Boston Handbell Festival – May 19, 2009

Posted on April 8, 2009
Filed Under Community Groups, Events | Leave a Comment

For Immediate Release:
April 6, 2009
 
 
BACK BAY RINGERS AND OLD SOUTH CHURCH TO HOST
BOSTON HANDBELL FESTIVAL
TUESDAY, MAY 19, 8 p.m. AT OLD SOUTH CHURCH
 
PROCEEDS FROM FREEWILL OFFERING
GO TOWARDS PURCHASE AND DONATION
OF CHOIRCHIMES TO LOCAL SCHOOL
 
FEATURED CHOIRS INCLUDE BACK BAY CARILLON,
BACK BAY RINGERS, HANCOCK CARILLON,
MERRIMACK VALLEY RINGERS, NEW ENGLAND RINGERS
AND OLD SOUTH RINGERS
 
Boston, Mass – The Back Bay Ringers and Old South Church are pleased to announce the third annual Boston Handbell Festival, to be held Tuesday, May 19 at 8 p.m. at Old South Church (645 Boylston St, Boston).  This event is free and open to the public.
 
The Boston Handbell Festival embodies two missions of the Back Bay Ringers: to highlight advanced handbell talent within New England and to pass the art form on to the next generation.  Back Bay Ringers will donate its portion of a freewill offering collected at the festival towards the purchase of two octaves of Malmark Choirchimes to be donated to a Boston-area school.
 
Choirchimes are growing in popularity among music educators for their ease of use in the classroom.  With this handheld chime instrument (similar in principle to a tuning fork, with each chime representing one pitch) the ability to produce music is almost immediate.  Regardless of prior musical training and physical coordination, any group can quickly learn to play melodies and experience the joys of making real music.  In addition to donating the chimes, Back Bay Ringers will assist the school in integrating them into the classroom and developing programs for their use.  Applications for the chime donation were distributed to thirteen public school districts in the Greater Boston area.
 
Boston has a long connection with the greater history of English handbell ringing.  The first community handbell ensemble in America was founded in Boston at the turn of the twentieth century — just blocks from Old South Church, where Back Bay Ringers rehearses today.  Since then, interest has grown exponentially — to date, there are more than nine thousand handbell ensembles of various sizes throughout the country.  Back Bay Ringers is proud to embody that tradition here in Boston, and to carry it into the future.
 
As the city of Boston’s only community-based handbell organization, Back Bay Ringers is at the forefront of a rapidly growing community handbell movement. BBR currently supports three performing groups: Back Bay Ringers, an auditioned touring ensemble; Back Bay Carillon, a community based training ensemble, and Back Bay Quartet. Founded in 2003, BBR has quickly developed a reputation for excellence, regularly performing at such Boston-area landmarks as Faneuil Hall, Symphony Hall, the Boston Children’s Museum and the Prudential Center. Recent collaborations have allowed BBR to work with the New England Treble Chorus, Handel and Haydn Society, Boston Choral Ensemble and the Boston Children’s Chorus.  Back Bay Ringers is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization.  For information on upcoming performances, auditions, and ways you can support the organization, please visit us on the web at www.backbayringers.org.
 
For more information about Old South Church and its ministry, music, and programs, please visit www.oldsouth.org.
 
Media Contact:
 
Sarah Cook
(570) 362-2981
sarah.fogley.cook@gmail.com

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