ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 27, 1997 TAG: 9703280014
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-9 EDITION: METRO BEN MARTIN SPECIAL
SOURCE: BEN MARTIN/SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
``BELLS UP!''
With that crisp command, Robert Chapman, music director and organist at First Presbyterian Church, commenced Bell Choir practice on a recent Saturday morning. But all of the bells did not go up. Some were just too big to be lifted in the traditional fashion.
Besides, there were more bells than ringers, which is usual for a handbell choir; here, some members ring ``four-in-hand,'' which means they hold two bells per hand for some notes.
Ringing a bell can be complicated work, and expensive.
Chapman was at a handbell workshop this past summer and saw some music written for seven octaves. The 61 bells used at First Presbyterian are in the five-octave range. But if he could get the additional bells he needed, Chapman thought, then he would perform the music.
Thanks to the Malmark company, one of two handbell manufacturers in the United States, the choir was able to perform the Prelude on Herzliebster Jesu, or, Ah Holy Jesus, on Palm Sunday.
The two extra bells - two really big bells - needed for the performance will go back after Easter; they were on loan.
Why not just buy them? Part of the reason is price. The bell in low C2 (which refers to pitch) costs $3,000, and the bell in low G sells for $1,500, a lot for one or two performances. Besides, as Chapman pointed out, they are ``more of a novelty, used more by professional touring choirs'' than church choirs.
How big is ``big"? The bells are graduated in size - from 6 to 8 ounces up to 8 to 10 pounds; the seven-octave bells weigh about 12 pounds. And the size? Imagine holding a 5-gallon bucket in your hand, made of polished aluminum.
How do you ring such an unwieldy monster of a bell?
``I don't think there could be a `proper' way to ring it,'' Chapman observed. ``It would look nice to hold it with two hands, but it could almost be injurious.''
So, they are held upside down. To make a sound, the clapper is struck against the bell's side.
``I still need a real `oomph' in the melody,'' Chapman boomed during the rehearsal.
This is where the big bells come in, to make a booming sound that would resonate throughout the sanctuary, right? Wrong. Surprisingly, they have a ``gentle sound, and not loud.'' Chapman noted that it is the small bells that get ``rather piercing.''
``The melody is beginning to come out a lot better,'' he remarked after one session to what appeared to be a very serious group of individuals. At one point in the practice, Chapman turned to me and addressed this solemnity.
``You've probably noticed that no one smiles when they're doing this. Do you know why that is?'' he asked me.
``Because we don't have time!'' someone else answered.
And they do not. This job requires concentration.
Pat Richardson is one of several ringers who has at least six bells to ring. They lay crossed on the table in front of her. It would seem both awkward not only to pick up two crossed bells at once, but also to be able to remember which pair is needed for a particular note. That is always on her mind, she said.
``I'm always looking to make sure I haven't picked up the wrong bell. You have to be very careful about that,'' she said without cracking a smile.
Keeping track of which bell to ring is only one consideration for some ringers. The two seven-octave bells are not the only clumsy instruments to ring; just ask Nancy Healey. She has three brass bells as heavy as dumbbells to contend with. They weigh about 14 pounds each.
``Robert, listen to this and take your pick,`` she says, hopefully. With both hands, she picked up one of the bells, held it in the upright position, and, with a cumbersome flick of the wrists, rang the instrument. She then put it back on the table, tilted it, and struck the clapper against the bell's side. As she half-expected, Chapman preferred the former movement.
``Oh, darn, I knew you'd say that,'' she said, laughing.
``Back to the YWCA for you,'' he quipped.
The Handbell Choir members may not smile much when they are ringing, but they are having fun. Pat Lucas attends Woodlawn United Methodist Church, but is here to help out for the performance because another ringer was needed and because her daughter, Lynn, attends First Presbyterian.
``I just like to ring bells,'' she said. She also came to take some pictures. She was so impressed with the two big aluminum bells that she posed, grinning widely, with both of them in the ringing position.
``It's addictive,'' says Kathy Loving-Kirk. It lifts my spirits; I'm glad we practice on Monday mornings. That's how I start my week, coming to bell practice on Monday morning. I love music, and I can't really sing, so this is something that I can do.''
Being a member of the Handbell Choir at First Presbyterian Church takes a lot of practice, concentration and, sometimes, a little muscle. But, it is all for a good cause. Chapman opened the rehearsal with a prayer, and closed by saying:
``Take our music, and let it be a glory to you.''
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: CINDY PINKSTON/THE ROANOKE TIMES. 1. Robert Chapman,by CNBmusic director and organist at First Presbyterian Church in Roanoke,
leads the handbell choir in practice. 2. Tom Scott (left) and Chuck
Gilliland practice with two large handbells on loan to First
Presbyterian Church. color.