Handbell Ringers
CIRENCESTER PARISH HANDBELL RINGERS
Tuesday evenings through term time still sees the Cirencester Parish Handbell Ringers rehearsing. The year’s performances started in January as part of the Social Committee’s “Cirencester’s Got Talent!” when we performed two items: “Dancing Teddy Bear” and “Parade of the Tin Solders”.
In April the National Rally of the Handbell Ringers of Great Britain took place at the Royal Agricultural College. A number of the team helped with the car parking on Friday evening and Saturday morning and five of us took an active part in the sessions on the Saturday including performing in front of many other handbell teams. One of the sessions that we attended was an amazing performance by a team of six from Estonia which included Paul McCartney’s Blackbird. The Estonians had a well deserved standing ovation. The rest of our team joined us, but did not take part, in a concert on the Saturday evening.
Later in April was the first of two appearances at Barclay Court when we performed a medley of musical hall tunes to which the audience sang along. They also had a chance to try and play. Amongst the pieces that we played was a piece especially written to celebrate 150 years since the casting of Big Ben.
The Barton Senior Citizens requested us again this year and we were pleased to visit them in July before our break for the summer. They were also treated to our medley “Sing-along-a-ring” and invited to play the bells themselves.
As a result of our playing at the National Rally we were invited to attend a rally in Wincanton by one of the local handbell music composers. We performed “Moon River” which was described in the report of the rally as played “hauntingly”!
December was particularly busy with our second performance of the year at Barclay Court and a return, after a while, to another venue in Cirencester – Hunters Care Home. The second half of our performance was seasonal and finished with the singing and playing of Christmas carols. We also played our Christmas programme at Ashley House.
We were invited to play at Orchard House in Bishops Cleeve where we entertained the residents with a mixture of non-Christmassy and Christmas music and carols.
Prior to the Holy Trinity Carol Service we played a selection of Christmas music.
For further information and bookings please contact me. Peter Cottey
For those who would like to know more please contact Peter Cottey via the Parish Office |
