Wisdom From Early Leaders
It is interesting to look back over the years of the handbell movement. It had such humble beginnings among adults who were the first to admit that they weren't musicians but simply enjoyed playing upon handbells. There was an openness and a warmth that was enthusiasticly shared. In 1952 (my beginning), Doris Watson with the Brick Church Ringers (NYC) was at the head of the movement starting in the churches.The Presbyterian Church of Westfield, New Jersey, (1952 - 1955) at my suggestion, bought a small set of 20 bells: C5 - G6. This was about to be extended down to G4 when I left for First Central Congregational Church of Omaha, Nebraska (1955 - 1958) . We began with 32 bells (C4 - G6). This was being extended down to G3 when I left.
Second Congregational Church of Rockford, Illinois (1959 - 1994) had a diatonic set of 19 bells with which I began. A substantial memorial in 1959 allowed us to round out to 61 bells (all have been Whitechapel). We then had what was probably one of only three or four such large sets in the USA. It was after Tempe, Arizona at which Festival the Thurlstone Bell Orchestra of Thurlstone, England were our honored guests. It was their concert that opened my thinking to the extensive use of duplicates. Their ringing off-the-table facinated me, but it was my ringers that began to experiment with it, and they converted themselves. When I left 2nd Cong., the set numbered 168 bells: many duplicated, some triplicated and quadruplicated, and one quintupled. The range began with G2 and ascended to D#10.
My bell choirs at First Presbyterian Church of Freeport, Illinois has 37 Schulmerich bells. My bell choirs at Trinity Lutheran Church of Rockford, Illinois have Malmark bells: A#2 (skip B2) up to G9; about 15 bells in the mid range are duplicated, so we are on the way toward a true Multiple Set (or as the English would say, a Long Set).
It is obvious that excellent results can be gotten by ringing either off-the-shoulder or off-the-table; what has surprised me, however, is that the English idea (and mine!) of including many planned duplicates has not caught on over here. There is the cost, of course, but we have many fine groups now that could really exploit the possibilities.
Anyhow, we have seen the movement grow mainly in the churches. Now the forefront seems to be the community groups. I remember the fantastic Spartan Ringers from Michigan State U. directed by Wendell Westcott. They were our really first USA virtuoso group in the 1960s. Hand picked college music majors; what would you expect? They played only upon a 4-octave set, however: C4 - C8. Handbells in colleges seem not to have had great impact, however.
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Revised: March 30, 2001. Contact jkearns@knology.net for information about this page.