Join the Hand Bell Choir
A handbell choir, ensemble, or team performs music on a set of handheld bells tuned to the chromatic scale. An entire handbell choir is itself a single instrument, with a musician responsible for only one or a very few select notes that, when played together with other musicians, becomes rich melodies and harmonies. This is unique from other orchestras or bands, where an individual musician is responsible for a continuous line of music. Handbell choirs may be composed of a dozen or more musicians, playing any number of bells to scale two octaves (25 bells) and up to eight octaves (97 bells).
With only two hands (and one or two bells in each), a ringer is generally only responsible for two or four notes and their associated sharps/flats. Relying on multiple ringers to play only single notes in a continuous line of music is a challenging aspect of handbell ringing, particularly in creating a sense of continuity and flow. Group practice is therefore an essential component of handbell ringing.
With only two hands (and one or two bells in each), a ringer is generally only responsible for two or four notes and their associated sharps/flats. Relying on multiple ringers to play only single notes in a continuous line of music is a challenging aspect of handbell ringing, particularly in creating a sense of continuity and flow. Group practice is therefore an essential component of handbell ringing.
