Onstage on rehearsal night for Holiday Pops Dec 1-4 /Embellish Handbell Ensemble
/Tis the Season to Embellish 2016 /Embellish/SuLin Kotowicz
Handbells are in high demand during the holidays, and often are referred to as “the sound of the season.” Embellish Handbell Ensemble is thrilled to be sharing this joyous sound once again in multiple performances around the Grand Rapids area.
While there isn’t a clear explanation as to why bells are in such high demand this time of year, there is a rich history around the development of handbells as they’re known today. Stephanie Wiltse, Embellish’s Music Director, shared some background information on the development of these handbells.
“There are two types of modern tower bells. A carillon is a set of bells hung in a tower and controlled by a special type of keyboard and pedals, playable by a single person. Grand Valley State University's downtown and Allendale campuses have very beautiful carillons.
A tower ring is a set of bells hung in a tower as well, but each bell is mounted on a mechanism with a wheel and pulley, each controlled by a single ringer pulling a rope to rotate the casting until the point at which the clapper strikes. The English style of ringing these bells is called Change Ringing, dating back to the 1600s.”
Wiltse continued, “In short, a group of tower ringers stands in a circle in the ringing chamber and pulls their ropes to cause each bell to sound in a very precise mathematical order. Ringers spend years perfecting this very difficult art. The closest tower ring to us is at Kalamazoo College. National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., is the only tower in the U.S. with both a carillon and a tower ring.” Embellish had the privilege of going up into the tower of the National Cathedral to observe a live tower ring during their East Coast tour in June of 2009.
You might wonder what tower bells have to do with the handbells we know today. According to Wiltse, “Legend has it that a group of ringers grew weary of climbing rickety staircases up to drafty bell towers and practicing their bell changes for the entire countryside to hear, so they had smaller versions of their tower bells made so that they could take their bells to the pub and practice while sitting around a table by the fireside; a much cozier proposition. These practice “hand bells” began to be manufactured commonly in the late 17th century.”
If you’d like to experience these handbells live, and soak in the sound of the season in warm and beautiful surroundings, you can catch Embellish in a variety of performances over the coming weeks.
eightWest
Thursday, December 1 at 11:00 a.m.
WOOD TV 8
Grand Rapids Symphony Holiday Pops Series
Thursday, December 1 - Sunday, December 4, various times
DeVos Performance Hall
'Tis the Season to Embellish
Tuesday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Central Reformed Church
For ticket pricing and information, please visit Embellish’s website at embellishhandbells.com/WordPress/
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