Bingley Handbells News

Monday 8th July saw the Handbell Ringers visiting a new venue as we carried out an engagement for Haworth Women’s Institute at West Lane Baptist Church, Haworth. Recently we have struggled to perform on our full 3 octave set of bells due to reduced numbers of ringers, so it was great to be able to play all our bells for this performance.

Following several weeks intensive practice and careful alteration of some of the music so that we could manage with the people available we were able to ring a wide repertoire of pieces including: Ode to Joy, Nimrod, Water Music, Land of the Silver Birch, Blue Danube Waltz, Christchurch Bells and Simple Gifts. A good audience of 30 to 40 ladies enjoyed the music and when we had finished some volunteered to “have a go”. The evening was completed with tea and cakes provided by the WI.

On Friday 12th July the junior handbell ringers from Trinity All Saints performed in Church for the retirement service of Mrs Glendinning. They played Ode to Joy and the Blue Danube Waltz during the service. It was also a farewell performance for our year 6 ringers who will going to high school in September. We do hope the year 5 girls will return next year to continue ringing and that they will be joined by some new recruits to make up a full team again.

We have recently attended two
regional events.

The regional spring rally and
AGM (well we have to have it sometime!) are traditionally held in may in
Grassington Town Hall. It is a lovely place to visit although the event is so
popular that parking for the cars and space for bells and ringers are at a
premium.

As usual we joined in massed
ringing with all the other ringers there and we also performed two pieces as a
band. This was the first public performance by both Andy and Janet and they
both did very well – even though the compere tried to embarrass them from the
stage by pointing out to all the audience that it was their first event!

In June 11 of us took part in
the Summer Ring at St Chads in Headingley. At this annual event we join in
massed ringing of pieces we have never seen before. There are about 50 ringers
and we all mix together so that you are ringing next to members of other bands.
We practice the pieces for about an hour, then have a supper break before
performing each piece – hopefully at concert standard! Altogether it is a very
enjoyable evening and a good opportunity to chat with other ringers.

We are now practicing hard for
a number of summer performances that we have been booked for. After these there
might be a short lull until the festive season. Bookings for December are
already coming in thick and fast so if you would like us to perform for you
please let us know quickly.

The
handbells which we discovered in the tower and raised money to restore were
black and heavily tarnished mainly by smoke as they had been stored adjacent
the chimney which ran up the side of the tower.

Once
they had been restored they looked like entirely different being bright and
shiny.

We
make every effort to keep them like this and you will notice that we usually
play wearing gloves so the bells do not get unnecessarily tarnished by contact
with our hands. However, even so, they do need a regular clean.

This
week, in anticipation of them being on display at the regional rally, we have
arranged an evening session of cleaning the bells. A small amount of polish,
clean clothes and lots of elbow grease will be needed, but it will be a case of
many hands make light work and hopefully they will be back to their best very
shortly.

After
the hectic Christmas period the lives of Bingley Handbell Ringers are quiet in
the run up to the regional Spring rally and a series of other events over the
summer.

We
are pleased to report that our new recruits are continuing to progress and it
has been wonderful to be able to play all 3 octaves at the majority of our
practices. Just before Christmas our numbers had dwindled so that even if
everyone was there that was not possible.

We
are looking forward to 2019 with renewed optimism. Don’t forget that if you
want to book us in for a performance, particularly at Christmas, please think
ahead and give us plenty of notice.

In
the meantime the children of Trinity All Saints are going from strength to
strength. The majority of the ringers who started last school year have stayed
and have been joined by others from year 5. Jane and Kathy took two teams to
the Skipton Music Festival and once again they returned home with a trophy.

We
just hope that the older children will continue to ring when they move to
secondary school and we are trying to think of the best way to ensure this.

Despite
our increased numbers we still welcome new recruits so, if you want to give
handbell ringing a try, please come down to the vestry at 7pm on a Wednesday to
meet us. We have decided that the new system of having all our practices on a
Wednesdays instead of alternating them with Mondays has had an overall positive
effect and the attendance is better.

From time to time one of our members is asked to give a talk, to groups, about bell ringing. Although the talk is mainly about church bell ringing he takes along some of the handbells to give people a chance to Have a Go. Here is Roger showing some of the Eldwick and District Countrywomen’s Association how its done:

Having performed before for the Masons (some time ago) it was great to be invited back again despite the late start and finish! A packed room left little room for our tables but with a little bit of maneuvering we managed to fit in. After playing some of our popular Christmas pieces (Jingle Bells, Walking in the Air, Frosty the Snowman etc) we gave those who wanted an opportunity to join us in ringing Good King Wenceslas. To every bodies amusement a few folk joined in and coped admirably as they learnt a new skill …. sadly we suspect none took up our offer to join us!

By special invitation we rang this year at the Carol Service for the Western Branch of the Yorkshire Association of Change Ringers that was held at Drighlington Church. With cold wet and icy conditions limiting numbers who attended the warm welcome we received was much appreciated.

One
of our ringers, Diane, works for Royds which brands itself as ‘a local charity
for local people’ and they arranged an event on 5th July under the NHS 70 Tea
banner.

They
held their tea party at their headquarters on their enterprise park in South
Bradford. Those attending where mainly members of their staff, local residents
and people who make use of their other facilities including a number of elderly
residents.

As
the event was held in the middle of the day we had even more difficulty than
usual putting together a band and only knew a few days before that six of us
would be able to attend to play music arranged for 12 bells.

Still
we managed it!

We
played a few pieces and then were treated to a real afternoon tea including
sandwiches with the crusts cut off, salads, baked salmon, cakes and scones with
jam and cream – all served on china plates. Each table had a vase of flowers
and their own teapot and milk jug from which tea was poured into china cups – a
far cry from our usual rehearsal time mugs!

Of
course every treat comes with hitch – in this case a fiendishly difficult quiz
to work out Yorkshire place names from the literal translations of the ancient
works – we might have known that Broad ford was the meaning of Bradford but how
many of us knew Ilkley meant Ylica’s clearing?

After
tea we took the bells around the tables to show them off and although they were
very interested on this occasion none of the audience were brave enough to
‘have a go’ in front of everyone else.

We
then departed feeling well sated and probably did not need to eat again that
day!