Have you experienced the magic of a handbell choir? Never heard of it? No worries! Here's a chance introduce the whole family to this wonderful music.
Emerald City Ringers invites the community to a holiday concert on Saturday, December 9 at 4 pm at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Renton. Join this local choir of close to 20 musicians for "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" and hear first-hand how magical a handbell choir can be.
This is an all ages event. The concert is free to attend with a suggested donation (no tickets required). If you can, please make a suggested donation in these amounts: Adults $12; Family $30; Students/Seniors $8; Children $5. St Matthew's is located at 1700 Edmonds Ave NE in Renton.
What's a handbell choir?
According to the National Bell Festival, a handbell choir performs music on a set of handheld bells tuned to the chromatic scale. Each musician is responsible for one or a few select notes that, when played together with other musicians, become rich melodies and harmonies.
How many handbells does a choir use?
It depends. According to Making Music UK, because so many different bells are needed, you’ll see handbell choirs performing from behind tables on which all bells are placed. Ringers put down and pick up bells as needed. They also use the tables to create other effects. The tables are covered in a layer of foam, which helps to protect the bells.
Emerald City Ringers rings on 7 1/2 octaves of Malmark handbells, 6 octaves of Choirchimes, 5 octaves of Whitechapel bells, 3 octaves of Petit and Fritsen bells, and 2 octaves of Schulmerich Silver Melody Bells.
What does a handbell choir sound like?
Come see for yourself on December 9! In the meantime, here's a handbell choir in action.
Who are the Emerald City Ringers?
Emerald City Ringers is dedicated to advancing the art of handbell ringing in the greater Puget Sound region. This non-auditioned community handbell ensemble is open to handbell musicians looking to grow their skills, all while performing some great music in the process.
