Give Me Jesus – debuting Nov. 23 – Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble

Posted on September 25, 2008
Filed Under Community Groups, Concerts, Music | Leave a Comment

I wanted to inform you all of a special event happening in the lives of the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble ringers. Some of you know that we lost one of our charter members to ovarian cancer last year at the age of 29. Cynthia Drenth was a seriously devoted member of PHE who contributed to the group in so many ways beyond her ringing.

Upon her death, PHE established a memorial fund in Cynthia’s honor to be used to commission a handbell arrangement in her memory. The response was overwhelming, and the excess donations will be used to further PHE’s outreach mission, something Cynthia also supported in a huge way. We commissioned Dr. John Behnke to create an arrangement of “Give Me Jesus,” the background music her husband, Joe, used to create a video celebration of Cynthia’s life for her memorial service.

PHE is proud and honored to be debuting this wonderful, creative work at Cynthia and Joe’s home church, the First Baptist Church of Doylestown, at 4 PM on Sunday, November 23, 2008 as part of a public concert. More information can be found on PHE’s website, PHEBells.org.

Here is part of a message sent to family and friends by Joe this morning:

“Hello everyone,

I am very pleased to inform you that the Philadelphia Handbell Ensemble will be performing a special arrangement of “Give Me Jesus” in memory of Cynthia at 4 PM on Sunday, November 23, 2008 at the First Baptist Church of Downingtown. This musical tribute is an emotionally powerful expression of the sorrows and joys that accompany the life of a faithful servant. This wonderful arrangement expands on the original theme of the song to provide a glimpse of the amazing reunion with loved ones and the great celebration that is to come when the curtain is pulled away.

Please mark your calendars and save the afternoon/evening of November 23 if you will be in the greater Doylestown area.

Thank you all for the prayers, thoughts, and words of encouragement, especially over the past six months. There is still much pain in being separated from Cynthia, and as the weeks and months progress I look forward all the more to the day when death no longer stands between us and the loved ones who went on before us. In the meantime, God is faithfully sustaining me with plenty of love, support, and work to keep me busy…….

……Thanks again, and may God richly bless you,
Joseph”

If you are in the Philadelphia/Downingtown area, please join us as we again celebrate Cynthia’s life.

From Ron Bellamy via handbell-l

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