The Kalamazoo Ringers Fosters Camaraderie and Friendship
Posted on October 12, 2009
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Repost from: Kalamazoo Shopper
Link to story with photo: http://www.kalamazooweekly.com/articles.php?id=462
By Jessica Short
Watching and listening to the members of The Kalamazoo Ringers practice is like enjoying your favorite dessert: it’s something that you just can’t get enough of.
“Ringing bells is one of the most contagious things,” said Tom. “It just grabs you. It’s not just church music—it’s jazz, classical, and everything in between.”
The Kalamazoo Ringers began in the spring of 1981 after Janet was challenged by her husband, Tom, to start a bell choir.
“Being part of a musical experience is a very special thing,” said Janet Van Valey, director and founder of The Kalamazoo Ringers. “Everyone does their own part—you have to have total interdependency in a bell choir.”
Having rung in church programs before, Janet initiated Barb Woodrow, Karol Dill, and Tom, and together they formed The Kalamazoo Ringers.
The group started with a four-octave set of bells borrowed from the First Baptist Church of Kalamazoo and played their first public performance only two months after they had organized.
Now known as the oldest, continuously operated handbell group in the country, The Kalamazoo Ringers have firmly established themselves as a bronze level choir, the highest level in bell ringing.
“It’s great,” said Dill. “ I can’t give it up.”
Throughout the years, the group has grown in size from its four founding members to 14, making the group widely diverse in age and occupation.
While they have played all over the United States, including Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kansas, and Iowa, their presence in known internationally as well.
In August of 1998, The Kalamazoo Ringers participated in the eighth International Handbell Symposium in Japan, which included 1,000 ringers, from high school students to seniors, representing 62 choirs from all over the world, including Great Britain, Korea, Canada, Australia, and the United States.
In February of 1999, they were one of only five handbell choirs in the Midwest who were invited to participate in a Bronze Fest in Ohio.
Although the group has grown in size, its camaraderie and friendship among its members has remained a solid constant.
Being part of the group definitely creates a bond, said Janet.
“It’s part of being a team,” said ringer Jody Dawson. “As a kid, you feel the need to belong to something, and this is my team. They support you through the good times and the bad.”
For their 10th anniversary, The Kalamazoo Ringers journeyed to England for two weeks, and while they did do some sight seeing, they also had the opportunity to ring with other choirs.
So how does one learn how to ring?
Ringing a handbell is like scoping ice cream, said Janet.
However, this is definitely a skill and a talent that is easier said than done.
It is clear that handbell ringing is something that requires patience, hard work, and a lot of dedication.
“It’s not something you can just walk into and pick up,” said Woodrow.
“Being able to do it is such an accomplishment,” added Dill.
Most new members start with chimes and eventually graduate to bells. In a beginning handbell choir, each ringer is responsible for only two bells. As they develop rhythm and flow, they become responsible for four, or more, bells. In advanced choirs, such as The Kalamazoo Ringers, each ringer is responsible for multiple bells and chimes along with mallets and other accessories.
Presently, The Kalamazoo Ringers perform with 73 Malmark Handbells and 73 Malmark Choirchimes. Practices are held once a week from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Westwood Church of God in Kalamazoo.
All of the members have a background in music or bell ringing.
The Kalamazoo Ringers performs two free public concerts in Kalamazoo each year (Christmas/Spring) and participates in numerous contracted concerts throughout southwest Michigan. The group also offers workshops for area ringers and directors in order to promote the art of handbell ringing to participants of all ages and skill levels.
This year, for their annual holiday concert, The Kalamazoo Ringers will be performing on December 13 at 4 p.m. at the Westwood Church of God, located at 811 Gorham Lane in Kalamazoo.
The group will also be performing at the Wyndham Retirement Home on December 1 at 7 p.m. and on Dec. 5 with the Kalamazoo Men’s Chorus and Kalamazoo Brass as a collaborative concert at the Second Reformed Church off Stadium Drive.
For more information on The Kalamazoo Ringers, visit: http://www.kalamazooringers.org, or contact Janet Van Valey at either jvanvaley@gmail.com, or 269.655.8081.
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