New Hampshire Spring Ring 2018

Area 1 is proud to announce the 2018 New Hampshire Spring Ring, to be held at the Rundlett Middle School in Concord, NH on April 21, 2018. All choirs and ringers* are welcome and encouraged to participate in this exciting and growing event. The day will include instructional rehearsals of three massed-rung pieces with Area 1 clinician and conductor Jane Nolan, and two one-hour workshop sessions with your choice of one of three classes in each session. We will conclude the day with a concert presentation of the massed-rung pieces, along with solo performances by those individual ensembles who choose to share their talents!

About our Guest Clinician

Jane Nolan, the director of the Shoreline Ringers of Southeastern Connecticut, is a graduate of Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education. Jane taught music in the Ledyard, CT school system, and was a music director in local churches for a number of years. Until 1990, when her church purchased a 3 octave set of handbells, Jane had never seen a handbell. She attended numerous AGEHR workshops and seminars and took a summer graduate course with Don Allured at the Hartt School of Music. From that time on, she was hooked!

In addition to directing the Shoreline Ringers, Jane directs Bells of Fire, a community handbell choir which rehearses in Norwich, CT, and teaches piano from her home. She serves as the Handbell Musicians of America Area 1 membership chairperson. She has been a clinician and a director at a number of Area 1 events throughout New England. Under her direction, choirs have presented the opening concert at the AGEHR Area 1 Festival/Conference in Burlington, VT, performed on tour in the U.S. and England, presented concerts with the U.S. Coast Guard Band in New London, CT and at Carnegie Hall in New York City as well as at many other locations throughout New England.

Event Details

Fees:

The $30.00 per ringer registration fee covers building use charges, administrative costs and all clinician costs. An early-bird discount of $5/ringer applies to all registrations received by April 1. One adult chaperone must be registered for each 6 youth ringers attending. Non-ringing directors or chaperones may attend free of charge. 

Repertoire:

The massed-rung repertoire is listed to the left. Additionally, we invite your choir to share a “solo” selection during the final concert. Please fill out the appropriate information on the registration form. This must be done in advance for planning and programming. We reserve the right to limit the number of solo selections. You will be assigned a short time during lunch to run through your piece(s) once in the performance area. Please be prompt and courteous to other groups.

Workshop Session 1

The following classes will be offered during the first workshop session:

• (ALL) Marking Your Music (Carlene Ruesenberg) - Have you ever forgotten to pick up a bell in time for a bell change? Have you ever heard your director say, ‘it’s marked piano there- please play piano’ at the same place every rehearsal, and you’re still not playing piano? Have you ever put a marking on your music that just didn’t make sense to you at the next rehearsal? If you’ve answered “yes” to at least one of these questions, then this class is for you! We’ll explore ways to make markings in your music that is consistent and concise so you can easily remember from rehearsal to rehearsal what you are meant to do, and you can go beyond the notes and make music.
• (ALL) Getting the Music to Talk to You Before You Start to Ring (Kandia Watson & Kelly Brown) - How to review music and identify what you need to know before you start to ring! Learn ways to help your ringing from sight reading through performance. Bring Massed Ringing Music.
  
• (COPPERS+) Sight Reading Part 1 (Jane Nolan) - You will receive a piece of music when you arrive and work with Jane as you read through it and work on making music from the start. This is a two part class.  Please sign up for Part 2 in Session 2. 

Workshop Session 2:

The following classes will be offered during the second workshop session:

• (ALL) Weaving 101 - Carlene Ruesenberg  Here's your chance to dance around those chromatics! We'll cover the basics of weaving 3 and 4 (or more) bells. Bring gloves to this class.
  
• (ALL) Improving your Bass Bell Technique - Emlee Kohler  Do you regularly ring E4-C3?  Then this class is for you.  Learn how to ring the bass bells safely and with precision.
  
• (COPPERS+) Sight Reading Part 2 - Jane Nolan  Must have participated in the morning workshop Sight Reading Part 1.  You will continue work on the music that you started during the morning session. 

In order to save on registration costs, and because of the many dietary concerns that people may have, lunch will be Bring Your Own. That way you can bring exactly what you want or need. Coffee and water will be provide. Only closed water bottles will be allowed on the ringing floor.

Solo Performances:

We invite your choir or ensemble to share a “solo” selection during the final concert. Youth ensembles are especially encouraged to share their talents with us! Please fill out the appropriate information on the registration form if you wish to perform a solo piece. Solo performances will be limited to the first five requests. You will be assigned a short time during lunch to run through your piece once in the performance area. Please be prompt and courteous to other groups.

Partial Choirs:

If you are planning to ring just the massed selections, you are encouraged to attend with a partial choir of any size. Ringers without a group are welcome! We will match you up as best we can.

What to Bring:

Each ringer should bring gloves, comfortable shoes, lunch and snacks. If your choir has a uniform or concert dress you are encouraged to wear it for the day or the performance. Each choir should bring bells, mallets, foam, table covers, music, music stands and tables.

This event is sponsored by the Handbell Musicians of America, Inc. dedicated to uniting people through the musical art of handbell and handchime ringing.  

*ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST BE AFFILIATED with a Handbell Musicians of America member or member organization.  Membership information is available at http://handbellmusicians.org/membership/join-the-guild/.

Register Now!                  Note: Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made after April 8, 2017