South East Region Handbells News Archive
Past Newsletters and other news during 2010
December 2010
Merry Christmas to you all! This is the last time I will be in contact with many of you this year. By the New Year Birthday Rally 2011 will be a week old. I hope that any teams or individual members who are planning to come to this rally will be sending their applications very soon – it is filling up.
The Ring in Christmas Praise at Milton Keynes is traditionally on the first Saturday in December and this year is no exception. Perhaps we will see you there.
Although the SERegion AGM and rally seems a long way off we have to start planning. We need new members for the committee so is there anyone willing to offer themselves? Or perhaps you feel you would rather be a County Representative? If you or someone you know might feel motivated to do something for your region please let us know. The nomination forms are in the newsletter or on the SERegion web site.
February will have a Ring from Scratch event to be held at St Georges Hall. Tolworth. This is not a large venue so I really do advise you to get your applications in promptly or you will be disappointed. Come as a group or individually whichever you prefer. It will be a chance to play new music, try out new positions and allocations in a workshop environment.
It remains for me to reiterate my Season’s Greetings and to hope that you all survive what will be a busy month trying to juggle home and bell life.
Best wishes Wendy Rowland
Honoured Members
The South East Region has decided that it would like to acknowledge the contribution of members who have given exceptional service to Handbell ringing in the South East Region. The committee has prepared guidlines to show how to go about nominating someone for an "Honoured Member" award. If you know of someone who should be awarded in this way, please read the guidlines and contact the South East Region Committee. Please click here: Honoured Member Guidlines
Chairman's Chat
November 2010
Hello SER Ringers
The weather is really quite autumnal and changeable now. The pundits forecast a cold hard winter so what could be better than bell events where the company is good, the exercise keeps you fit and the music tones the brain. After the excesses of the festive season we will be running the FREE BIRTHDAY RALLY at Newbury so dig out your application forms and send them to me asap so that you get the music in plenty of time.
Many of us met at the recent UK Bronze event. Leaders, delegates and audience all had a good time. If you missed it then make a note for autumn half term in 2012 when it will be held again. For some years now Keith has organised national events each year. Ringers who have attended these events all feel that they have personally benefitted and taken home to their teams new ideas and skills. Next year is his last National Residential Ringing Week when we hope as many of you as possible will come to Kingston on Thames Uni at the start of the summer holidays.
Arnold Sherman will be one of the clinicians at the NRRW. His name will be familiar to many from his published music. The other conductor will be Dave Harris who leads the Raleigh Ringers in the USA. Our home grown leaders will be as usual Sandra Winter and Keith Rowland. NRRW is slightly easier, slightly more sociable and is an ideal starting point for those who have not yet tried these events. UKB is modelled on Distinctly Bronze which we have attended in America. The standards are higher, the music is harder an ideal follow-on from NRRW we like to think.
6th November in SER will see our annual Festival Service to be held in Guildford Cathedral for the 21st year running. Once again about 200 ringers will meet to play bells in a worship service. If you miss it there is another opportunity on the first Saturday in December when there is an annual service at Christ the Corner Stone in Milton Keynes. These are opportunities to sort out your Christmas shopping as Guildford and Milton Keynes are great shopping centres.
The auditions for SERBO will be held on 13th November at St George’s Church, Tolworth. Most applications have been processed now but you could always try a late try, especially any ringers willing and able to play bass bells.
Best wishes Wendy Rowland
October 2010
Greetings to you all in the SERegion
October is underway and several events are worth mentioning.
At the end of this month there will be a concert at the Holiday Inn in Sutton on 30th October. This will begin at 3pm and entrance is £5. The concert brings to a close the week of UK Bronze under the baton of Fred Gramman. Over 50 ringers from all over the UK and abroad will be doing what ringers like best! That is ringing all day every day and when that is not happening talking about bells and related subjects. Parking is available at the hotel and adjacent municipal car park.
On November 6th there will be a celebration of 21 years of ringing at Guildford Cathedral. Once again teams from the SERegion will ring in their very own service. This year we have invited many ‘old friends’ from the region and beyond as VIPs. Please be sure to greet and welcome them.
The auditions and first rehearsal for SERBO will be held on 13th November. So far about 45 ringers have applied so we will make a good sound at St George’s Church Tolworth.
Applications for the FREE Birthday rally are arriving on my doorstep. This is being held at Newbury on 8th January 2011. Talk to your teams and apply soon.
Best wishes
Wendy Rowland, Chair HRGB SERegion
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