It’s time for another Global Writing Challenge prompt. Our current membership consists of MK’s Adventures in Style, Deb’s World, Suzy Turner, Rosie Amber, Within a World of My Own, and me. Rosie chose this month’s theme. I love the Global Writing Challenge because it’s always fun to see what others come up with…the responses rarely repeat. On top of the wonderfully different opinions and thoughts, the writing itself is wonderful! I hope you’ll visit all of these blogs because you are going to be amazed at, not only the diversity of ideas, but the stories of each person. There’s also a link party at the end of this post!
If you’d like to join us, here are the prompts for January and February:
- January – Snow
- February – Fashion Icons
A little history…
I started playing handbells in church somewhere around 1995. I only know that because of the tag inside the handles. Someone in our church had passed away, and the family memorialized them with money to purchase handbells. Now, before you sit there shaking your head in amazement that playing handbells is yet another in my long list of accomplishments, you need to know I can’t read music…at all! For that reason, I have played the same handbells ever since 1995 even though we moved to a different town and church over ten years ago. But, I can count to four, and I can even add the halves in between!
Something I can’t do…
I firmly believe everyone has a learning disability of some kind as well as a talent. My learning disability happens to be I cannot remember what a song sounds like unless it’s a song I’ve sung over and over again. That holds true for bell music. Until we start playing, I have absolutely no idea what the song is going to sound like…honestly! That also goes for songs that are sung and not played on handbells (or any other instrument). I also can’t sing acapella!
Not all songs are the same…
Well, there is one exception to that…sort of. I could clap out the rhythm for “Carol of the Bells” any day of the week. In fact, when I hear the song, I don’t hear the music, I hear 1 2 & 3, 1 2 & 3, 1 & 2 & 3 4! I wouldn’t have any idea what notes they were, but I know that rhythm like the palm of my hand. That is…until your choir director gets a totally different arrangement of the song!
Especially this one…
At Grace Lutheran up north, we played what I consider the traditional “Carol of the Bells” which is quite lovely. At Messiah, that particular song has a bit of a bad reputation. Our director before the current one flat out refused to ever play it again. I wasn’t sure why. When she retired to Florida, we got a new director, and someone (guess who) was able to convince him to resurrect the song. This arrangement, however, was quite different from the one I knew and loved. My part wasn’t especially difficult, but the timing was. So, now I know why the former director put a stop to playing the song ever again. I purely do wish we’d get that arrangement we had at Grace!
This is probably most like the version we played. Do you notice the concentration on their faces? They are counting, watching the director (love his face), and moving their hands, ringing, damping, shaking! There’s a lot going on when you play at this speed, which, in my mind, is the perfect way to play. We once had a director up north who said, “If you can play it fast, you can play it at tempo.” And, he was right!
Why…
I love playing handbells. I always wanted to play a musical instrument, but my mom said we didn’t have the money for it. My youngest tried to teach me how to play the guitar, but my fingers just don’t move that way. Playing handbells is my way of making music without having to know too much about reading music. When I said I couldn’t read music, I mean I don’t know which notes are which. I still use those old mnemonics…FACE and Every Good Boy Does Fine when it comes to figuring out the notes. In case you’re curious, I play D5, D5♯, E5, and E5𝄭. They are the bottom line note and space so I can find them easily! Up north, we marked our music with highlighters which would indicate which bell to use. At Messiah, there is none of that. I am really good at counting so I can do complicated measures with 1/2, 1/4, and 1/8 notes. When it comes to 1/16 and triplets, I struggle…a lot!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
Up north, we played the bells about twice a month. Here in Brownsburg, we play maybe once in the fall, on Christmas Eve, once in Lent, and maybe on Easter. We also play on Music Appreciation Sunday. Part of that is Messiah is a much smaller church than Grace was, and many of our members are busy with other church business. That means we have a difficult time finding times that work for everyone to be there for practice. Believe me when I say you need everyone to make the music sound right. We will be playing a rather unexpected version of a song (I can’t remember the title for the life of me) with a Calypso beat. It was a little daunting at first, but now I feel pretty confident about playing it. Another big difference between Messiah and Grace…at Grace, we had a choir loft where we played. At Messiah, we play in front of the congregation. You have to wear your poker face the whole time so no one knows when you’ve played that stinker of a note!
What others are saying…
Suzy “ writes about the unexpected memories and meaningful moments that surfaced when she reflected on this month’s “Christmas Carol” theme.”
Sally “considers some of her favorite versions of and variants on the Dickens tale “A Christmas Carol.”
Debbie “wonders why Australians still sing Christmas songs and carols about snow and cold weather when they’re boiling in mid summer.”
Rosie has “written a comedy version of the 12 Days of Christmas.”
Mary Katherine is still on hiatus, catching up with old friends, and vacationing.
And, now, it’s your turn!
If you’d like to link up your posts about kindness, you may link up here or at any of the other blogs!
Oh wow, Marsha. I’ve just listened to the bells video – amazing that everyone knew their part (!) and so very beautiful. I think church in the US is a very very different thing to church in the UK. We don’t have anything like that, as in, bell playing. Anyway, that was so interesting. I always like to hear about how different cultures act and behave and that was definitely different.
Plus there are some lovely photos on this blog – with two lovebirds – awww!
I just read up on the history of the hand bells because it’s not widely known in Germany, either.
It said that hand bells originally came from England because change ringers used them for practice, but that they got forgotten there after the First World War while they lived on in the USA (P.T. Barnum brought the first hand bell choir there). In Germany, they were unknown after the Americans introduced them after the Second World War, but we still don’t have many choirs (to be honest, I didn’t know we had any at all).
Thanks, Penny! I’m glad you liked the photos! They were from Winterlights in 2023. I actually was a little amazed at that video myself. I didn’t realize how much we do while playing the bells. There are even more ways to play them that aren’t shown on the video. Now, I’m really interested in how church is different in the UK from the US. I think it may be because we have so many different denominations. I’m a Lutheran which is very close to the Anglican church…well, you probably know that. Mike grew up a Baptist which is very, very different! I actually grew up as a Methodist but don’t really remember much about that and how it was different from church as I know it now.
I grew up ringing hand bells during the festive season! My parents were in charge of the local church hand bells for many years and practice sessions were held at our house. Mum wrote out large sheets of card with all the numbers and the words of the songs below them. My brother and I were drafted in for many of the songs especially when they needed extra bells. We performed at the local ‘Carols in the barn’ service each year and in church. Sometimes the adults went along to Christmas parties for the various groups, but that was often in the day time and I was at school. Thanks for bringing back those memories Marsha.
Wow, that is really cool, Rosie! At Grace (our church up north), we had a lady who did the same thing for the children’s handchime choir. She would sit in front of them while they played and use those large posters as they played. Did you ring handchimes? I think they’re a bit difficult compared to the handbells. All three of my kids were drafted into playing handbells. My daughter stuck with it the longest. We did play for a Christmas party once. Believe it or not, “Jingle Bells” is really hard. We started, stopped because everyone was confused, and tried to start again. The people there actually laughed at us. We were so demoralized…and, they were so rude! I’m glad I was able to take you down Memory Lane, Rosie!
I remember you mentioning the hand bells before, but I had forgotten that again. As I wrote in my reply to Penny, I wasn’t aware there were hand bell choirs in Germany at all, I had only seen one or the other video from the USA before.
It’s lovely that you are still doing it after 30 years!
Beautiful pictures of the Christmas lights, too.
Thanks, Cat! Those photos are from Winterlights when we went in 2023. It’s just amazing. I hadn’t even thought about when they were created. That’s kinda fascinating there aren’t many in Germany.
Hi Marsha, this was so interesting! I’ve never heard of the Carol of the Bells ebfore but wow how clever the bell ringers must be, and you too! Thanks for sharing this amazing skill and your stories. Another fabulous post!
Thank you, Debbie! I really didn’t realize how much was involved in playing them until I watched that video. But, we are really using so many different parts of our brains as we play. I’m glad you enjoyed the post!
Our church used to have a bell choir and I loved listening to them!
Thanks, Joanne! I love to listen to them, but I rarely get the chance.
WOW!! Marsha, you are such an inspiration! I would love to be able to do something like this, but you’re right about the learning difficulties…I just wouldn’t be able to focus on ringing my bells while someone next to me is doing something completely different lol! At school we had to play the recorder (I hated it lol) because I just couldn’t get it, so I simply copied what the girl next to me was doing—which obviously meant I was always a beat behind!! I prefer to sing than play an instrument, but even then, I’m not that great at it lol!!
Such a wonderful post, my friend!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
Oh, Suzy, now you’re making me blush! It sounds like you and I have the same kind of learning disability! When I was in choir my freshman year of high school, we had to sing acapella. I couldn’t do it because I’d sing the part of whoever was closest to me. I remember when my students got to play recorders. Luckily, the music teacher told them they couldn’t play them in the classroom! Thanks so much, my friend!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Carol of the Bells! I have to admit that I have a great fondness for the version played in the Claymation Christmas special:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SOvfher8Dg
I have never played handbells, but your post reminds of something I haven’t thought of in decades – playing the xylophone in a group for a church Christmas performance. I played the flute starting in grade 4 so that’s always been my go-to instrument. I had an electric keyboard (that I played poorly) that I loved doing Christmas carols on, but somewhere in my 20s, my parents actually hid the instrument from me so I couldn’t continue making a racket on it when I would come home for Christmas, haha!
Thanks, Sally! I will have to watch that. I have a special place in my heart for claymation! I think playing the xylophone would be fun! I am always impressed by flautists. That’s a lot of breath control and such. I made all three of my kids take band with the exception of drums! I didn’t want to hear that practiced!
Hearing handbells takes me back to my time in my Lutheran middle school. I think it’s a beautiful and unique tradition. I love that it’s been a part of your world for so long – very inspiring.
Thanks, Edi! You’ll have to ask Jordan about playing them! I don’t think he loved them like him mom!
Oh my, I had something totally different in my head. I love this. It reminds me of Garry Newman? Song. From that horror movie, …..bells.
You would not want to play with me in a name that tune game. Lol! That’s my superpower. Lol! Carol of the Bells is one of my favorite Christmas carols. The local high school choir does it at church and it makes my heart sing.
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Ah yes, the showmanship to hide the mistakes – razzle dazzle them, and they’ll never catch wise, as the song says!
Love the concept that for every talent with have a disability…sort of evens things out.