Dear Ringers,
Some of you may have taken a break from ringing over the summer, while some teams keep meeting. As a teacher, September is always the beginning of the new school year, and time to get back into routines, including handbell rehearsals and regional events.
May and June saw a number of regional events, and we are grateful to those that have taken time to write reports and/or take photos to share with us. I hope that reading about these events inspires you to either go to an event or consider holding an event of your own.
Alongside these events, a new team was rehearsing – Team HRGB SE – in preparation for the 21st International Handbell Symposium which was held in Japan in August. For some, this was their first experience of an International Symposium, and we hope to have some write ups and more photos for the next edition (for those who follow HRGB or HRGB SE on Facebook, you will have seen some photos and videos during the event). But for now, here is a photo of the team, taken after we had successfully rung in a solo concert.
We were the only team to be ringing on Whitechapel bells, which meant there were lots of other ringers wanting to have a look and a go on the bells (bearing in mind there were just over 700 ringers there)! I was also extremely honoured to be asked to carry the flag at the opening ceremony – it was surprisingly heavy and I was concentrating very hard on holding it still and not tripping over!
We have a number of events coming up to celebrate the 25th season of the South East Region Bell Orchestra. The first of these is a ‘Read and Ring’ day at Sanderstead on September 14th. This is an excellent opportunity to explore some of the music used by SERBO, without the pressure of an audition or concert. It is also a chance to have a go at ringing in a 5-octave team. There is still space if you would like to come and join us for a fun day of ringing. The application form is included again with this newsletter, along with the SERBO application form. There will also be forms available on the day, so if you are unsure about anything to do with joining SERBO, please come to the Read and Ring day and we will endeavour to answer all your questions!
Whatever your plans for the next few months (is it too early to mention the ‘C’ word?!), I look forward to seeing you at an event very soon.
Happy Ringing!
Helen
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