​Ringing Together: The Vital Role of Every Ringer in Our Handbell Ensemble

By: Rob Lynch, Director of Traditional Music

Earlier this year, I used my blog post to promote the ukulele ensemble, so allow me to ring the praises of the handbell ensemble this month. The ensemble is unique in that every single member’s presence is essential to fully realize the pieces we play on Sunday mornings. The more folks we have ringing, the better!

Dutilh is blessed to have an incredible set of handbells—four octaves, to be precise! These beautiful instruments have been well-maintained and cared for by our dedicated ringers and will last a lifetime under these conditions. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the return of our church’s hand chimes as well, which will make an appearance later this year after being refurbished. With all these bells and chimes comes the responsibility of ringing them—and that's where you come in!

We can comfortably accommodate around 14 ringers for a given piece of music. The challenge is that, unlike a pianist or instrumentalist who plays every note themselves, the bells are divided among all the ringers—typically two or three bells per person. When someone is missing, you’ll definitely notice a gap in the melody. This is manageable during rehearsals, but on Sundays, it’s all hands on deck. As such, we could really use additional ringers to help “fill the bench” and make ringing larger, more challenging pieces much easier to accomplish.

You do not need a background in handbells or even the ability to read sheet music. We’ve got a tried-and-true system that allows everyone to participate and help make a joyful noise. Can’t commit to every week but still want to help? We are always in need of substitute ringers who can step in when we have planned absences.

Our bell choir will be ringing one of the "Lenten Meal Mini Recitals" on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:45 pm. Interested in helping out? Contact Rob at the church office or stop by the piano after Sunday services to learn more and get involved.