Wallingford Handbell Ringers

Last year was our 25th anniversary and we had many special activities including a window display in Wallingford Town Centre, a Rally and Concert in July as well as performing for the IWA National Festival and Boat Show at Beale Park. We are very interested in performing throughout the year and not just at Christmas. Our repertoire is large and varied including favourites from the classical and baroque periods and folk songs and dances and popular music from films and shows. We also play for weddings (including recently my own!) including both music items and also we will play a bell peal for those occasions when church bells are not available. We like collaborating with other music groups and recently we have enjoyed joining with choral groups in performing John Rutter's Rejoice and be Merry, Eric Whiteacre's Cloudburst and Britten's Noyes Fludde. As a group we also have a special interest in small ensemble ringing (especially quartets and duets and trios). If as a ringer these things interest you too, we would be happy to play some music with you and share some of the literature we have built up on this fascinating way of ringing (see picture below of our trio playing at Wallingford Bunkfest). The National Society for making music with handbells is Handbell Ringers of Great Britain (HRGB) and their website is www.hrgb.org.uk This site includes plenty of info about ringing, although for any questions or interest in handbells in the Oxfordshire and surrounding area you are welcome to contact me. Alan Cooper HRGB Oxfordhire representative aeolianchimer@googlemail.com