The bells of Grace

With so much to select from in sacred music -- contemporary, Gospel, traditional, even rap -- a long-standing musical genre remains "a-pealing."

Grace United Methodist Church has had at least one handbell choir for about 35 years, said Ray Haring, who has directed Grace Notes -- a handbell choir -- the past 11 years. About 14 members meet faithfully once a week to practice for their participation once a month at Grace's traditional worship services.

Another choir, Bells of Grace, plays under a different director and is made up of less-experienced musicians. And parents and grandparents at Grace are delighted whenever the children's bell choir plays at church services.

A retired social studies teacher who taught at Jackson High School, Haring took a minor in music when he was in college. He played with Grace Notes, and when the former director left, the members had to choose: find a new director or disband.

"I have a little music background, but I'm not a musician as such," he said. "I said I'd try it until they could find someone."

Haring said the success of the handbell choir should be credited to the members, all of whom have musical experience and ability. They're a dedicated group, he said.

According to the Web site for the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers, an international organization, Margaret Shurcliff of Boston is credited for bringing handbells to America from England in 1902. She and her Beacon Hill Ringers -- which included five of her six children -- became well known for Christmas caroling with handbells.

Adelaide Parsons juggled many of the small treble handbells Wednesday during practice with the Grace Notes Bell Choir at Grace United Methodist Church in Cape Girardeau.

Its popularity grew throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Locally, several churches who once had handbell choirs no longer do. However, Haring said he was pleased to help Hanover Lutheran Church develop its new handbell choir, and noted that St. Andrew Lutheran Church also has added one.

Other local churches that have handbell choirs include Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, New McKendree United Methodist and St. Paul Lutheran, all in Jackson.

There's more to making music with handbells than synchronized ringing, Haring said. Each participant wears gloves to protect the bells' brass finish. Different techniques result in certain tones. Choir members tap the bells on a sponge pad for a softer sound or tap them with mallets. Some players with bells in the higher note range hold two bells in each hand, each bell in each hand facing a different direction. By skillful turning of the hands, the bells chime individually or in harmony with each other.

"I don't know how to do it," Haring said. "But I know how to tell them to do it."

Some bells cost in the hundreds of dollars, so a handbell choir is a major investment coming from donations, bequests and fundraisers, such as the cinnamon-roll sale Grace church has twice a year, raising about $500 each time to go toward the bell choirs.

Most handbell music is written for church services, and an experienced bell choir can make an impression among the congregation, although at Grace it's not used in the contemporary service. Those who prefer the traditional service like the handbell choir.

"I've had people say 'that was my message today,'" Haring said.

At times, although he finds it uncomfortable during a church service, the congregation has been moved enough to give the choir a standing ovation.

In June the local handbell choirs will participate in a clinic in Jackson that will be led by John Behnke of Concordia College in Wisconsin. Each choir participating will learn new techniques and will perform together in a concert following the clinic, which will be open to the public.

Later that month, Grace Notes and other handbell choirs will participate in a clinic held by the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Area 8, where at least 300 groups from five states will get together in Peoria, Ill., for classes, seminars and more music.

"The people in my group have been playing 20 or 25 years," Haring said. "It's become second nature to them. They do it very well; I'm proud of them."

Grace Notes has played at Christmas concerts, weddings, and at the funeral of Harold Kuehle who was a devoted member of Grace Notes. One year they played on a hook and ladder fire truck in the Christmas parade when the theme was "Ring in Christmas."

Every 18 months the group gives a free community concert -- either in the spring or at Christmas. This year is the spring concert.

"We enjoy it," Haring said. "It's our gift to the community."

lredeffer@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 160