- Handbell History
Handbell History
Handbell music originates from the church tower bells in the United Kingdom which has more than 100 years of history. In order to facilitate the arrangement of tower bell music, handbells were created. As an instrument with unique playing techniques, handbell ringing soon became an avant-garde performing arts. A handbell set is a combination of individual bells of different pitch and each bell resembles an enlarged piano key. We can easily associate the tintinnabulation of Handbell with the festive moods of Christmas.
To perform a piece of handbell music, the highly cooperative work of a team of ringers is needed and each individual ringer is of equal importance in the team. Handbell performances provide their audience with not only wonderful music, but also the dazzling experience of witnessing the perfect cooperation among team members. Although there is a group of ringers performing on stage, they act as if they were one instrument. No members of other orchestra or ensemble can experience such satisfaction gained from the cooperative spirit of handbell playing. Therefore, learning to play handbells is more than acquiring and perfecting individual skills. More importantly, ringers have to develop good team spirits. Handbell ringers need to be aware of the roles of their assigned bells in the piece of music performed. An outstanding performance is the result of the perfect coordination of team members’ use of their eyes, brains, hands and ears. As in learning to play other musical instruments, learning to play handbells can cultivate personal accomplishment. At the same time, ringers can develop their patience and willingness to listen to others through cooperative team building. Such traits are valuable in the personal development of children.
To perform a piece of handbell music, the highly cooperative work of a team of ringers is needed and each individual ringer is of equal importance in the team. Handbell performances provide their audience with not only wonderful music, but also the dazzling experience of witnessing the perfect cooperation among team members. Although there is a group of ringers performing on stage, they act as if they were one instrument. No members of other orchestra or ensemble can experience such satisfaction gained from the cooperative spirit of handbell playing. Therefore, learning to play handbells is more than acquiring and perfecting individual skills. More importantly, ringers have to develop good team spirits. Handbell ringers need to be aware of the roles of their assigned bells in the piece of music performed. An outstanding performance is the result of the perfect coordination of team members’ use of their eyes, brains, hands and ears. As in learning to play other musical instruments, learning to play handbells can cultivate personal accomplishment. At the same time, ringers can develop their patience and willingness to listen to others through cooperative team building. Such traits are valuable in the personal development of children.