NBO concert Sheffield 2023

  Northern Bell Orchestra Concert, Sheffield 2023

'Ringing in Harmony' was a Concert given by the Northern Bell Orchestra in collaboration with the New Chamber Choir in St Mary's church, Sheffield in May 2023.

Rona Gager introduced the concert with the customary fire notice and told us a bit about the church where the concert was being held including it's outreach work during the week.

Some members of Kinder Handbell Team had decided to venture into the NorthEast region for the concert and it turned out to be a lovely evening.

The mix of choral and handbell music complimented each other perfectly. The choir was made up of singers from other choirs and sang a broad variety of music from very different genres.

One piece for both choir and handbells was called Stars, a very atmospheric piece with some very high notes for the choir.

The Bronze Carillion Quartet rang some impressive music, picking up and putting down bells and swapping bells amongst themselves at breakneck speed.

Visual aids were used to illustrate the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy including a fairy wand, christmas headband and tinsel.

Some of the music had been included in the recent coronation service, the bell orchestra played "All is Well" and the choir sang " I was glad when they said unto me"  by C.H. Parry.

Kate Swallisch thanked everyone for coming and said it was good to be back to performing after the interuption of  the Covid pandemic.


Maghull 40th Anniversary Concert Saturday 1st July 2023

  

Concert and Refreshments with Maghull Parish Handbell Ringers
Saturday 1st July 2023

 To Celebrate their 40th anniversary Maghull Parish Handbell Ringers will be giving a concert and holding a party in the Parish Hall where they meet.

  Contact

 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more information

 

 

2023 NorthWest Spring Gathering

Spring GatheRing

 Thank you for this review of the :

NORTH WEST REGION SPRING GATHERING AND AGM, 

25 MARCH 2023,  at KNOWLE GREEN VILLAGE HALL.

Linda our Chair person gave a nice opening for the Spring Gathering. Followed by Beth who gave a lovely talk on the life of Derek Jackson. Those of us who knew him and met him, will always remember him, so it was a privilege to play our first Mass Ringing piece, arranged by Malcom Wilson, 
Reflection on Finlandia:- 
Sale:- Dutch Clog Dance: (Tulip time), a very sweet piece of music. 
Norbury: March.    Pomp and Circumstance, lovely.
Marple: Early one Morning: Brings back memories of my school days, (I didn’t join in by singing).
Gresford: Plink Plank Plonk: No bells rung in this piece. 
The malleting was to perfection.
Dean: La'Morisque  by Teilman Susato arranged by Sandra Winter, although a very short piece starting with drum beat and mallets then on to bells finishing with the drum beats and mallets.
Beth & Jocie: Mother and Daughter Duets: First one was STOP: a very modern piece by our standards sung by the Spice Girls. Their Second Duet was, I have a dream by ABBA. Well it certainly, was a dream to watch Jocie play, and still be able to smile all the way through, well done Jocie.
Kinder: Gods Train:  A lovely piece, sheet music by Valerie W Stephenson for hand bells.
Marron Valley: In the Bleak mid winter:- Rather different from the other pieces, but yes as Margaret our leader said, its been a cold winter up to now, April 16th, and it is still quite chilly. 
Maghull:         Parade of the Tin Soldiers. One of my all time favourite pieces of music from childhood listening to Uncle Mac on the Saturday Morning Radio. Lyrics.
  The toy shop door is locked up tight and everything is quiet for the night when suddenly, the clock strikes twelve !!!
AGM then Lunch.
Our second Mass Ringing Piece:
Royalty Waltz:- a long piece, very nice. Thank you to the conductors for leading us through these pieces. We learnt so much from your teaching, how to get the best out of the music. 
Maghull: Gave us a catchy, foot tapping piece, Birthday Rag.
Marron Valley: Maria from the Sound of Music. A great musical, as we all know.
Kinder: Policemans Holiday:- Another great piece of music, I guess in the olden days it was a two-step at a dance. Dixon of Dock Green, Jack Warner, would have certainly enjoyed it. Montague Ewing enjoyed playing it on piano.
Dean: Followed Kinder’s train piece with The Runaway Train,   along the way I think we lost our whistle. 
Gresford: You raise me up. A great hit for Westlife.
Marple: Trumpet Symphonia by Purcell. A nice classical piece.
Norbury: Prelude Te Deum, another lovely classical piece by Marc-Antoine Charpentier.
Sale: Singing in the rain. Another foot tapping piece.
          I wonder if Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O' Connor, would ever have thought, wow, in 2023 it’s been adapted for Hand Bell Ringing.
We all went through the two mass ringing pieces again: 
A thank you from Linda.
Tidy up - home time.
 

NorthWest Spring GatheRing 2023

Spring GatheRing

 

    Spring GatheRing -
    Saturday 25th March 2023

   Spring GatheRing – Knowle Green

 

On 25th March 2023 eight teams of handbell ringers descended on the small Ribble Valley hamlet of Knowle Green for a joyful get together.

The day was dry and bright as bells, tables and foam were unloaded from cars and coaches
and tables were set up in the Village Hall.

Space was tight as the floor space began to fill up but eventually everyone got in as we were preparing for a day’s ringing and entertainment.

The first Massed ringing was a piece commissioned from Malcolm C. Wilson in memory of Derek Jackson MBE, an arrangement of Derek’s favourite classical music, Finlandia by Jean Sebelius.

Beth conducted this piece which had been circulated to the teams in advance. John Collins a former member of Bishops Handbell Ringers joined us to hear this played for the first time and share his memories of Derek.

The day was punctuated by the statutory AGM where officers were elected or reelected.

Kate kindly conducted The Royalty Waltz, a piece which was quite appropriate with the forthcoming Coronation of King Charles III in May.

There were two train themed tunes played by the teams even though no-one came by train and despite “Singing in the Rain” the weather stayed fine for packing away.  

See the photo gallery here

The teams played:

Sale - Dutch Tulip Dance

Norbury - Pomp & Circumstance March

Marple - Early one morning

Gresford – Plink plank plonk

Beth & Josi - Stop

Dean - The Runaway train

Kinder - Gods Train

Marron Valley - In the bleak midwinter

Maghull - The Parade of the tin soldiers

———-///———

Maghull - Birthday rag (Robin Benton) for Maghull’s 40th Birthday

Marron Valley - Maria from The Sound of Music

Kinder - Policemen’s holiday

Dean - La Mourisque with tambour & Indian bell (arr Sandra Winter)

Beth & Josi - I have a dream - ABBA

Gresford - You raise me up

Marple - Trumpet symphonia

Norbury - Prelude to Te Deum

Sale - Singing in the rain

NorthWest Spring Rally 2023

Spring GatheRing

 

    Spring GatheRing -
    Saturday 25th March 2023

   Calling papers for the AGM and Booking Forms have been sent out to the Team Correspondents.

   The event will take place at Knowle Green near Preston          between 10.30am and 4.15pm.

   It will feature "Reflection on Finlandia", the piece commissioned from Malcolm Wilson in memory of Derek Jackson which will be played for the first time as a massed ring at Knowle Green.
   Every current member of the North West Region will be entitled to receive a copy of the piece; it will go first to teams and independent members registering for the GatheRing, and afterwards to all other members of the Region.
   
   The Committee has decided that this time, we will have two Massed Ringing pieces, so that we can spend more time on each of them; in celebration of the Coronation, the other piece will be Sandra Winter’s Royalty Waltz.
   For more information please email  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

   As always, it's "first come, first served", so don't delay!

Dean Christmas 2022

  Dean Handbell Ringers at Christmas

 Dean Handbell Ringers entertained West Cumbria Adult Carers
   at their Christmas Lunch at Cockermouth.to, re

Norbury Christmas 2022

  

 Norbury Christmas 2022

This Christmas, Norbury Handbell Ringers were asked to perform at Macclesfield Silk Museum as part of their Christmas Activity Programme. It was unusual to be playing among some venerable pieces of historic machinery, including the Ribbon Loom which produced tags for Doc Marten Boots. The museum also has the original Jacquard Loom responsible for producing the famous Macclesfield silk scarves, buttons, pictures and even silk maps used by RAF parachutists in the Second World War. The visit allowed us to browse the shop for last minute handmade Christmas presents and enjoy a cup of tea from the Vintage Tea Room. Having decided to play our bigger Christmas pieces it was quite a challenge getting  five tables in the Blue gallery to accommodate the bigger bells.  Carl’s height came in handy for adjusting the museum mood lighting to focus on our music. The concert went down well, particularly with the Probus Club who had made it their mission to visit and asked some very intelligent questions.

Norbury also played at Brookdale Club Christmas Lunch and BrookView Care Home as well as fitting in the traditional Christmas Meal Out.

T

Christmas 2023

Christmas Concert 2023

As has become customary, Kinder ringers will be performing a Christmas Concert with Voices in Achord.

This year will be joining the choir in a new piece "I heard the Bells on christmas Day" to words by Longfellow.

We will also be reprising "Christmastime" and the eternally popular "Feliz Navidad". 

 

 

Disley GatherRing 2022

Newbiggin GatheRing Oct 2022

 

 In November 2022 a GatheRing was held in person at Disley, Cheshire.

         

          HRGB NORTH WEST REGION CLUSTERING, 12th NOVEMBER 2022
           AND KINDER RINGERS RUBY JUBILLEE

                         METHODIST CHURCH HALL, DISLEY.
 
TEAMS
 
KINDER, NORBURY, MARPLE, TANTONY, MAGULL,
MINI MINUM, LINDA and MAVIS INDEPENDENT RINGERS.
MASSED RINGING PIECES WERE INTERSPERSED THROUGH OUT THE DAY, WHICH WERE:-
COME LASSES AND LADS, CRIMMOND / NOW IS THE HOUR, FINALE:- ROYAL FIRE WORKS.
Three ringers from the far Northwest travelled on the Friday afternoon, stayed close by at a Premier Inn, Gordon, Soo and Norma, from the Tantony Ringers and Dean.
Breakfast was 9am, very nice it was too. It was nice to meet up with our friends.
Kinder opened the solo pieces with Alexander's Rag Time Band, it was stunning.
Tantony slowed the pace down with a short, but very sweet piece: There's Music In The Air,
Norbury gave us Spirit of the Living God / Sky Boat Song, very nice piece.
Marple, A wonderfull rendition of Glockenspeil, set our feet tapping.
Beth and Jocie, played: Three Lions. (Mum and Daughter), gave a splendid, (captivated audience) with The Three Lions
Well done Jocie, your Grandma would be very proud of your performance.
 
After Lunch.
 
Time to get our brains thinking for two quizzes. The first consisted of 10 questions, the first person to raise their hand received a small gift. The second one was bingo where each ringer was given the names of all the places Kinder
have rung over the last 40 years. There were some gaps in each grid, if you were able to tick on your paper a line of 5, then you won a small prize.
The solos were reversed for our second half but first:- we had a lovely surprise. Irene and her daughter Eleanor,
played 4 in hand: ''My Old Man's a Dustman''. Wow it was fantastic. We wish you all the very best, Irene and Eleanor.
Team Ringing Solos:
Norbury: Musical Box. A lovely piece.
Beth and Jocie: Tragedy by The Bee Gees, 1979 piece of music.
Marple: Trumpet Tune. A lovely classical piece.
Tantony: Green Sleeves. An Old Wordly piece.
Kinder: Seranata. Another lovely classical piece.
A most welcome tea break, and the raffle was drawn. It was a great honour to Jocie, to pick out the tickets, Linda asked us to join in a semicircle near the front of the room, each person was able to choose what they wanted.
There was time for us all to go through the massed ringing pieces. A good day was had by all.
 
Tantony Ringers.
 
 

For photos see

Gallery - Disley 2022

 
  1. Newbiggin GatherRing 2022
  2. Christmas Concert Saturday 10th December 2022
  3. Kinder ringers concerts in September and October
  4. Concert for Ukraine 1st October 2022
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