Welcome to Spiritual Boogie, the very first piece played by Low Ding Zone. If you can guess, the formation of LDZ meant that we had to create our own repertoire. This one was based on the common chord sequences in the spirituals Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, When the Saints Come Marching In, and This Train is Bound for Glory – something I recall folks like John Fischer sharing in their concerts way back in the 1970s.
We went through lots of revisions, mostly because no one had previously tried what we aspired to do, and partly because my mind could see how to play things, but often faster than was physically possible for us at the time. With practice, we did get better!
Our inaugural performance was at the 2006 Area 12 conference, as one of the numbers in the showcase concert. The venue was the chapel at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, California. I recall that we processed down the center aisle pushing, lugging, and carrying a substantial amount of our toys – it almost certainly was the only handbell performance EVER started with “MOVE IT OR LOSE IT, BUDDY!” (by Gretchen). And so it began.
And it went marvelously. Of course, the big thing working in our favor was that no one had ever seen a bass handbell ensemble before, so there was no way we could have played worse – or better – than anyone else. I was so exhilarated by our success in playing Spiritual Boogie that – and I don’t know what possessed me – I struck the last note, and then threw my yellow mallet upward about 35 feet. Fortunately, 1) the chapel at Notre Dame de Namur University, Belmont, California was higher than that, and 2) the mallet did go perfectly straight up, so I was able to catch it without incident…
Have fun!
Preview:
| Low Ding Zone Version: | Price: $25.00 US |
| Gurlie Bell Version (2 octaves higher): |
Price: $25.00 US |
Score package includes full score and separated handbell part scores.
Back in 2006, video recording was a lot more difficult than now (twenty years later). So we never successfully recorded an authentic LDZ performance. However, here’s Philadelphia Bronze playing the Gurlie Bell Version in 2015!
Purchasing this score gives you permission to print and maintain the number of copies needed by your ensemble – so you only need to pay once. Purchase also gives permission for performance, broadcasting, live-streaming and video-sharing online. See our licensing agreement for full details, and please remember to mention the title and arranger of the piece on video-sharing sites, social media and any printed materials such as concert programs.
