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For almost twenty-five years, our handbell choirs have been ringing for services and special events at St. John’s. The initial three octaves of English Handbells made by Schulmerich were donated in memory of Shirley Ingram by her family, parishioners of St. John’s. On a plaque in the Narthex, you will find the names of parishioners and ringers who have helped to complete our five octave set of 61 bells. We have also been able to purchase over the years, three duplicate octaves of Schulmerich handbells and four octaves of Malmark Handchimes. The Handbell Program of St. John's has the following goals and objectives, which make up our Mission Statement:
- Provide music for worship and community service;
- Provide fellowship and support for both youth and adults;
- Teach a skill on a unique instrument;
- Teach young people and adults how to read music;
- Encourage and foster a good life experience - build self-confidence, encourage service to others, develop social skills in a caring and supportive environment.
The ringers in our three handbell choirs range in age from eleven to past retirement and in experience from novice to eighteen years, The members of the O’Neil Handbell Choir, open to youth in grades 6-8, are developing their handbell ringing skills. They participate in the worship services at St. John's and have shared their new skill by teaching youth at other churches. The Brass Handbell Choir, consisting of teenagers from grade 9 up, has rung on Global, CFTO and City TV’s Breakfast Television. They play at St. John’s, other churches, senior’s homes and hospitals. In late October 2000 they were chosen to make a TV Commercial for Swiss Chalet’s Festive Season Special. It aired nationally for six weeks over the 2000, 2001 and 2002 holiday seasons. An article detailing our adventure follows below. The Ingram Handbell Choir, adults of all ages, has played for corporate functions and appeared on CTV’s Canada AM, December 2003. These ringers take part in the worship services at St. John’s and other churches and bring much joy to seniors in retirement homes and children in hospitals.
All handbell choirs take part in festivals organized by the Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers. St. John's Ringers have also traveled to Michigan, Indiana, Maine, Texas, Vermont, Wyoming and New York States for festivals sponsored by the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers.St. John's Handbell Ringers along with 6 other handbell choirs from the Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers (90 ringers in all) performed at Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights First Lighting Celebration on Saturday, November 29, 2003. St. John's Handbell Director Carolyn Martin directed the massed choirs. Thousands jammed the square, many seeing and hearing English Handbells for the first time. To find out more about this Toronto Event go to www.city.toronto.on.ca/special_events/cavalcade_lights/index.htm
Would You like to learn how to ring English Handbells?
We are open to people who wish to give ringing a try. St. John's is an Anglican Church; however you do not have to be a parishioner to take part in the Handbell Program. Reading music is an asset and will allow you to progress faster. The technique can be picked up fairly quickly but it takes time and practice to become relaxed and confident when ringing as part of an ensemble.
Youth in grades 6, 7 or 8 practise on a Monday evening from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
Teens in grade 9 and up practise on Sunday afternoons from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.. Many in this group have two to four years experience ringing.
The adults practise on Monday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Experience in this group ranges from 4 months to 18 years.
If you would like to come and give it a try, call the director Carolyn Martin at 905-881-1140 to arrange a time to come inIn addition to the ongoing activities mentioned above, the handbell choirs each year prepare for a special concert MUSICFEST. This is a concert featuring handbells, with St. John's Chorale, Gospel and Youth Choirs, organ, digital piano and handchimes. From time to time other instruments are added such as percussion, trumpet, clarinet, flute and fiddle. Our concert is approximately one and a half hours in length and suitable for all ages with a variety of sacred and secular music.
Proceeds from MUSICFEST have supported St. John's music programs and charities such as: Camp Koinonia, The Canadian International Peace Project, "Street Outreach Services" (SOS), a program of LOFT Community Services, providing support and a range of services to assist youth under 25 by offering alternatives to the streets and "Sleeping Children Around the World" SCAW.
Some of the proceeds from our concerts, fund raisers and donations from individuals throughout the year are used to help support the handbell program in various ways: purchasing - music, foam for pads, gloves, table covers, binders and mallets; refurbishing our bells and purchasing new equipment; giving some support to ringers and providing the chaperones needed to attend handbell festivals.
This summer nine of our ringers took part in the 11th International Handbell Symposium in Toronto, August 3-7, 2004. The climax of this event was a public concert at the Air Canada Centre. This event rotates every two years between Japan, Korea, Great Britain, Australia, Canada and the U. S. A. We had an opportunity to interact with ringers from around the world and work under conductors from all the countries represented. It was a truly memorable experience ringing with 600 ringers from such varying cultural backgrounds.
In May of 2004 and 2007 our Brass Ringers traveled to New York City. We played at St. Paul’s Chapel and other venues and then went to New Jersey to play for and with ringers in Morristown and Basking Ridge. This type of activity is very meaningful for those who take part and our young people represent St. John’s very well.
Musicfest 2007 “Oh Canada!” celebrated our country and its’ music and performers. Three handbell choirs, vocal choirs, organ, keyboard and a guest fiddler joined in favourites such as Farewell to Nova Scotia, Bobby Gimby’s Ca-na-da, This Land is Your Land and Something to Sing About (This Land of Ours).
Musicfest 2008 “On Broadway” will be on Sunday, May 4th at 4 p.m. and 7 p.HANDBELL MUSIC CD Sales of our handbell CD "Ring in Christmas" with 24 seasonal selections helps provide the funding to run our program. Our CD has been sold through our email connection to many parts of the United States and Canada. It is a timeless, professionally recorded collection of Christmas favourites.
For more information email or call St. John's York Mills 416-225-6611
The Handbell Ringers of St. John's
Carolyn Martin - Director
2007 updateHANDBELL PROGRAM - SERVICES AND CONCERTS
2007 - 2008
Sunday,
Nov. 11/07St. John’s Remembrance Day Service
11:00 a.m.
Ingram
Tuesday,
Nov. 27/07
Amica at the Balmoral *
(Avenue road and St. Clair)7:15 p.m.
Ingram
Sunday,
Dec. 2/07
St. John’s Advent Carol Services
9:30 a.m.
11:00 a.m.O’Neil
BrassFriday,
Dec. 7/07Upper Canada Choristers Christmas Concert at St. John’s
8:00 p.m.
Ingram
Saturday,
Dec. 8th/07
Salvation Army Yorkminster Citadel Christmas Concert
7:30 p.m
Ingram
Tuesday,
Dec. 11/07
St. Hilda’s Towers *
(Dufferin and Eglinton)7:45 p.m.
Ingram
Sunday,
Dec. 16/07 7:00 pm
Bells 6:30
St. John’s Christmas Carol Service
7:00 pm
Bells 6:30
Brass
O’NeilSunday, Dec. 24/07
St. John’s Christmas Eve
Children’s Service
Carol singing with choir and bells begins at 55:30 pm
5:00 p.m.Ringers
alumni
Easter Services TBA
Sunday,
April 20/08
St. John’s Scout/Guide Service 9:30 a.m. O’Neil Sunday, April 27/08
St. John’s Guards Service
11:00
Sunday,
May 4/08
rehearsal
Friday 6:15MUSICFEST /08
4:00 p.m. & 7:00 pm Adults $15
Children $5All Ringers & Singers
Our Bells Ring at St. Paul’s Chapel, Ground Zero
Sixteen teens and adults packed into three vans, left St John’s May 20th. Our equipment and uniforms left a day earlier in a fourth van. Over 5days and 4 nights, we have many stories - photos at the border, a “lost” credit card, misread maps, 91F weather, high humidity, 5 minute shopping trips, hunt for the cheapest t-shirt and playing a $96,000 piano. Even with all of those, I think I’m safe in saying that the most important stories come from playing at St Paul’s Chapel, Ground Zero.September 11th, 2001 will be a day that many of us will never forget. Hundreds of people, both civilians and emergency personnel lost their lives in the collapse of the World Trade Centre buildings. In what can only be described as a miracle, St Paul’s Chapel was not affected by the collapse – not one single window was broken. It’s amazing because the Chapel is directly across the street from the WTC site.
Playing at St Paul’s was our offering to the residents of New York and the United States as a remembrance not only of the lives that were lost but the lives that continue to be affected today. Music was our way of expressing what words cannot.
The Chapel continues to display the many tributes and messages of love, hope and peace from around the world. Personally, 2 tributes touched me deeply. The first is a collection of origami peace cranes from the families of the victims of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thousands of these cranes have been lovingly draped along a section of a fence that has been moved into the Chapel. The second is a chasuble adorned with hundreds of crests from Fire, Police and Emergency Service departments from all over the world. We were fortunate to add a crest from the Toronto Fire Services.
Although the site has been cleaned up and the city is now preparing for the next stage in it’s healing, the stories of loss and tragedy will stay forever in the minds and hearts of the residents of New York City. I have heard stories of tourists going to New York and finding its residents cold, uncaring and rude. If that’s true, we certainly didn’t meet any of them. Everyone we met was helpful and kind. When they found out we were in New York to play at the Chapel, they were all very grateful. It was a privilege to present our musical offering in memory of those who did not come home September 11, 2001.
Tina Iida
Ringer/Chaperone
Further to our St. Paul’s Chapel experience:
Our visit to New York began with a walking tour to get a feel for the city. In the evening we had a bus tour that gave us a broad overview of a city many were seeing for the fist time. We had a wonderful visit to Steinway Hall and everyone was allowed to play any of the pianos there after having an interesting history of Steinway pianos given by a former concert pianist who played for us. After playing at St. Paul’s we took a boat trip around the harbour and saw the Statue of Liberty up close. We then drove to Morris Plains, New Jersey. In the past I have billeted their touring handbell choir twice and they were very happy to return the favour. We stayed two nights with wonderful families, played for their church service on Sunday morning, watched their excellent choir rehearse and then had some relaxing time shopping!I am very grateful to the chaperones/drivers. Much planning and many hours went into what proved to be a wonderful and meaningful experience for us all.
Carolyn Martin
Handbell Director
Ring in Christmas
(St. John's Handbell Choirs Christmas Music CD)
The Handbell Choirs of St. John's York Mills Anglican Church released their debut CD, "Ring In Christmas", just in time for the 2002 holiday season and to excellent reviews.
We sold out our initial run of 1000! Another 1000 were pressed and we have just over 700 left. Ideas for marketing in 2003 are most welcome.This CD was beautifully recorded in spite of the practical challenges of an old church's clanging heat radiators, overhead flight path from Pearson airport and the interruption of the Yonge subway running every 5 minutes - in each direction. The beauty and fine recording quality of this CD is also a testament to the abilities of Ed Marshall, recording engineer, formerly of CBC Radio.
For more information about the CD and for sample sound clips, go to the Christmas CD Webpage.
The CD's are available directly from St. John's York Mills for $15 or by emailing mailto:ringinchristmas@sympatico.ca?subject=From the St. John's York Mills Website - Handbell CD.
CD Reviews "Very moving and quite magicaI........ I enjoyed the variety, particularly the selections which used accompanying instruments. I would look forward to a second CD." Rt. Rev. Michael Bedford-Jones, Bishop of York-Scarborough.
"The disc is musically very fine, beautifully produced and recorded, and the unique sound of handbells may be a kind of antidote to the annual avalanche of more standard Christmas recordings" Christopher Dawes, Organist & Director of Music, St. James Cathedral.
"Ring one up, way up, for Carolyn Martin and the St. John's York Mills bell choirs. Ring in Christmas brings a freshness and exuberance to the dearth of Christmas reruns and 'modernized'/ secularized humdrum. The variety of program and texture offered in this CD, truly is a long awaited 'new birth'. Remarkable accomplishments from a most talented group of amateur musicians and a tribute to God and St. John's York Mills" Robin Davis, B.Mus. Church Organist.
Carolyn Martin
Handbell Director
St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church
The Making of a Commercial
(Written for the Spring 2001 edition of the Ontario Guild Newsletter)What happens when you check your e-mail one day and it says, "We are looking for a traditional handbell choir to record for and appear in a television commercial production for one of our clients. Please call"
Wednesday Oct. 4/2000 - after reading the above, I made the initial call to the music director of the company that put out the search.
Thursday, Oct. 5/2000 - Return call "he is meeting with another bell director on Friday - could I come in Tuesday of the following week?"
Tuesday, Oct. 10/2000 - Meeting in downtown Toronto to which I take a bell, a piece of music and a tape of my teenage choir playing on City T.V. a couple of years ago.
Wednesday Oct. 11/2000 - Frank, the music director, has sent a copy of the tape to the client whom I now know is SWISS CHALET. At 5:30 p.m. I receive a call awarding us the job. However, I have a commitment from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. I have accepted the job but up until now I have mentioned nothing to my ringers. Blood pressure rises as I wait 24 hours to see if I will be able to come up with the ringers for the job!
Thursday, Oct. 12/2000 - Frank wants me to meet with the film director who now has the copy of our tape to study. That evening from 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. I contact my 14 teenage ringers and their parents. Twelve are on board. Whew!
Friday, Oct. 13/2000 - My meeting at The Big Film Company was to show the director a few different sized bells so he could see their reflective quality and get an idea of what he would be filming – bell, glove, hand and arm. From here I went to the music company once again to get a copy of the score that had been written for the commercial. It had been generated on a computer using a keyboard with bell sounds. A tight time commitment and a little inattention netted me a $20 parking ticket!
Saturday, Oct. 14/2000 - It was necessary to re-write the 30 second and the 15 second version of the commercial so the bell ringers could read it. The photocopier at the church was broken (perfect timing) so a trip to Kinkos was necessary to have the music for our practice Sunday night. At 10 p.m. I received a call from Frank just to let me know that the recording date has been changed from Wednesday to Thursday !!! Oops ! I now have to call 12 teenagers again to check school responsibilities for another day. The phrase ‘go with the flow’ is an important one to remember right about now.
Sunday, Oct. 15/2000 - Practice goes well. It is really a very simple tune, it’s just the exact timing required that needs work.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday seem to fly by with calls from props, wardrobe, advertising agency and most importantly from the producer saying that just six ringers will be required for the filming portion of the commercial on Friday, October, 20.2000.
Thursday, Oct. 19/2000 - We meet at St. John’s at 9:00 a.m. to be at the recording studio by 10:00 a.m. Just to ensure things wouldn’t run too smoothly, one girl forgot about our recording session and went to school ! With some alterations we still made it to the studio on time. This part was a great learning experience for the teens and for me. The studio thought it would take 8 or 9 takes to get it right. Because of the need to be so exact in the timing we wore headphones with a click track going. With this metronome like sound in everyone’s ears we needed only 6 takes to wind it up. We celebrated with lunch out downtown close to the studio.
Friday, Oct. 20/2000 - We had a five hour call at the filming studio in west end Toronto, meaning that’s how long they thought it would take to film our part. The six of us arrived at 7:30 a.m. We waited and watched as each crew member did their part to set the scene. Our feet grew tired and our arms felt like they might not hold up too much longer as we held still, then played a segment along with the tape we had made the previous day. This process was done again and again as the director focused on the different bells. The director, producer, client, ad agency etc. were all enamored with our bells and the beautiful sound they made. With the exception of the man who had the idea of real handbells for the commercial most had never heard or seen handbells up close before. We finished filming in time for a bite of lunch provided to all the crew and people involved.
The Result Would we do it again? - absolutely. It was a terrific learning experience for ringers and director alike. We were so pleased when the professional looking commercial aired in November advertising Swiss Chalet’s Festive Special. It was a bonus that the words St. John’s York Mills actually appeared on the screen. People in the congregation and staff members said they felt proud and one staff member said, "I know I just help you carry the bells Carolyn but I felt like it was me too when I saw our bells on T.V." Two local papers ran a picture and short article on our experience. Our last involvement with the commercial was being treated to the Festive Special at a Swiss Chalet just down the hill from the church at Yonge and 401. When our cheques came in a few weeks later, the teens had made the decision for each of them to give half back to the Handbell Fund at our church. Without the handbell program at the church this opportunity would not have been possible.
Postscript Many of us are so close to the handbell scene that we think everyone knows about it but the truth is not many people do and I believe that any time we can do something like this or perform in other musical venues or on T.V. we are helping to spread the word about a truly wonderful and unique way of making music. I would encourage all of you to seize the opportunity to share your music and your very special medium, handbells, with everyone you can.
Carolyn Martin
Handbell Director
St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church
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