Chairman's Chat
September 2010
Hallo Everyone
The summer will soon be over and we will all be back to regular bell practice in preparation for the Seasonal rush. We are already double booked for one date in December! Please remember to share your ringing experiences with us all via the web site or Newsletter – and don’t forget some photos!
Traditionally our team make the first practice after the summer break a cleaning session. The bells are laid out and checked, and then it is time for polish, rags and elbow grease. We also have a great deal of chat to catch up with everyone’s holiday news and the time passes very quickly. Before we know it is time for refreshments and more chat. We do manage some ringing as the Festival Service rehearsal will be looming and the music must be prepared. I can certainly recommend this type of group session so that the burden of upkeep is shared rather than left to the owner of the bells or the leader of the team.
As September begins the bell events also appear so make your applications early. Events may have to be cancelled if the numbers of ringers who are interested are not sufficient, which is a pity. The list of event opportunities may be found in the Newsletters or online. We have a SER Committee meeting soon and I hope that these will be updated.
Best wishes
Wendy Rowland HRGB SER Chair
August 2010
Good afternoon everyone,
It is a cliché, I know, but this year seems to be flying by. I expect many of you are on your holidays or preparing for them. Of course the lucky few may have already had their holiday in the lull before the schools break up! Whatever your situation is I do hope that you will feel rested and refreshed by September ready to start ringing in the build up to the Festive season.
The biggest event this month has probably been the visit by Strikepoint from Duluth USA. They began and finished their UK tour in the SERegion and many of us were able to see and hear them at Finchampstead, Berkshire or Chobham, Surrey. The ringers are musicians and real showmen so their concerts are always enjoyable. They did very well with their sales of DVD’s etc so if you did not get to see them in person you may know someone who would share their DVD with you.
The other big event for some lucky ringers is their trip to Japan for the International Symposium. We all look forward to hearing all about it on their return. Reverberations has been slightly delayed to accommodate the reports on this prestigious event, The next Symposium will be held in Liverpool 2012 so start saving as the travel is a large part of the costs and of course if it is held in our back yard then things must be less expensive – I hesitate to say ‘cheaper’!!
Everyone who is attending the Guildford Festival Service should have their music ready to start practicing. I look forward to seeing you all at Broadwater School rehearsal. The actual Service at the Cathedral will be our 21st anniversary. Several VIPs have been invited and I am pleased to report that most have accepted their invitations. The music features some favourites from the last 21 years and should appeal to ringers and listeners alike. So if you do not plan to ring then I warmly invite you all to attend the service. It is free with a collection being taken for the Cathedral Fabric Fund.
Best wishes to you all
Wendy Rowland Chair SERegion HRGB
Pasting tables looking for a good home
Keith Rowland has 5 pasting tables that unfold to 6 foot by 2 foot 6 inches that he would like to pass on to a good home. If you are interested please contact Keith Rowland
Handbell News July 2010
Her Majesty The Queen presented two sets of Whitechapel Handbells to the Chapels Royal of the Mohawks, during her recent visit to Canada. The bells were given to renew a 300 year old bond of friendship. Click here to read the full account of how and why the bells were produced.
For more information about the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, follow this link to their website www.whitechapelbellfoundry.co.uk
Chairman's Chat
July 2010
Good morning Everyone,
I am a little late in publishing this monthly missive. We are in the middle of trying to sell Acorn Cottage and buy two new homes with all the attending chaos. Add into the mix a family wedding in the north of England and you can imagine the pressure. When did I find time to go to work!
July and August are traditionally quiet months for us all. Many of us take a break during this time to accommodate holidays and recharge our batteries ready for the Christmas rush. We always start again on the first Friday in September with a mammoth cleaning evening so that our bells are shining ready to cheer the dull winter days.
However everything has not stopped and this weekend sees the return of Strikepoint Handbell Choir from Duluth, Minnesota, USA. This is a team of about 12 ringers led by Bill Alexander. Their first concert will be in Finchampstead on Sunday at 3pm on 11th July. Do try to come! If this date is not convenient they will be finishing their tour of England with a final concert in Chobham Church on the evening of 21st July.
Our SERegion is responsible for hosting the next National Rally. It will be held in the Royal Holloway College, Egham and planning is well underway for the event. Have you all thought about how you can contribute to making this successful? Can you offer a workshop? Do you have some good ideas? Can you offer help with lending equipment? Or as stewards? Will your team show everyone what you can do at a promenade concert?
The event is in our region so many of you will be able to be day delegates if you choose to do so. Have you registered? The application forms were published in the last Reverberations on a yellow flier. If you cannot find it you will have another opportunity to fill in the form with the next Reverberations. Fill it in and send it to Martin Winter who is leading the planning committee.
Applications to attend UKBronze should have been made and the final payments completed by now. Fred Gramman is leading the event and has chosen the repertoire. He is a charismatic and inspiring conductor. If you are not coming to the whole event then why not attend the final concert at 3pm on Saturday 30th October. Information is available from Keith Rowland.
Best wishes,
Wendy Rowland,
Chair SERegion HRGB
June 2010
Hallo again
This last month has flown by with bell related events every weekend.
SERBO put on their concert at the Harlequin Theatre, Redhill in early May and repeated it in the American Church, Paris at the end of May. Both concerts were received well and everyone involved should feel justifiably proud of themselves. I hope that photos, reports etc will start appearing on the web, in Facebook and in our publications. Do check them out!
There were also two rallies on consecutive Saturdays. The Old Time Music Hall when all the delegates entered into the fun of dressing up, music hall turns (I did not know we had so much hidden talent in SER), singing and ringing of course.
Barfield ringers Birthday Bash celebrated Bill Butler's 80th birthday. He has been awarded an Honorary Life Membership from HRGB and joins a group of ringers who have contributed most to the life of HRGB. We all congratulate him.
Our other HLMs are George Francis and Marianne Wicks. To be eligible for an HLM award the ringer must have given long standing service to HRGB locally, nationally and internationally. For some time your committee has felt that there are SER members who are deserving of recognition but who do not meet the HLM criteria.
At the committee meeting, also held in May, we discussed this issue. The NE recently developed a scheme to recognise such members in their region and have given us permission to use their ideas. To that end we are in the process of developing an award for "Honoured Member of the SERegion" and hope to present the first award at the 2011 AGM. Once the criteria are finalised I will publish them for your perusal and comments.
Best wishes
Wendy Rowland
Chair SER HRGB
