Small (handbell) ensembles are much more the order of the day after mid-May, at least in the Northern hemisphere. Pretty much everyone in the United States syncs their calendar to the end of the school year, and so family vacations and summer programs ramp up, resulting in a local population decrease as people get out of town. So when this happens, large handbell ensembles also shut down for a couple of months (but not until they’ve performed their spring concerts!).
Despite the temporary exodus, we’ve found that there are a lot of folks who want to keep the handbell music going during the summer. Most of the time it’s to add our special kind of music to their church services and social gatherings. Sometimes it’s to take advantage of the opportunity to try something new and challenging or to acquire new skills, such as four-in-hand ringing.
Whatever the reason, we have lots of handbell scores suitable for this. Our music for six, eight, twelve, or sixteen bells can be played with two to eight ringers. Many of our “Surprisingly Easy”™ eight-bells scores, in particular, can be learned in just a few rehearsals and are ideal for summer services and events.
If you haven’t tried small ensemble ringing, this is a great way to start. You only have to find a friend or two to join the fun, and decide on which piece(s) you’d like to play!
