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Volume 14  •  Issue 5  •  Winter 2021

Notes from the Chair

As we get ready to wrap presents, it’s also time to wrap up 2021!  We are still in the midst of this pandemic, and things are still changing daily.  I hope and pray we can get through this holiday season with some sense of normalcy, but even as I write this I’m not sure my own choirs will be allowed to ring their Christmas concert this week.

I am very hopeful with all of our events planned for 2022 by our amazing board!  Let’s recap what we accomplished in 2021.  We held two successful area-wide events with a virtual Super Bell Saturday and an educational  Ringers Roundup in locations across Area 11. 
Additionally, Area 11 pulled off the first in-person national event in eighteen months!  In June we had 45 attendees from seven states of all-ages attend Ringers Camp at the YMCA in Estes Park, Colorado!
In 2022, I’m looking forward to seeing you at our Super Bell Saturday, any of our State Spring Rings, and especially our Area Festival in Tempe next June!  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Happy Holidays!  Let’s ring in 2022 with joyous greetings.

Happy Ringing, Anne

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Giving Tuesday

A BIG THANK YOU to all those who have already contributed to our Giving Tuesday Facebook Fundraiser!   It’s not too late to help us reach our goal of $1500.

Your donations will go toward scholarships and funding our Area 11 festival, which will be held June 2022 in Tempe, AZ.

Giving Tuesday Fundraiser – Facebook

Deadline is Friday, December 3rd!  So far, 14 generous donors have raised $670.  We currently still need $830 to reach our goal.

Another option you may sponsor the festival music piece by the late Cynthia Dobrinski.  Please send us a note if you’d like to honor her!

Thank you for all you do to support the Art of Handbells and Area 11!

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Festival 2022 – Ringing Up

🎶 IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! 🎶

Area 11 Festival is right around the corner and we have so much exciting information to share.

NEXT JUNE, in 2022 we have our RINGING UP Festival with guest clinician, Ellie Hodder! We’ll have fabulous classes and workshops, great concerts, a wonderful Ring of Fame Banquet, and an amazing festival repertoire for you to play! Plan to be with us in Phoenix next June 23-26, 2022 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Phoenix-Tempe!

Read Ellie’s Bio! Registration will be opening SOON!

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More Events

January 29, 2022 – Super Bell Saturday

Join us for our 10th annual Super Bell Saturday — a fun morning of sight reading music with the opportunity to buy the music.

Registration Now Open!

See Locations and find out more on the Super Bell Event Page

March 19, 2022 – Northern Colorado Spring Ring

Our one day festival in Northern Colorado (NOCO) welcomes Brenda Austin as our clinician for this bi-annual event! Concert with five mass pieces for all to enjoy!

Registration Now Open!

Find out more on the NOCO Event Page

March & May 2022 – Spring Ring

Utah and Wyoming have dates and locations set and ready to go.  Registration will be open soon!

Find out about the Spring Ring near you on our Area 11 Events Page

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Gather Together – LeAnna Wilmore

During this holiday season, I hope you are now back ringing in your handbell choirs and have found a way to gather everyone together again. It has taken a lot of strength to call forth our ringers and start live performances. Some of you started several months ago and some of you are just getting started for the holidays.

I have been rehearsing for five weeks with the “Bells at Temple Square.” We had gone twenty months without rehearsing. It has been a joy to be back to ringing again and I hope you have all been as thrilled as we have been. Our ringers were able to just jump in where they left off and we are having a great time preparing for our upcoming performances at Christmas.

What about you? Are you finding music and events for the holiday season that will be uplifting for your choirs? How about venues to welcome your audiences and congregations that will give your choirs momentum? What can we all do to bring together friends and add members to our organization?

Some groups have seen an increase in the numbers of ringers, as they have returned to ringing. Many people are looking to be a part of something great. One of our traditional Thanksgiving pieces is “We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing. He chastens and hastens His will to make known.” You have likely played a bell arrangement of this familiar Thanksgiving song. As we gather together in our rehearsals let us focus on each ringer and be grateful for our time together this holiday season.

LeAnna Willmore, Chair-Elect, Area 11

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News from National

HMA Welcomes a New Executive Director

We are pleased to announce Linda Onorevole as Executive Director of Handbell Musicians of America.

Ring-a-Thon

On December 14, 4pm-10pm ET, Visit the HMA YouTube Live channel and for the Ring-a-Thon. Join for a fun-filled evening of music, interviews, games, prizes, and opportunities to contribute.

Virtual Advent Calendar

Come back every day until Christmas and open a door on the calendar to find a treat.

International Symposium

Join friends from near and far at the 2022 International Symposium in Nashville, Tennessee!

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Upcoming Board Meetings

December 4th – 8am MST

January 8th – 8am MST

February 5th – 8am MST

Newsletter Archive

Click here to see any of our previous newsletters from 2012-2021.

Articles for Newsletter

Want to share an exciting experience or tips and tricks with our handbell community?

Deadline to add articles for the newsletter is the 25th of the previous  month.  Articles may be submitted  to the Communications Chair in .doc format and with an picture of the author in .jpg format.