“Wow - the handbells were GREAT today!”  “I love it when the bells play!”  We hear this every time the bells play, and we love that our music contributes to NPC worship services. 

A bit of background about handbells. Bells have been in existence for thousands of years, but handbells developed in England in the 17th century.  The first bells in England were huge and found in church towers. To ring them, ropes hanging from the bells were pulled by several ringers, and the art of changing the order in which the bells ring was called change ringing.   Eventually, English towns began practicing change ringing with small, wooden handbells so they wouldn't disturb neighbors and to avoid the uncomfortable environment in the bell tower.

By the middle of the 18th century, group “tune ringing” - playing songs with the bells - was a favorite diversion in England, and soon nearly every village had its band of bell ringers.  English handbells became a permanent part of the American scene in the early 1900s through Boston's Margaret Shurcliff.  She brought eight Whitechapel handbells from England, then continued to expand the set.  The Whitechapel Handbell became the model for handbells all over the world.

NPC’s instrument is currently a 4-octave set of Whitechapel handbells.  Yes, all those bells are one instrument, played by a group of ringers.  The church first acquired bells in the 1970’s, when we received a three-octave set as a gift in memory of Mr. J. A. Addy Sr.  The handbells fell silent at some point for several years, and in 2014, I was asked to revive the bell choir.  I had no experience with handbells, but luckily a group of seven folks were willing to give it a try - some of whom had played bells before - and we began to occasionally play simple pieces in church. 

We became more proficient, grew to 11 ringers, and in 2019 were fortunate that a few generous members helped us expand our capabilities by purchasing 6 lower bells.  In 2022, we purchased our 5 highest bells, completing the 4th octave and allowing some of the ringers to play four-in-hand.  We also purchased a small used set of hand chimes, which are sometimes used with handbell music, or played by themselves.  Each of these additions has helped us expand our skills and repertoire.  Further, we owe much gratitude to the NPC endowment funds that have supported both the purchase of instruments and participation in handbell workshops and conferences to help us improve our skills!

Handbells are a big investment and, like any instrument, require care and regular maintenance.  For example, our 4-octave set of bells would cost well over $40,000 if bought today.  Maintenance for the entire set of bells is at least $3500 every 4-5 years. If parts need to be replaced the cost goes up, and individual bells sometimes need work between full services.  Our original 3-octave set of bells was last serviced in 2020 and will need service during the next 24 months. 

We Need You!

We are very fortunate to have dedicated ringers who love to play the bells, some of whom have been active in this choir since 2014.  Everyone does their best to attend Wednesday practice at 5:30 and play when we’re scheduled, but life sometimes happens.  When it does, ringers may miss one or more rehearsals or scheduled services.  Right now, because of work-related issues and illness, we need at least two additional ringers who can be regular substitutes. 

If you read music, we need you.  If you haven’t played handbells before, no worries.  I am more than happy to meet with individuals or small groups to teach basic handbell ringing technique, which would be helpful if you’ve never played bells before.  Also, there are basic ringing lessons on YouTube; Basic Handbell Ringing is a good example. 

In addition to the sheer enjoyment of making music, playing handbells has other benefits.  It can help improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, reduce stress and anxiety, and provide a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.  Handbell practice always improves my spirits!

Please reach out to me via email if you are interested in becoming part of our wonderful handbell choir.