HSA
Handbell Society of Australasia
Western Australian Events
February 2016
Handbells in Peel
Recently gave a concert to the Villagers at Lady Brand so they could enjoy “their bells” as they like to call them. We put into practice some of the things you helped us with in the workshop. We had 2 duets as a break from the group performance which was very brave I think. Two other members did a duet with piano and violin so there was something other than bells. Everyone enjoyed the musical afternoon finishing off with an afternoon tea.
Please click HERE to read the report
Mandurah's vision impared social support group
Being involved in bell ringing, Joy Burrows and Deb Hay toyed with the idea of introducing chimes to people with a visual impairment. They borrowed chimes from the Bell Tower to experiment with. The people involved enjoyed it so much they decided that at last they had an opportunity to entertain others through music, even for those without musical knowledge.
Eventually the City of Mandurah purchased a set of chimes for community use. The chimes have been seen around town at various events where members of the public have been invited to enjoy making music with them.
Carmel Daveson, President of the Handbell Society of Australasia, took time out from her trip to Singapore to run workshops for the Handbells in Peel and invited a group of interested people with vision impairment to participate in a session.
The chimes proved to be basic and simple to use, and with expert tuition the ladies soon found themselves joining in with both melody and harmony. This was a most enjoyable experience, especially for those who had little or no knowledge of music.
Because of its popularity it has been proposed that a group be formed to play at public events as invited.