Our Programs
The programs of Chime In! strive to engage each person in appropriate opportunities to find joy and success in making music, whether a first-time or highly experience ringer. Additionally, We Sing! provides opportunities for children to engage in singing, ringing, and rhythm percussion.
To inquire about participating in any program:
Contact
Rick Wood, Director of Music, 860-631-3246 or Rick@ChimeInMusic.org
or
Samantha Beschta, Assistant Director, Samantha@ChimeInMusic.org
Following is a list of the our 2024 programs.
Zion Ringers
Zion Ringers are an intermediate level choir that welcomes beginners. The choir performs regularly in the Bethlehem area and teams up with The Messengers for performances of larger, massed compositions.
Beginner to Intermediate Ringers,
New ringers always welcome, with or without experience
Ringing Level 1+ to 3 Music
Rehearsals: Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00
Late August to Early June
The Messengers
The Messengers is one of six bronze (most advanced musically) handbell choirs in New England. This group of highly skilled ringers, ages 9 and up, rehearses 2 to 5 hours weekly and performs throughout the year. During the past thirty years, The Messengers have performed throughout New England and New York.
Advanced Ringers
Ringing Level 3 - 5+ Music
Rehearsals: Friday from 7:00 - 9:00 and one Sunday afternoon per month
Late August to Early June
FaLiSaD
FaLiSaD is an advanced level handbell trio who perform frequently throughout the year.
FaLiSaD takes the traditional notion of a small ensemble with 8 to 12 bells and brings it to the next level, at times filling the table with more than 40 bells. Ringing in a trio introduces new challenges when compared to a traditional handbell choir with 15 people; requiring the ringers to pass bells, switch positions, and move up and down the table attached at the hip. Although this choreography can be daunting, Sam, Farrell, and Dawn find joy in piecing together the puzzle, spending time together, and making beautiful music.
FaLiSaD often performs in conjunction with Chime In! and the Connecticut Handbell Musicians at their events, however, coordinating the schedules and equipment of a smaller group has allowed them to play at last minute events and at smaller venues. They have become regular entertainment for churches and community groups throughout Connecticut and are looking to increase their repertoire and reach.
Connecticut Handbell Musicians
The Connecticut Handbell Musicians is a group of ringers from various towns all over the state who come together in a central location to continue ringing over the summer when their home choirs take a break. We are a choir of orphans connected by our love of the instrument and desire to grow in technique and musicianship.
This group is intended to be a safe and supportive environment for ringers to stretch and grow by trying out new ringing positions, techniques, and deeper expression of musicality that they might not be able to try in their home choirs. They prepare quality music to be presented in a four-concert series at the conclusion of the summer.
This group brings the bells out of the church by performing at outdoor venues such as the Bethlehem Fair and Woodbury Arts Walk as well as representing Connecticut at the Big E. They perform a wide array of secular and popular music in an attempt to gain acceptance and appreciation from a more diverse audience than is typical for many handbell choirs.
Ringing Level 2 - 3 Music
Open to All Ringers
Focused on Skill-building with four performances
Rehearsals: Tuesday or Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30
Mid-May through Mid-September
We Sing!
We Sing! Children’s Choir of Connecticut is open to any children who wish to sing regardless of experience. Our choral directors lead the children in learning how to sing fine choral music. Singers also experience world percussion, handbells and handchimes, and learn performance etiquette. We Sing! performs an autumn and a spring concert each year, attends a music production by professional performers, and participates in Commuity Music Day in Bethlehem.
Children's vocal choir
Children Grade 2+
Singing Fine Choral Music for Children
Sunday from 5:30 - 6:30
September to November & January to March
We Ring!
We Ring! is a beginning handbell choir for children and their families. The choir focuses on learning to properly ring handbells and some beginning handbell techniques. They perform with We Sing! and join together with The Messengers, Zion Ringers, and Ring Out! for the annual Bells & Berries Concert in June.
Beginning Ringers, Children, age 8 & up, and Parents
Ringing Level 1 to 2- Music
Rehearsals: Sunday from 5:00 - 5:30
September to November, January to March, plus additional opportunities to ring
Ring Out!
Ring Out! is a more advanced beginning handbell choir for children and families. The choir focusses on honing ringing skills, introduces more advanced techniques and rhythms. They follow the same performance schedule as We Ring!
Experienced Beginning Ringers, Children, age 8 & up, and Parents
Ringing Level 2 to 3- Music
Rehearsals: Sunday from 6:30 - 7:00
September to November, January to March, plus additional opportunities to ring
Ring for Fun!
Ring For Fun! is a newly developed program of Chime In! targeted at maintaining brain elasticity, especially for aging brains. This program takes place twice per month during daylight hours in order to encourage seniors to participate, and is not aimed at performance. This allows people to participate when available, but not feel the need to commit. At each session, the participants select from music appropriate for the number of people in attendance and simply Ring for Fun!
Ringing Level 1 - 2 Music
Open to All Ringers (A good opportunity for aging minds)
Focused on engaging the brain in the act of making music
Sessions: 2nd & 4th Mondays, 2:00 - 3:00
Mid-September to Mid-November, February to Mid-May
Bronze & Coppers Festival Choirs
Every two years, Area 1 of the Handbell Musicians of America (New England), host a four-day handbell conference. The event is packed with workshops, massed ringing, concerts, and opportunities to connect with ringers and composers from New England and around the world.
Members of Chime In! work on music for the months leading up to the conference in two groups: Bronze (advanced ringers) and Coppers (intermediate ringers). Chime In! also invites ringers from other choirs to join in as part of these choirs. In June of odd-numbered years, these choirs attend the conference and ring together with hundreds of other ringers.
The result of having members participate in the conference is always evident when the groups return to ringing the follow September.
Bronze Festival Choir
Ringing Level 4 - 5 Music
Open to The Messengers and other Bronze-level Ringers
Focused on Auditioning for, and attending, the Area 1 Handbell Conference Bronze Division
Rehearsals: Determined by the group
September to June leading to Area 1 Conference in odd-numbered years
Coppers Festival Choir
Ringing Level 2 -3 Music
Open to All Intermediate Level Ringers
Focused on attending, the Area 1 Handbell Conference Coppers Division
Rehearsals: Determined by the group
September to June leading to Area 1 Conference in odd-numbered years
Winter Workshop & Connecticut Spring Ring
These two events, Winter Workshop (New England) and Connecticut Spring Ring, are smaller one- or two-day events similar to the conference. Chime In! forms groups to prepare and others are invited to join in.
Winter Workshop Choir
Ringing Level 3 - 5 Music
Open to All Ringers
Focused on attending Area 1 Winter Workshops in late January
Rehearsals: Fridays evenings and Sunday afternoons in January
Spring Ring Choir
Ringing Level 2 - 3 Music
Open to All Ringers
Focused on attending Connecticut Spring Ring in March/April
Rehearsals: Determined by the group
February to Spring Ring
Community Music Day
Chime In! partners with the Woodbury-Bethlehem Community Music Foundation each May to bring together musicians from throughout the community for an afternoon of music-making culminating in a public concert. Each year nearly 100 singers from schools, churches, community music groups, and We Sing! join with the ringers of Chime In! and other instrumentalists for this popular event.
See more details HERE.
Inspirational Workshops
Members of Chime In! gather in small ensembles or choirs to present concerts in locations seeking to stir interest in handbell ringing. The general format includes a short informal concert followed by an opportunity for interested members of the audience to spend 1-2 hours ringing along-side experienced ringers.
Chime In! uses its three sets of handbells, and in some cases borrowed handbells, to create a scenario where one member of Chime In! rings at a table with two to four ringers all ringing the same bells in parallel as part of the larger handbell choir, essentially providing individualized mentoring while ringing under the direction of one of the music directors of Chime In!
Example: Annually, Chime In! ringers offer three 45-minute workshops at the Connecticut 4-H Expressive Arts Day. During these short sessions, children are taught to ring by the experienced ringers and learn to ring one piece of music. At the end of the day, each workshop group performs in a concert for the parents.
Bell-a-Grams
Small groups of Chime In! ringers gather to ring in nursing homes, extended care facilities, individual homes of hospice patients, and many other places where the serenity of handbell music can bring comfort.