August 10, 2024

The Summer Ringers Academy is the newest ensemble of the William Baker Choral Foundation. The hardy band of musicians will perform their first public concert on Sunday, August 18, 4:00 PM, in the nave of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 416 SE Grand Avenue in Lee’s Summit. Admission is $10 at the door or online at http://www.ChoralFoundation.org/concerts. A wine and cookie reception will follow the one-hour program

The Summer Ringers Academy is a summer-only program designed to introduce the excitement of handbell ringing to new participants, and to give novice and intermediate ringers an opportunity to grow in their skills. The ability to read music was a requirement for participation, but previous handbell ringing experience was not an expectation. Through the summer ringers of varied experience levels worked together to learn basic techniques and to explore new ideas and methods. The atmosphere has been casual with an emphasis on exploration and fun.

Bell ringing to announce community events and to enhance religious ceremony has existed for hundreds of years, but the creation of handbell ensembles in the United States is a phenomena that largely began after World War II. In the late 1970s and early 1980s handbell choirs emerged across the United States in schools, community groups, and especially in churches. By the early 1990s almost every church in the country with a commitment to music had one or more handbell choirs. The most common configuration was 36 bells (3 octaves) but some larger organizations sported 4-7 octaves, with 48-84 bells and an equal number of hand chimes.

The one hour performance of the Summer Ringers Academy will feature a variety of musical selections, including classical works, some hymn arrangements and other songs of a more general nature. The ringers will play two sets of three octaves, along with hand chimes, finger cymbals and wind chimes. The program will feature music by famous composers such as Modest Mussorgsky in addition to handbell specialists Arnold Sherman and Martha Lynn Thompson.

Music Director Amy Chinnery-Valmassei is a leader in the Lee’s Summit community in many ways. Having grown up in the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, she began ringing when the congregation first acquired a handbell set. She continued her interest as an adult in Michigan at the St. Phillips Episcopal Church in Rochester. In 2005 she returned to Lee’s Summit and began as director of handbells for the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where she has led the bell program for nearly twenty years. She was accepted as a member of the elite community handbell ensemble, Kansas City Bronze, in 2020, and is now a four-in-hand specialist with them.

The August 18 concert is co-sponsored by the Music Ministry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the William Baker Choral Foundation. The concert will be followed by a “musical instrument petting zoo” where audience members who wish to will have a chance to see the bells up close and try their hand at ringing one.

For additional information please email [email protected] or call 913.488.7524.