sen Suven Suloisuutta (The Sweetness of Summer – Rune Fränne). Kide ja Dolce käsikello orkesterit (Kide and Dolce combined (double) handbell orchestra). The video quality isn’t the best but you can clearly see how they’re playing this beautiful hymn. Jyväskylä, Finland. Posted by Janos Lak.
In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg), by the Houston Bronze Ensemble, Houston, Texas, USA. Imagine this played by handbells! Those low bass notes you hear…bum bum bum bum bumpa-bum, bumpa-bum, bumpa-bum… throughout, are indeed sounded by bells. Check this out!
Carillon Tower Bells and Overtones
I find carillon bells, which are struck mechanically by metal clappers from the outside, “messy” and “muddled” given all the overtones (other pitches). But I love them otherwise. I got to play at the Carillon Tower at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and was surprised to find how it’s laid out like a church organ. That means you can play the bass notes on the foot pedals! Joey Brink, the master carillonist at the University of Denver on the Williams Carillon explains Why Do Bells Sound Out of Tune? in this 6.5′ video. Handbells are fortunately made specifically to have a strong fundamental pitch and much quieter overtones — more “tuneful”.
How to Play Handbells
How to ring handbells and chimes, parts I and II – two basic 2.5 minute demonstrations by “Bell Girl” (aka Portia Berryman). Created for Handbell Start, an educators’ guide to starting a handbell program, a Girl Scout Gold project.
How to dampen (hand)bells, 2.5 minute basic demonstration video by Bell Girl. Created for Handbell Start, an educators’ guide to starting a handbell program, a Girl Scout Gold project.
4-in-hand from the series Bell Matter by Blanche Marie Lewis. How to play with two bells in both hands. A nice explanation of how to rotate your wrist.
Play Hand Bells: Music Symbols and Playing Techniques for Handbells from the website En Hymn (Jared Reiff of Abilene, Texas, USA). A laid back walk through the basics of handbells and notation.
Handbell notation in music
Handbell terminiology and the fascinating notation found in handbell music. This is page 10 in the full 35 page guide from The American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, Inc., https://seminar.handbellmusicians.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/32/2023/07/NotationGuide2017.pdf
Change Ringing
Mathematical Impressions: Change Ringing by the Simon Foundation. A comprehensive video explaining the various permutations of ringing a set of bells different ways. I enjoyed how this walks you through a seeminglly complicated process to make sense of it. Change ringing requires intense concentration and teamwork by the ringers (who are pulling on ropes) to ring in the correct sequence and then change to another and another (like 100+ times!). This is sometimes called a “sport”, and you can see why in this 3-1/2 minute video.
Change Ringing” by AGEHR -Martha Lynn Thompson. This 9-page document begins by explaining Change Ringing (3 pages), then continues with a history of handbells (1 pages) and the forming of the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers -AGEHR (9-pages).
The St. Bees Priory has a Norman tower with large bells, used for change ringing or full-circle bell ringing. The sequences they play are called “peals”.
Their website includes a picture of the tower bells which says “The eight bells of St Bees Priory, Cumbria (UK), shown in the “up” position, in which they are normally left during rests in a ringing session. When being rung they swing through a full circle from mouth upwards round to mouth upwards, and then swing back again. They are controlled by ropes on full-circle wheels. This method of ringing is know as “English full-circle bell ringing”. Bells cast in 1857 by Charles and George Mears of Whitechapel.
Check out this website that includes a video of full-circle bell ringing.
Matthew Weed is a professional trainer (Sr Learning Experience Specialist) who is also a gifted storyteller and explainer. He is certified in leading basic training programs at the worker level up to executive coaching and leadership training. As a long-time member (50+) years of the Faith Lutheran Church community in Redmond, Washington he joined the handbellers back when they had five different handbell ensembles. Now they they have one excellent and experienced handbell choir. His knowledge of handbelling (as evidenced in this podcast) is extensive!
Matt is a comprehensive world-traveler (with the many amazing stories that go with that). He’s also a Disney aficionado, having visited many Magic Kingdoms (all of them), multiple times.
Although he plans to retire from his day job in 2025, he expects to be playing handbells with the Faith Lutheran group for a long time to come.
In case you were wondering…
The Faith Lutheran Handbell Choir uses Schlumerich “American” handbells. The Handbell Ringers of Great Britain Beginner’s Guide says “The main differences between English and American bells are: English bells have leather handles, whereas the American ones have plastic handles (this does not affect the quality and playability of the bell). In most American bells the clapper assembly can be adjusted to alter the tone of the bell to ‘hard’, ‘medium’ or ‘soft’. English bells are tuned by ear and have slight variations between sets– which often adds character to their sound; American bells are tuned using computers and are very consistent in their sound. English, leather handles may be ‘looped’ or stiffened. The latter have an inset of leather riveted in the loop to form a solid, inflexible handle.”
Podcast: Play in new window | Download